r/gorpcore

Mostly local South African brands and the Merrell Agility Peak 5s

On the way to the coffee shop, naturally.

Hello all,

I purchased a pair of Keens, Jasper Zionic in rough Java suede (see pictures from when first purchased) and absolutely loved them at first!

Didn’t need to break them in at all, cool looking, etc

But after a few wears, walking in a city, I noticed the rubber toe box on both shoes, and one of the foam side pieces starting to peel away from the shoe.

Since I bought them at REI, a friend told me they have a 100 day return policy for members.
I was able to return them, no problem.

Sadly, I couldn’t do an exchange because they were out of my size.

So now, I’m trying to decide… do I buy them from the Keens site or buy a different shoe to avoid the peeling problem again?

Also - I only see them online with an all black bottom now and not the tan bottom I purchased from REI.

Has anyone else had this experience?
What should I do??

*sorry, I returned them before I thought to take pictures of the peeling.

Here is the post of my last bag sample: https://www.reddit.com/r/gorpcore/s/lEIZCCbpGY

After a few months of prototyping, testing, and making changes based on feedback, I finally finished the final version of the messenger bag I posted here a while ago.

It’s designed to work equally well for everyday carry and cycling, while keeping a clean, low-profile look.

Some of the biggest updates since the prototype:

• Material: XPAC LITESKIN® LS07 for a lighter, more durable shell with a unique textured finish.
• Added a laptop sleeve that fits up to a 15” laptop without a case.
• Added an interior water bottle sleeve to keep bottles upright.
• Added a zippered patch pocket inside for organizing smaller essentials.
• Redesigned the webbing loop construction on the shoulder strap so it’s functional whether the bag is worn on your left or right shoulder.
• Kept the removable tri-strap system for extra stability while cycling, and the customizable webbing loops on the flap for attaching accessories like carabiners, sunglasses, or anything you want quick access to.

Overall, the goal was to make something highly functional without looking overly technical.

The bag is made in Toronto, Canada.

Would love to hear what you guys think of the final version!

If anyone is interested, you can check it out here: https://www.srnali.com/collections/new-arrivals

You can also find more of my work on Instagram: srna.li

What do you think about them? Which is your favorite colorway from Salomon?

Hey all,

Just surfing Gonggar to get ideas for styling/thrifting/sewing, and came across these shorts. I'm not interested in the shorts but I am very interested in the backpack as I've been looking for an all-white or all-off-white day pack for a while. Looked around their site and couldn't find anything like this, so it is an out-of-store prop they have used. Google Lens didn't turn anything up either. There were no pictures from the back unfortunately. The two screenshots included are all that was there.

The old Mountain Hardwear Alpine Light 35 is ideal, but they no longer sell it with the white hip belt and I am not interested in a white backpack with black straps. The limited edition Osprey Talon Ghost 22 looks great but haven't been able to find it anywhere online. There are a couple options from Granite Gear for undyed stuff, but I don't love how see-through they all are and it's just ok. Montbell has a number of good white/light gray options, but just recently with the tariff situation they have changed how they ship items to the US and it is no longer possible for me to buy the models I like (the Denali packs, to be specific).

I don't care about brand much, if I like how the bag looks. I do intend to actually use it for hiking but I don't need it to be Patagucci or anything. Any recommendations are helpful!

Arcteryx Beta SL, Nike Tech Cargos, XT4 OGs

Not barefoot but plenty of room, zero drop and arch free.

Edit: it is my own design, not out yet :)

Edit 2: yes I’m planning to do barefoot versions of them, but first, i’m focusing on what I didn’t find yet in the market

Edit 3: Since you guys are asking, if you’re interested you can follow @cru.footwear on Instagram and/or drop your e-mail at crufootwear.com to stay updated on the project !

I think I’m leaning towards black or beige

You step in dog shit with your aggressive tread, and there's no stream anywhere close to wash it out.
On the bright side, I had plenty of space at the coffee shop. Everyone left when I arrived.

Been thinking about purchasing this waterproof shell but haven't heard too many reviews on it. Any thoughts on this brand as a whole and their quality? TIA!

Recently enjoyed some big summer discounts in France