I had the fortune of trying these shoes when I ran past a New Balance demo booth last summer. I already wore New Balance running shoes and was curious to try these. I've been skeptical about investing in the FiveFingers shoes, but wanted something a little more "natural," less bulky than the traditional shoes. Immediately, these shoes felt like they belonged on my feet. They contour to the shape of my foot and are light. I like how they push you to run more properly (landing more on your midfoot). This trail running shoe has a great sole for the trail. I have also been using it for road running and haven't had any problems. I have been active in sports and dance for years, so this felt like the perfect cross between a sneaker and ballet shoe...but I also think others will find themselves making an easy transition to this kind of shoe. Bonus: it's breathable and you don't need to wear socks.

Note: I have been wearing size 9.5 shoes with New Balance for a while and chose the same for this shoe.

I just spent my first winter skiing in the PNW and was very impressed with the OR Backbowl Jacket. I finally purchased a new jacket mid-season. I needed a new shell that was durable and provided minimum insulation so I could still enjoy it in warmer conditions. I also wanted something waterproof enough to keep me dry when the snow turns to slush (or even more depressing, rain).

I have worn it in all conditions- cold (just layer more, but it does a good job of providing the outside weather blocker so I didn't need as much as with previous non-insulated shells), rain (it rained during the Stevens Pass Hope on the Slopes event. while my gloves were sopping wet, my core was completed dry for 10 hours of crazy rain-skiing exposure), and warmer days (the pit zips are actually side-torso vents which make more sense! I felt more comfortable than any coat because there's actually ventilation since the vents are directly under your arm pits).

I also like the fit. I'm a medium across the board with 37" chest and sometimes find it difficult to balance the borderline chest size with waist. But if you're concerned, there's plenty of room. The fit isn't too lose or too tight- just enough to provide layering and still provide a feminine fit.

I have had these skins for a year and have used them with my Volkl Kikus. They grip very well, though as expected, on icy, steep climbs, anyone on any skins will have a problem. Overall, on regular hard pack on steep slopes, they work well. Before you purchase, I recommend you check that the tip loop will fit your skis. I didn't purchase these from backcountry.com. Instead, I bought them at a local store and in the process noticed I needed a wider tip loop for my Kikus. As a result, I had to pay about $17 extra for two different tip loops that would fit my wider ski. It was annoying at the time, but I am very happy with the purchase. The wider tip loop also seemed to be a better choice than the standard loop that comes with the skis. Several people have also mentioned the tail clip coming off. This tends to happen from time to time with mine if I didn't tighten it enough or after several hours, but it's also an occasional occurrence with my friends' skins. Overall, I don't have a problem with the tail clip. I highly recommend these skins because they're sticky and reliable.