I recently started wearing LALOs and so far I have been very impressed.  The LALO Shadow Amphibian is hands down the best duty boot I have ever worn, not that I have a whole lot to compare it too.  As a corrections officer I usually buy on the cheaper end of name brands like 5.11 or Rothco.

Nice boots for sure but I have never needed a higher end Navy SEAL designed boot like my Amphibians.  So as expected they blew my old boots out of the water (especially in the water and wet conditions). Good job LALO. I’ve used them inside and outdoors and the Amphibian boots have plenty of features for those wanting good footwear for their active lifestyle.  Where I was surprised though was with the PT Grinders I got.  I was not expecting such a high quality shoe from a boot company.

Compared to other running shoes I have worn there are some interesting innovations in the Grinders.  A sturdier upper does a great job of mobilizing the foot for lateral motion (the shoes intention as a cross-trainer/Gym shoe) but out of the gym it also makes the shoe more durable to what nature has to throw at it especially with a ceramic coated SUPERFABRIC toecap.

While it may not feel as soft on the foot as some kinds of meshy runners do this upper does a much better job of shedding water without picking up a considerable amount of weight.  Obviously it performs well where it was designed to, (“The Grinder is a mid-foot mobility shoe that shines in a variety of cross-training activities. It was engineered for dynamic, bodyweight-based agility drills and movements.

It features a softer, grippier feel for multi-directional movements such as jump rope, burpees, box jumps, jumping lunges, and more. It is a practical shoe for rowing, short distance runs and sprints.”) But with its ample cushion I found it to be more than protective enough underfoot for long runs, and with its lower drop it makes for a smooth ride when you’re running.

I’ve seen and used a lot of good shoes in my time as an athlete, ultra running & obstacle course racing competitor, and learned much about shoes while working at a popular running-shoe store. The LALO Grinders have held up well to my abuse.

Between these two pieces of foot wear LALO has covered most of my needs.  The only thing that’s really missing is a gnarly all-terrain shoe and really the Grinders are almost there.  They are really only lacking a durable sticky rubber outsole, like the one on the Amphibians.

Cut a little midsole out of the grinders, slap on the Amphibians outsole (maybe beef up the tread a bit) and you have a lightweight ready for anything shoe to be reckoned with on any mountain, trail, or OCR course.  I’m not sure if this is a market that LALO wants to chase but I definitely look forward to what they put out in the future!

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

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