It’s like an armored hovercraft on your foot...just one of the many things Lee-Stuart Evans has to say about the LALO Zodiac Recon AT in this informative review.
“Until now I thought companies were either good at boots…..or running shoes…but never great at both," says Lee-Stuart.
Lee-Stuart has crossed the Sahara in the famous Marathon des Sables and been part of a team to be the first to cross 100 mile long Frozen Lake Khovsghol in Mongolia. He’s also been lucky enough to be a Rat Race Test Pilot for up and coming races and adventures on their Bucket List Series.
He is a featured TEDx Speaker, technical diver, pilot and more. But what may be most interesting and endearing about Lee-Stuart is his refreshingly humble and down to earth approach to any feat or adventure he embarks upon and the gear he uses to get there. He writes useful guides on things like long distance running gear kit lists, wild and stealth camping and how to survive on 16,000 calories for a week in the desert. Who knew?
We are excited to share this excerpt from The Air, Land and Sea’s Lee-Stuart Evans’ comprehensive review and video featuring the LALO Zodiac Recon AT.
“The ZODIAC RECON AT running shoes are great in so many ways. They have more than average cushioning for long runs on trail whilst still maintaining plenty of control when you are running or hiking on uneven or rocky terrain. They have a non nonsense ‘normal’ fit across the toes so your feet enjoy a more natural foot shape and your toes don’t get squeezed. The grip meets the demands of a multitude of terrain by being good in the wet and the dry and the shoe has been designed to be used on sections of tarmac too because in the real world we all have to run to the trails or do sections of sidewalk as well. I love the drain features and quick drying fabric too which repels water on its outer coating. I would describe these shoes as like mini military hovercrafts, but they handle more like a dirt bike! These will not disappoint.”
“Outdoor gear is expensive and some of it is expensive and terrible. My reviews do what they can to steer you clear of rubbish and buy well made long lasting gear that works. Gear I use daily. You wont see me endorsing something on Instagram because I’m being paid. If I’m raving about gear on this blog you’ll find endless pics of me using it myself online. I stand by what I endorse. “
Read more and watch the video featuring what Lee-Stuart has to say about the Zodiac Recon AT here >>
Photos courtesy of Lee-Stuart Evans.
We are happy to share outside knowledge and experiences from such a well-respected publication. It's always great to hear an unbiased opinion. Take a look, have a read, and let us know your thoughts.
By Tom Marshall
Senior Editor / Recoil Network
Guns and knives and medkits and watches and paracord survival bracelets are all cool to shop for – and not unimportant pieces of gear. But the literal foundation of any EDC is gonna be a good pair of shoes. You may never shoot it out with ISIS, save a life with your pocket tourniquet or use your wristband key cuff to escape from foreign custody. But we can 100% guarantee that you will walk, run, climb or shuffle somewhere at some point every day.
Like any other piece of kit, your needs and daily environment will dictate exactly what you need. But there are a couple of safe-bet factors to look for: hard use durability, long-term comfort and the ability to transition through multiple types of terrain without causing slippage.
LALO is a footwear company that was originally founded specifically to meet the needs of the Naval Special Warfare community. Their initial product line was focused on combat boots, but they have branched into athletic footwear based on direct feedback from the SOF community. From this input, they have developed a line of lightweight and well-ventilated shoes for both endurance running and cross training. Earlier this year, they released the Zodiac Recon AT (All Terrain).
The skeptical among you may believe that shoes are just shoes. Use those shoes over any distance longer than a shopping aisle, rougher than the waiting room of your dentist’s office or carrying more weight than full pockets, and the true value of a good pair of shoes will become painfully clear in the most literal sense.
Our first stop with the Zodiac Recon AT’s was a two-day “Weaponize The Senses” class with Greenside Training. This class was put on in August in the southernmost parts of Arizona, within mortar distance of the US-Mexico border. Ironically, a large part of the Greenside curriculum revolves around reading and following footprints. Part of what separates the Zodiac Recon AT’s from other Zodiac line shoes is Lalo’s Off Road Traction Pods.
The ORTP system is a unique tread pattern that consists of clusters of geometric plugs that runs from the very back edge of the heel and pest the front edge of the sole, with a sort of toe-dig traction pad about the size of your big toe, in roughly the same location. This unique feature allows you to dig the shoe hard into loose soil or against a rock face to get a solid initial push. In the context of the Weaponize The Senses class, the Off Road Traction Pods taught us two things: that the Zodiac Recon AT has a very distinctive tread pattern and that said pattern works really in wet, sandy settings. (Which should be a no-brainer for shoes that were made for the SEAL community.)
After a weekend of man-tracking in bordertown, our next major stop with these kicks was Burnett, Texas for the Atomic Athlete Vanguard – a two-and-a-half-day celebration of getting wet, sweaty and muddy. It poured rain the entire time we were there, giving us a chance to get ankle deep in some red clay mud. Even though the Traction Pods didn’t give us any distinct advantage in the mounds of mud, our feet stayed mostly dry throughout the weekend. The Recons seemed to accept a base-layer of mud which hardened around the body of the shoe and kept the majority of moisture out. For shoes that are not billed as waterproof, we were impressed with how little sogginess we experienced.
If that wasn’t enough water testing for you, we took our Recons from Texas to Louisiana for Rosco Manufacturing’s #BarrelGang event in New Orleans. This was a media event that had us running, kneeling and laying in bayou swamp grass to take some custom-built ARs out to 500 meters. In this case, swamp water got the best of our test kicks. But pulling out the insoles and putting in our hotel room hair drier fixed that problem in about 40 minutes or so.
Our final evolution with these shoes was a hike up Tucson, Arizona’s Mount Lemmon which includes trails that start out as high desert and end at 10,000 in lush pine groves. The Zodiac Recon AT’s truly live up to their All Terrain suffix. We are proud to report that we did not experience a single blister, abrasion or hot spot after our initial ruck. All in all, our first experience with LALO has been overwhelmingly positive and look forward to the opportunity to continue pushing these shoes until our toes poke through them.
