If you’re looking for an all weather sports shoes, stop dealing with fake brand products or expensive brands altogether. Goldstar shoes have personally proven to me that they are worth much more than what they cost. Since I’ve been running and hiking regularly for the past three years I’ve been through a few shoes but none has last even close to what my current Goldstar has. As a side-effect you’ll also be supporting a Nepal made shoes.
Since I hike in the morning and the trail consists of a lot of grass which are often wet with dew. This moisture causes quick degradation of fabrics of most shoes. The fabric start tearing or the seams begin to separate as they are not meant to be flexible when wet. Some were expensive, some were not but getting wet wasn’t something they could endure. They quickly start give away making them only last a few months.
After my last shoe gave up on me, I went shoe shopping nearby. I always had high regards for Goldstar shoes as they are touted to be a Nepali brand. But last Goldstar shoe I used didn’t last long either. Still they were cheap enough to be consider them as a replacement.
This time I was recommended to use a slightly expensive model with synthetic fabric. I tried it on and it was very light and equally comfortable to wear. Where other shoes have almost rigid entry point which needs to be loosened up by arranging the laces, I didn’t have any trouble putting these on. As I had no other running shoe, I didn’t know which model it was then and I only hoped it to last a few months. For what Goldstar shoes cost, a good 6 months and above was all I could hope for. But have I been impressed with this shoe. It has yet to show any sign of extensive degradation. The fabric is still intact, seams are holding up nicely. They definitely stack up with the international brands of shoes like Adidas and Nike.
The only thing to wear out is the inner cushion fabric on the heal end. The cushion is different from the outer fabric and walking through wet grass, mud and rain, the cushion had no chance. But you can easily replace a good pair for Rs.30 at the nearest shoe store.
The quality of the shoe has elevated my respect for Goldstar. And as I recently learned the model of the shoe, it was being marketed as a casual shoe. If a casual shoe can endure the weather and hikes I go through, I can only imaging how a sports model with similar fabric would last. If my current shoe gives up, which I don’t think will happen soon, I’ll definitely be looking at this sports model with strong, thicker soles with grip patterns for slippery hikes.