2012’s top summer apparel for men
The latest and greatest in men’s warm-weather activewear
Columbia Insight Ice Mesh Short Sleeve
($60; Columbia)
Everything about this shirt is made to be cool. When you sweat, the Omni Freeze ICE treatment creates a chemical reaction that noticeably cools the shirt down. (The treatment lasts for 70 washes.) Plus, the soft fibres of the shirt pull moisture away from the skin, and they’re body-mapped with mesh panels under the arms and across the back of the neck. With no seams on the shoulders and wide soft ones everywhere else, this is a great shirt for backpacking, running and paddling in hot weather.
First Ascent Solarfoil Hoodie
($70; Eddie Bauer)
Sometimes—such as when you’re hiking on a glacier or floating on the ocean—you don’t want to expose your skin to the sun. That’s when you need a shirt like the baggy, hooded Solarfoil, which provides the equivalent of SPF 30 protection. While it shelters you from the glare, cooling winds can pass right through the lightweight Cocona fabric (made from burnt coconut husks). And if you work up a sweat, the Solarfoil will quickly wick it away.
Merrell Outland Short
($85; Merrell)
These good-looking, lightweight and highly technical shorts are made for abuse in the backcountry. A DWR treatment deflects light rain or a soggy fern splash, while the interior lining wicks moisture away from the skin on hot days. And no matter how they get wet, these 10-inch-long shorts dry fast. There are also pockets all over the place, including two zip pockets on the thighs. The low-profile belt-and-buckle waist closure is comfortable even under a hipbelt
or harness.
Billabong Vantage Boardshorts
($70; Billabong)
Like all the other boardshorts in Billabong’s new recycled collection, the Vantage is 87 per cent nylon—derived from used plastic water bottles—and 13 per cent spandex. The combo creates a short that’s very lightweight and very stretchy—these pants will move with you. And a water-repellent treatment reduces the amount of water sponged up by the short, cutting the drying time.
Chaco Updraft Bulloo
($115; Chacos)
This sport sandal is everything we’ve come to expect from Chaco, and even more. Despite losing weight from the durable footbed and outsole, the shoe remains extremely comfortable with a contoured shape that supports and properly aligns the arch and heel. We happily wore these all day straight out of the box. The easily adjusted webbing strap felt good next to the skin, and it locked the foot in place. And the new Vibram outsole grips both wet and dry surfaces equally well.
Olu Kai Kia’i Trainer
($130; Olu Kai)
Designed for the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association’s fitness training regime, the Kia’i is the most comfortable amphibious shoe we’ve tried. We found the inside of the mostly mesh upper to be very soft against bare feet, even when our dogs were covered in sand. (Bonus: The upper is made from a moisture-wicking and antifungal material.) The protective toe bumper and firm heel sit on a knobby, non-marking outsole, and the shoe has a partial shank for protection from rocks.
