One of the coolest things I learned about during last week’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market is the introduction, in September 2019 L, of the Forge Winter GTX from Italian footwear manufacturer Tecnica.
As you may recall, Tecnica’s Forge is custom molded to the wearer’s feet during a process first developed for ski boots. Their Thermoform system features an anatomic last Custom Adaptive Shape. C.A.S. consists of a footbed and upper. The footbed works in concert with the upper’ arch. The upper also features a customizable heal cup and ankle pads.
As you can see, they are all Black, without the color pop of the initial launch of the Forge. Additionally, in order to make the Forge more appropriate for winter use, Tecnica has integrated a Gore-Tex lining as well as Vibram Arctic Grip Sole. The Arctic Grip sole does an amazing job of keeping stable in ice.
The rest of the details remain the same. Kevlar loops take the place of metal hardware to form the self locking lace design that doesn’t creep while moving and the tongue overlaps to reduce hot spots.