The Palisade DLX is the latest addition to Mammut’s urban climbing series of footwear. As one would expect from the shoe’s climbing inspired look, the Palisade DLX is designed primarily as a street shoe for daily use or travel. That is to say, this isn’t a hiking boot.
I’ve been wearing these shoes for the past month or so, trying to see how I feel about them. The styling is definitely European, and not typical of shoes sold in the US. The lacing of the shoes is set on a bias, which according to the company transfers more pressure to the big toe. While this took a bit of getting used to, I actually really like the Palisade DLX.
Since the sole of the shoes have no lugs, they are not meant to handle large amounts of dirt or mud. That said, the Palisade DLX is fantastic on pavement. The rubber Mammut chose to use is straight from a climbing shoe. This means it grips far better than any other street shoe I’ve used in the past. Usually, durability will suffer as a result, but I have yet to notice any serious problems with wear.
Sizing is spot on and I haven’t developed any blisters in my urban adventures. There is a bit of heel lift present, but not enough to pose a problem. Additionally, it’s fairly easy to scuff the outside of the shoes. After a while, this provides a pleasing broken in look.
The Palisade DLX retails for around $119 US, which is pretty expensive for a street shoe. A quick google search however, shows a couple websites selling the shoe for as low as $65. If you’re looking for some new shoes that are a bit different from the usual sneakers, you might want to give the Palisade DLX a look. They certainly surprised me.
