Deckers X Lab Enduro Max is Super Trekker Perfection

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Deckers X Lab Enduro Max

If you know us at all, we don’t need to tell you how much we love Deckers X Lab here in the Believe in the Run offices. But I’m still going to tell you anyway.

Over the past few years, we’ve received a bunch of models from Deckers X Lab, which fall somewhere in the range of ultra luxury slippers and supreme comfort sneakers and/or boots. They’re loud, they’re proud, they get a lot of random strangers asking: “What are those??”

Footwear like the wool-lined SPSK Mid, the cozy SNPR slipper/boot combo, and the KO-Z slides have graced our feet more than we’d like to admit.

You may also find yourself buying them for friends and family members for Christmas, which spawns a whole new strain of footwear addiction. It’s a blessing and a curse. 

For the uninitiated, Deckers X Lab is the innovation lab behind Hoka (the cushion king) and Ugg (the comfort queen). Deckers is the parent company of both those brands, as well as Teva and Sanuk. The head of innovation at Deckers is none other than Jean Luc-Diard, the founder of Hoka, the rocker geometry in running, and the inventor of the parabolic ski and modern golf driver. He’s basically the Willy Wonka of the shoe business and is almost single handedly responsible for the last decade of “more is better” in running shoes and street fashion. Under his watch, Deckers designers test out crazy designs and technologies in the X Lab before rolling them out in other shoes. If you’re lucky, they put them into a package and sell them under the Deckers X Lab label.

Their quality and construction is top notch, using some of the latest midsole foams, outsole materials, waterproofing membranes. And yet somehow, they’ve been criminally overlooked, and have yet to really catch fire with the general public. We’re doing our best to change that, because we can tell you without hesitation that this is the most comfortable footwear we’ve ever worn.

Super Trekker for Trails

After a flurry of releases in 2021-2022, Deckers X Lab had gone a bit quiet. While some footwear was available via third party retailers like Zappos (where you can actually find some great deals on past models), the actual Deckers website had scant inventory. This was depressing for us. 

Much like Wonka firing up the abandoned factory, it appears that the workers in the Deckers X Lab are churning out their wildly inventive designs once more. And if there’s anything that can compete with a Whipple Scrumptious Marshmallow Delight, it’s the all-new Enduro Max line, which falls under the all-new category of “super trekkers.”

Drawing inspiration from mountaineers and trail runners alike, the Enduro Max comes in two models oriented around the activities of hiking, walking, and running: the Enduro Max Low and Enduro Max GTX Mid.

We’ll start with our favorite, since it’s what I’m wearing at the moment and have been for the past week. When I say Deckers X Lab cuts no corners, you’ll see what I mean when I lay out the following ingredient list. 

First things first, this is a waterproof boot, as denoted by the GTX in the name. A Gore-Tex waterproof membrane ensures dryness through any activity. The Eco-Tan suede upper keeps the foot warm while providing a perfect fit thanks to the ten eyelets with hiking laces and lace covers.

While comfort is key, a boot needs a bit of support. To that end, the midsole features a supercritical EVA midsole frame wrapped around an ultra-lightweight and high rebound nitrogen-infused TPX-Ponent midsole core. In true Deckers X Lab fashion, they layer-cake the comfort with an additional supercritical E-TPEE sock liner, because why not. The end result is an extremely comfortable ride and feels like I’m moon-walking around town. It also has a rocker geometry that rolls you through every step. I’m not sure how necessary that is (honestly it’s like the only thing I don’t love about the shoe), but it’s there.

Speaking of unnecessary, there’s also a dual forked, V-shaped carbon fiber plate sandwiched in the midsole. According to Deckers, it facilitates rolling forward in connection with the front rocker. I mean, we’re not running a marathon in this boot, but is it awesome that it’s there? Hell yeah it is.

Underneath the foot is a Vibram Litebase outsole, which– as any trail runner knows– is the best outsole out there. Now, it doesn’t cover the entire underside of the boot, so I’m not sure I would use this as a true hiker on technical terrain, but it works pretty great in, say, city conditions.

Okay, so I haven’t exactly gone peak bagging in this boot, but I’ve worn enough Deckers footwear over the years to know that I love it, immediately. At least in the urban trailcore sense of the word. It’s incredibly comfortable, it fits perfectly, it keeps the feet warm and dry, and best of all – it looks absolutely amazing. I almost want winter to last longer just so I can wear it even more.

On the less aggressive side of things is the Enduro Low, which lands more in the range of a hiking shoe blended with running components. It’s essentially the exact same as the Enduro Max Mid, with identical components in a modified package. 

With a 32 mm stack height of foam (midsole only), the shoe provides plenty of comfort while maintaining its rugged nature. A highly cushioned heel provides a secure fit while the design blends elements of mountaineering and trail running. 

Our trail reviewer Taylor has this shoe on his feet at the moment, and is testing it out in the mountains of Colorado, right where this shoe belongs.

Final Thoughts

From urban oasis to backcountry trails, the Enduro Max embodies the spirit of the super trekker, providing loads of comfort in a premium package. This is going to the top of the list for most versatile footwear as it can adapt to a variety of conditions and look exceptionally good while doing it.

You can pick up the Deckers Enduro Max Low and Enduro Max GTX Mid for $199/$249 by using the buttons below.