etnies Marana Crank Shoe

This summer I thought I'd try something new as I have been riding a few pair of Teva shoes since the last 8 years and was getting a bit tired to see them. The fit was good, but since they weren't the freshest pairs (I bought a few when they stopped their MTB line a while ago), I thought that getting new shoes I'd get a bit better grip. Etnies came out with the Marana last year, and they looked like they were ticking all the boxes of what I was looking for. Since I'm not a fan of flashy colors, the black version fit my bill perfectly.

Fit

First, the fit is pretty good if you have narrow feet, but unfortunately I'm in the wide camp. I didn't walk that much with them so they spent limited hours of use (maybe worn like 100 hours), but they never really stretched and my feet always felt a bit cramped. The Teva Pinner that I have been riding for so long were a bit wider, and the new FiveTen District that I just bought are even wider. The sweet spot for me is the Teva's medium width, but I prefer to have more room than less. One of my riding friend has the same Maranas and loves them so I'll hand him my pair. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Grip

Grip is as good as my Teva Pinners, but I can't compare to the new FiveTen District that I just bought since I didn't ride in the yet. The Marana's Michelin outsole feels less sticky than the Districts but are pretty similar to my (8 year-old) Tevas. Maybe it's the was the sole is sculpted, but even if the grip wasn't bad, I never really got along with the Etnies on the bike. I liked the fact that the sole was slim and I could have a good feel of the pedals, but they always felt "too light" to me. Maybe a stickier or slower rebound sole would have helped with this, and this is probably something that Etnies/Michelin will look into in the future.

Durability 

Durability has been really good. The canvas/nubuck fabric didn't drink water too much, was easy to clean and didn't discolor during the summer. I have the black colorway and the black stayed rich and dark. The sole shows a few signs of pedal pin action, but it was to be expected since I was using long pins. The soles don't have the diamond/square pattern that most companies use so the pins also have to "dig" a bit more to grip since the diagonal lines pattern doesn't always procure the right spot for the pins to bite into. I was expecting much more carnage from my 10mm pins but the Michelin soles proved to be surprisingly durable. Etnies also added a rubberized contour at the toes, which helped to create a durable sole-upper link. There are no split seams, no cuts, tears, no sole ungluing, etc. 

Conclusion

Just like all the contact points on your bike, shoes are a pretty personal preference thing. If the Etnies Marana fit well in the store, you can expect them to stay like that and keep their shape throughout their long life. Don't go thinking that they will stretch because they won't, and this is a good thing if they fit you well! My Etnies experience was good but it feels like they are not quite there yet. A few minor tweaks would put them closer to the best and I'm hoping that they will upgrade those in the future.