Hardwear
Product 2021
Man
It’s a special event just sliding your feet into a pair of limited edition Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush. This model is celebrating the Italian brand’s 60th anniversary, designed and made in Trévise, at Coste di Maser in direct collaboration with Boa for the integration of their lacing system.
There’s no doubt that this Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush model is a superb object that we had a hard time getting dirty or damaging. The design grabs your attention, gold and black, almost bling, yet it stays in good taste.
Let’s take a closer look at the Boa system before talking about the carbon sole and dynamic behavior of this Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush. The Li2 BOA discs have a refined design made from anodised aluminium. The overall kit is less imposing than other traditional discs, but the handling is perfection. Superb perceived quality, the sensation of turning the knob is both precise and almost sensual, with powerful tightening and precision. Every time, we always say the same thing about the Boa, its turning quality is not notchy, it has a smooth feel. To release you just turn the disc anti-clockwise and it frees up space. To fully open the shoe, you just need to pull one of the discs back. The aluminium work, and shape are particularly well-designed. It’s easy to use even with gloves on: precise, pleasant and you have the impression you’re opening a safe!
The pressure is spread evenly across the instep. The heel is well held, and the foot comfortably enveloped. To be in harmony with the rest of the shoe, and especially the sole, we would’ve liked a little bit of carbon in this area. The La Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush already has a high price at 420 euros, maybe that was enough…
The Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush is precise, designed for quite narrow feet (metatarsal width and instep height).
The full carbon sole is superb, a magnificent piece that isn’t happy with just being cosmetically beautiful it is also extremely efficient. It enables the Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush to weigh a mere 275 g in 42.5. Next, the push/pull power output is impressive. Gaerne lists a rigidity figure of 12 (the maximum for this italian brand).
On long distances, the Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush, due to its rigiidity and envelopment create foot fatigue. Pay attention to the adjustment, the top of the tongue is stiff on the first rides, and then it becomes more flexible. Overall, it is comfortable for this performance product type (choose your socks carefully). Ventilation is ensured by the micro laser perforations is well dosed: they also add to the overall aesthetics.
The Gaerne G.STL Gold Rush is a top-of-the-range shoe that has been very carefully constructed. It has a new platform and new Boa disc, which is smaller, stronger and very precise. A superb high-performance product, that doesn’t sacrifice comfort completely. The Test4outside.com CORE Award is well deserved.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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