Further proof that Vibram Five Fingers have real staying power, footwear behemoth Adidas is launching a line of their own foot gloves even though they won’t be able to count on any military contracts. I bet you’re thinking, “Now why didn’t Vibram patent that foot glove design?” Well, astute reader, they did. They’re currently suing Fila and if history repeats itself Adidas is lawyering up for their inevitable lawsuit.

via Gear Junkie

The Gear Junkie and all of his experience has put together a fantastic post detailing the best in show from the recent Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City. I could not attend the event due to a fantastic wedding weekend in North Carolina that included me jumping into a pool fully clothed. Though, to be fair, I’m sure several attendees at the Outdoor Retailer show made their way into downtown Salt Lake City fountains in their trade-show best. Highlights include a minimalist tent, water bottle filtration systems, a new boot from Scarpa, and some salty energy bars. Get all the rest of the dirty details from the Gear Junkie.

So…what’s Arc’teryx been up to lately? This photo shoot and accompanying article for Montecristo Magazine (it’s NOT about sandwiches) offers some insight into their new fashion-forward line, Veilance. Basically they realized that a lot of people buying their products were using them as fashion accessories instead of backcountry travel accessories, so they thought they’d try to hop on that income-express with a new brand. They say Veilance is an urban, fashion line, but with fabrics and finishes that belong to their Arc’teryx line.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Gore-Tex engaged in unlawful activities in its effort to hold onto about 70% of the waterproof-breathable market share. Columbia raised the issues last year with their acquisition of OutDry, a Gore competitor that makes a waterproof-breathable material that can bond directly to material without requiring the sandwich-style layer of Gore. Wall Street Journal has the complete story.

Thank god, I was wondering how I was going to power all this crap I bought in Sky Mall. The Goal Zero power station is a built-for-the-backcountry rig that claims to have the portable power of 70,000 batteries. The station can be used for good: to power laptops, cameras and phones for people reporting on deforestation in the remotest parts of the Amazon; or it can be used for super-good: Wii and a 42-inch plasma in my campsite. The Goal Zero Sherpa 120 Adventure Kit costs about $750. GearJunkie is sitting on an in-depth review.