Patagonia Advocate Lattice Review
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Looking for an alternative to flip flops for summer or for your next warm weather vacation? Search no farther than the Advocate Lattice by Patagonia; the Advocate is a highly comfortable and durable slide on that really delivers on the trail or around town.
The Advocate Lattice is constructed of woven webbing that is available in three different colors: gray, white, and black. The webbing and the entire shoe is deemed vegan, as it contains no animal products/biproducts. The webbing criss-crosses to provide a lattice appearance, hence the name of the shoe. There is also a criss-crossing elastic, best seen in the photo below, as the colorful areas, are elastic to allow for more pliability and movement of the shoe with your every step. There are small buckles on the outside of each shoe that allow you to tighten this strap for added comfort. There is microfiber foxing that surrounds to toe box and offers some protection.
The Advocate Lattice is available in size 5-11, full sizes only. I recommend sizing down a 1/2 size if you are right in the middle, as they run a little big and teend to stretch out with time. I tested a size 9 and found the toe box to be ample and the length adequate for my typical 9.5 size feet.
Patagonia states that the Advocate Lattice provides a medium arch/instep. I felt that these shoes were very minimal and provided little, if any, arch support. If you are looking for a supportive shoe, best to keep looking within some of Patagonia’s other shoes. If you don’t mind a natural, near the ground feel of a shoe, then the Advocate Lattice would be a perfect find for you. As for cushioning, there is not much to these shoes, 8 mm, not centimeters, separates your foot from the ground. The Advocate Lattice provides a 3mm 20% EVA footbed with a 2 mm insole and a 3 mm rubber outsole. For those used to a beefy sandal or slide, this could be a big surprise. On the other hand, if you are like myself, the little bit of protection is adequate against the debri in streets and trails, while allowing you to feel better connected to the ground and keep your feet strong. Surprisingly, the Advocate Lattice provides some decent traction on the trails–now I wouldn’t go hiking for a full day on these puppies, due to foot fatigue, but they can handle a little jaunt if need be.
One beef I had with these shoes is that I expected them to be more breathable. I believe that the woven webbing does the job of ventilation, but the insole causes my foot to sweat no matter the temps. I have removed the insert and my foot remains dry after a few minutes of walking–perhaps next time around Patagonia could modify the composition of the insole to keep the feet more dry.
The minimalist style equates to an incredibly light shoe as well, one that is perfect for traveling. To make things even easier, Patagonia has included a loop on the heel of each shoe to allow for easy clipping to a pack. I used these shoes on a recent trip as my “dress” shoes and got many compliments. They also doubled as a base camp shoe after a day on the trail. If you are seeking to use these shoes off and on road, I would tend to shy away from the pearl or white color. After a few hours of wear on my first outing, they started to get a yellow/brown tinge to them. I was envious of a recent travel mate who was sporting the gray hue.
The Advocate Lattice retails for $75 and so far held up for a full summer of wear and tear. For more information on the Advocate Lattice and other Patagonia products, visit www.patagonia.com.
