Recently, The Plastic Fantastic team was asked to review Evolv’s new women’s version of the popular Cruzer Psyche approach shoe.  I was really excited about this shoe because it was constructed with a narrower design and although I loved the original, it was a bit wide and my foot always felt like it was swimming around in there.

The new Psyche comes in two styles; a slip on and lace up.  After trying on both styles at the Evolv store I decided on the lace up as the slip on was actually too narrow for me!  The lace up fit really well overall, although I found the heel to be rather stiff and had to loosen the laces quite a bit to slip my foot inside.

So right off the bat I could see that there was an obvious size difference in comparison to the original Psyche.  The women’s version is definitely more narrow and form fitting.  I’ve been wearing the new Psyche for about two months now, and I’m definitely happy with this narrower profile.  I feel like it provides more support and stability than the previous version, making it a great shoe for almost any activity!

As per usual, I put the shoe through some serious paces, wearing it for all of my outdoor activities, including, hiking, climbing, paragliding, and sailing!

Like the original, it performed perfectly!  The rugged canvas body and sturdy, cushioned soles are great for hiking and climbing approaches/descents, while the light weight design makes this a perfect multi pitch and travel shoe.

I already knew the Evolv rubber was great, but this time I was able to try out the Psyche in a new environment which really put the rubber to the test.  For the past few months I have used it as my deck shoe while sailing and I have to say I was really impressed. I’m part of a racing crew and when I’m on board I spend a lot of time darting from one side of the boat to the other, tightening lines, and grinding winches.  I need to be quick on my feet and have great traction, even when the deck gets wet.  I can’t recall a single time slipping in this shoe, and was pretty excited when some of my other crew members expressed an interest in ordering a pair for themselves.

I think my only real concern with the women’s version of the Psyche, was that the heel remained quite stiff and it always takes just a bit more effort than I’d like to get my foot in there.  So for anyone with a wider foot, and especially a wider heel, I would consider the original version instead.

As a low cut approach shoe, I would also say the Cruzer Psyche is not the best choice for any heavy duty hiking either, but other that that, it is a great, reliable shoe perfect for your everyday physical activities! 🙂

If you’re looking for a more in depth review, check out Plastic Fantastic’s video review below!