GORUCK At a Glance

What Is GORUCK? The Story Behind the Brand

Who Owns GORUCK

Jason and Emily McCarthy started GORUCK in 2008. Jason served in the 10th Special Forces Group. Emily was with the CIA when the company began. According to GORUCK, they started it out of her house in West Africa with no business plan at all. Above all, they wanted a rucksack built to life or death standards, gear that worked anywhere from Baghdad to New York.

Gear Built to Train and Give Back

Today the line goes way past rucksacks. For example, there are weighted vests, shoes, leggings and tees, all built for training and staying active. GORUCK also gives 1% of every dollar to those who serve. On top of that, every piece is backed by the Scars Lifetime Guarantee. Because we’re a military family, that mission is a big reason we said yes to this gifting.

Events and Earned Patches

In addition, GORUCK runs rucking events, led by current and former Special Forces combat veterans. Think The GORUCK Challenge and the City Ruck Series. Alex especially loved that some events come with special patches you can only earn there. In his words, it’s a really good company to buy from and be associated with.

What GORUCK Sent Us

Picking Our Own Gear

GORUCK gave us a gifting voucher so we could choose our own pieces. Everything we picked came from the women’s line, so this box was really for me. In the end, we chose the Spy Ruck, two pairs of GORUCK shoes and two pairs of leggings.

Why We Went With 8 Pounds

The women’s Spy Ruck comes in 8, 12 and 16 pounds. Initially, we went back and forth between 8 and 12. Alex already carries a camera backpack that’s around 40 pounds when it’s fully loaded. Since we didn’t want to overdo it, 8 pounds won.

What Came in the Box

Our box showed up fairly quickly. Each item came in its own bag with a sticker, and there was a lifetime warranty card inside. The packaging is simple, but GORUCK’s spearhead logo is everywhere, so you know exactly who it’s from. We also got a fun sticker with an I, a heart and a spearhead on it.

Are GORUCK Shoes Good? Our Honest Take

What Happened on My Feet

This is the one product that didn’t work for me. Within a few minutes, the arches in these GORUCK shoes were burning the bottoms of my feet. That happens to me in a lot of shoes, even Nikes, which I grew up wearing.

Next, I took the insert out, and that helped. The catch is that my foot then slid farther down in the shoe. As a result, it rubbed a raw spot on the back of my ankle where the top of the shoe meets it. My fix is tall socks instead of ankle socks, which covers that spot and makes them a lot better.

Addison’s Break In Story

Similarly, GORUCK sent Addison a pair, and she had trouble breaking hers in. She took her GORUCK shoes with her to school and left her other shoes behind. In the end, I mailed her other shoes to her because these were so hard to break in.

Who Should Get GORUCK Shoes

Overall, I’d call them mediocre for my feet. Still, they’re beefy shoes, and they look like they’d be really good in the gym. GORUCK built these as all terrain rucking shoes, with a 13 mm drop and a triple compound rubber sole. For lifting and gym days, that sole makes sense. However, for long walks, hikes and jogs, I’ve had more comfortable shoes. Also, I’m not a fan of black, though they come in other colorways.

GORUCK Training Leggings Review: Real Pockets and Made in the USA

My High Risk Red Cropped Pair

The Cropped Training Leggings are mine, and they’re so pretty. The red is bright and fun, and I especially like the pockets. The pocket version has two side pockets plus a reflective spearhead on the hem. Furthermore, GORUCK makes them in the USA from its ToughFlex fabric, with a 21 inch cropped inseam.

Addison’s Dark Sea Blue Pair

The full length Training Leggings in Dark Sea Blue went to Addison. She likes them, and she’s been wearing them since they arrived. Likewise, hers have the same pockets and reflective spearhead.

Leggings Pros and Cons

On the plus side, you get real pockets, great colors and made in USA construction. Honestly, the clothing line is my favorite part of what GORUCK sent. As for the downside, GORUCK’s product page doesn’t list official care instructions, so check the tag before you wash them.

Does GORUCK Have a Military Discount?

How the Earned Service Discount Works

Yes. GORUCK offers an Earned Service Discount of 20% off full priced gear and 15% off events. It’s open to eligible U.S. groups, and you verify through GovX right in GORUCK’s checkout.

What It Doesn’t Cover

However, the discount doesn’t apply to sale items, training programs or subscriptions. For more ways to save all year, here are the military travel discounts we use year round.

Who GORUCK Is For (and Who Should Skip It)

Who the Spy Ruck Fits

The Spy Ruck is for women who want a little extra weight on walks and hikes without a full backpack. Alex also sees it working for endurance runners. Instead of carrying gallons of water for weight that drains as you drink, you’d throw this on and carry a bottle in your hand. Additionally, he thinks it would be great for beach sprints and box jumps.

Who Should Skip It

Skip the Spy Ruck if you want weight you can adjust, because it’s fixed. Likewise, skip GORUCK shoes for long walks if shoes tend to burn your arches like mine do.

Would I Buy GORUCK Again?

For the clothing and the Spy Ruck, yes. Since we’re a traveling family that lives on the move, we want gear that earns its spot, and the vest earned it on Oahu. Alex says it’s a great addition to anyone’s workout gear. I also love the leggings and GORUCK’s mission. GORUCK shoes are the one piece I’d skip for long walks, but if you lift, they might be your shoe.

You can shop everything we tried at goruck.com. For codes from all our other brands, see every discount code we have in one place.

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