19 Best Men's Style & Gear Releases in May 2025

Roark, Rugged Road, TENŌRE—these are my awards for every new release and product discovery this month.

Jun 01, 2025

LIVE A LITTLE is a style and lifestyle journal for the adventurous man—written from the pen of a full-time menswear copywriter.

For those who are new here, I do a monthly edit of all the best men’s style and gear releases across the internet. (You can check out last month’s edition here.)
If you want the TL;DR, scroll down to the “Rundown” section and you’ll find the entire list in one spot.
I write a weekly FIELD JOURNAL, where I report on the best men’s style and gear releases, curate outfit inspiration, and share recommended reads.

MAY’S BEST STYLE and gear releases are filled with a mix of apparel, footwear, watches, coolers, soundbars, and more. There are big fish brands in here—like YETI and On—but this monthly series also showcases smaller up-and-coming brands that aren’t on your radar.

In the list ahead, you’ll find releases like my favorite new watch release under $200, a cool new gadget tracker collection from Satechi, and an underrated apparel brand with awesome training tanks.

Last, but not least, thank you for being part of LIVE A LITTLE. Let’s keep doing the damn thing—together.🤘

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe

Best New Backpack Release: YETI CAYO All-Weather Backpack

YETI continues to crush the gear game, and this new CAYO All-Weather Backpack proves they haven’t lost a step. The water-resistant everyday bag is made from a durable DryHide Shell, RF welded seams, and a PU coated zipper to protect everything from your laptop to clothes.

Features of the bag include quick-access pockets, clever interior organization, and a HitchPoint Grid system that makes it pairable with YETI products like the SideKick Dry Gear Case and Rambler Bottle Sling.

Pricing: $200 (15L), $250 (25L), $300 (35L).

Best New Everyday Shoe: On Running The Roger ADV Z5

The latest design between Roger Federer and On has led to this wicked-cool ADV Z5 model. According to On, the Z5 is an indicator the shoe is part of an experimental design series, which makes it limited edition.

There are two colors with the Roger ADV Z5: a country club white and a rugged almond. (I love the almond color.)

And while the Roger ADV Z5 might look like an everyday shoe, it does pack significant features so you can actually wear them playing racket sports. The notable features include: a Helion™ superfoam midsole, TPU reinforcements for support and gripping, a CloudTec® interior to boost cushioning, and a Speedboard® rocker for better stability and pivoting.

These might become my go-to shoes for summer here in Austin. Priced at $170.

Best New Watch Under $200: Q Timex® Continental GMT

Featured in the outfit of FIELD JOURNAL 30, this new 39mm Timex channel peak 70s energy with its brushed stainless-steel bracelet and case, and its silver hands and markers.

I’ve been a huge fan of Timex releases in 2025. It feels like the vintage silhouettes they’re tapping into hit on every release. The best part is the affordability, combined with the durability of each watch. Priced at $189.

Best Collaboration: Maharishi x Birkenstock Mogami Terra Tech

Maharishi was started in London in 1994 on the basis of creating sustainable tech clothing. The word the brand uses to describe it’s design philosophy is “pacifist military design.”

They teamed up with Birkenstock to outfit the already rugged Mogami Terra sandal. The biggest change in the model are the nylon straps and metal buckles—which are inspired by U.S. Army tech used in the 1960s for carrying equipment.

The limited edition Mogami Terra is priced at $295. Expensive, but a unique collaboration with tons of comfort and utility built-in.

Best Release Under $20: Bass Pro Throwback Hats

Bass Pro hats are awesome. They’re cheap. The fit is great, especially if you have any lettuce. And you can get a zillion colors.

Recently, I was checking out the site and spotted these vintage-inspired Bass Pro hats. They’ve uploaded throwback patch hats, 5-panels, and 6-panels.

The hats are no more than $20. Looks just like any hat you’d find at the vintage bins, minus the interior sweat stains.

Best New Watch Under $1,500: Marathon SSNAV-D ‘Blue Yonder’ Pilot Watch

Marathon is one of my most trusted watch brands. Their timepieces are built to be indestructible. Their style is always the right level of ruggedness.

This limited-edition Blue Yonder Navigator Pilot Watch inspired by the U.S. Air Force. According to Marathon, the Blue Yonder “draws its name from the official U.S. Air Force song's opening line – Off we go into the wild blue yonder.”

With the watch, you get a matching blue FKM 3-piece rubber strap kit, and a blue travel pouch. Priced at $1200.

Most Unique Release: Marshwear Lenwood Tech Hoodie

Based in Charleston, SC, Marshwear is a lifestyle brand inspired by the lowcountry. I’m a fan of their hats and camo patterns, but I also really like this new Lenwood Tech Hoodie.

I call it part fishing shirt and part sun shirt. It’s made from a stretch polyester, UPF 40 rated, and treated with DWR. I like these small features in the gusseted underarm vents and sleeve roll-up button tabs to help open the shirt up for cooling. There’s also a hidden sunglasses cleaner at the hem of the shirt.

Priced at $79.

Best New Activewear Release: TENŌRE Training Tanks

TENŌRE is another California brand I’ve been wearing a ton lately. The lifestyle brand is actually founded by Pat Tenore, who originally founded RVCA.

The TENŌRE training tanks have been perfect for working out here in Austin. The Reversible Scrimmage Jersey is a tank I like to wear biking and lifting weights. The Runner Tank I’m wearing to run (shocker), but also wearing casually to Barton Springs and Deep Eddy.

These tanks are priced a little high, but not that far off from brands like Lulu and Vuori. You can get both of the TENŌRE tanks I mentioned above for $88 each.

Best New Sunglasses Release: Raen Breven

The Raen Wiley ($170) are one of my favorite pairs of sunglasses. Their squared silhouette fits my face well, and the overall build of Raen shades strike me as reliable across all models.

This new model, called the Breven, is slightly more expensive and with a bolder look. They’re polarized. Compared to the Wiley, the frame of the shades is thicker and wider. I find these as a strong pair of summer shades for the beach or boat. Priced at $240.

Best New Men’s Polo: Roark Bless Up Breathable Stretch Polo Shirt

The Bless Up is one of my favorite tech polos on the market right now. It’s made with a stretchy and durable Tactel™ Nylon that’s perforated to enhance its breathability.

In other words, it makes a great polo for golfing—and even camping and boating. The newness of this polo lies in Roark expanding the styles. Going from one color to now five unique ones. Priced at $85.

Best New Gadget Release: Satechi FindAll Collection

If you’re an iPhone user, the FindAll Collection is the most useful release on this entire list. It’s a new lineup of Bluetooth trackers from Satechi that pair with Apple’s Find My feature (no AirTag required).

The set includes: a Leather Luggage Tag ($45), a Leather Passport ($55), a Leather Keychain ($30), a FindAll Card ($35), and, my personal favorite, a Leather Glasses Case ($50).

Best Throwback Release: PF Flyers The Captain Collection

PF Flyers. The shoe of Benny The Jet. (You know, from The Sandlot.) I’m really liking this new Captain Collection, which was put together to honor basketball legend Bob Cousy.

The shoes are simple. Classic in a 1950s kind of way (when Cousy would’ve played). They come in a hi and low model, with vintage white and vintage black colors in each. Priced at $75-$80.

Most Underrated Release: NANGA Tusser Nylon Easy Shorts

NANGA is a Japanese outdoors brand with awesome tech apparel. I was checking out a bunch of their stuff earlier this month, and what stood out the most are these shorts.

They’re very much like Patagonia Baggies, but the Tusser Nylon Easy Shorts are much lighter and thinner in hand. They’re also water-resistant. Elastic waistband looks comfortable. Lots of fun colors. Priced at $97.

Best New Gear Release: Rugged Road Ultralight Coolers

I saw a stack of these coolers in the back room at my company’s office. They’re wicked cool, super lightweight, and have some additional features I was impressed to see.

One of those features is the cooler models come with a snack rack to hold food—like a Publix chicken tender sub.

I find this brand as a strong competitor to RTIC’s lightweight cooler model. Rugged Road designs there cooler’s to float upright in water, even when full. I’m haven’t tested that IRL yet, but I’m hoping I get to soon. Priced $250-$495 depending on which model.

Most Comfortable Release: Outerknown Slowdown Shirt

I wear my Outerknown Blanket Shirt three seasons out of the year. The only time I can’t wear it? Summer.

Enter Outerknown’s new Slowdown Shirt. It’s made frame double gauze—a fabric made with two thin layers of cotton that makes the shirt soft and breathable. The Slowdown is marketed as the brand’s “breeziest shirt yet,” and due to the timing of the release I believe this is Outerknown’s answer to guys like myself who want a thin shirt jacket for cool summer nights.

I pair an outfit together with The Slowdown Shirt in FIELD JOURNAL 32. Priced at $148.

Best Small Brand Release: WillBo Limited Edition Heritage Dub Hat

Willbo as an American heritage brand I learned about this month via my IG feed. They’re based in Laguna Beach, CA. I really like their brand name story, as it’s based on the combining of the two brothers and founders names:

“‘Willbo’ is a name born from brotherhood. Blending William and Bowen (Robbie’s middle name), the two brothers and founders behind the brand and rooted in the spirit of play that shaped their youth.”

My favorite product from them are the hats. I love these limited edition Heritage Dub Hats that are made using 8 ounce duck canvas sourced in Fenton, MO (I’m a Missouri boy at heart). Priced at $60.

Best Limited Edition Watch Release: Micromilspec Black Badger - Project Sabotage

Micromilspec is a Norwegian watch brand known for making heavy-duty military watches. They’ve supplied watches to special forces and select military groups across Europe.

Recently, the brand collaborated with the artist Black Badger, who’s real name is James Thompson, to create this Project Sabotage titanium GMT. The case is Grade 5 Titanium, the glass is sapphire crystal, and the hands have an X1-grade Super-LumiNova lume that glows ultramarine color in the dark. It’s also water resistant to 100 meters and outfitted with a Swiss-made LJP L121 movement.

Limited to 75 watches. Priced at $3,850.

Best New Running Shoe Release: Mizuno Neo Vista 2

Whenever my friends bring up ASICS, I always have to remind them not to sleep on Mizuno. Now available for pre-order, the Neo Vista 2 is the new iteration of the top-selling running shoe they made last year.

The Neo Vista 2 comes with an ENERZY NXT foam in the stack, an evolution of the original ENERZY, which Mizuno says it makes the ride softer, bouncier, and lighter.

Mizuno also tweaked the upper knit material to make it more secure and sock-like, and the overall weight of the shoe dropped close to 0.3 ounces, according to reviews I’ve read. Priced at $200 and shipping on 6/1.

Coolest Tech Release: Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar

Marshall portable speakers have always been a little more expensive than I’d like to spend, but I’ve come to realize the combination of style and quality is worth the investment.

That includes the new Heston 120 Soundbar. It starts at $999, but you get a long soundbar packed with Dolby Atmos and Marshall’s reliable audio tech for what I’d expect to be a solid listening experience.

The Heston 120 has several modes to adjust to different use cases, including everything from a Movie Mode to Voice Mode—and, of course, a Music Mode. The last cool detail to point out is the heritage amp knobs that let you customize bass, treble, change source, and access presets.

Marshall has definitely carved itself a unique spot in the soundbar space here. Looking forward to reading more reviews of it over the next couple months.

Best New Collection Release: Flint and Tinder Summer ’25

Before I worked at Huckberry, I was a Flint and Tinder fan. I still am. You might remember when I covered F&T Spring in this FIELD JOURNAL. Now, I’m spotlighting the new Flint and Tinder Summer that just released.

Apart from writing a handful of PDPs for the collection, I didn’t work much on the campaign. But many talented people did. They shot the collection in Key West, and framed the messaging as a type of Hemingway-esque vacation escape.

Best New Hiking Backpack Release: Arc'teryx Alpha SL Backpack

New technology in products doesn’t always mean it’s better. Or good. But when I read this recent story from Field Mag on Arc’teryx’s new Alpha SL backpack, I knew I had to talk about it here.

The Alpha SL is a lighter, stronger, and leaner version of its Alpha FL. The Alpha SL does this because of a new fabric Arc’teryx uses called ALUULA Graflyte: it’s waterproof, soft on both sides, and incredibly thin and lightweight. No joke, the Alpha SL weighs half of the Alpha FL when removing the carrying straps and waist attachment—316 grams to the FL’s 648 grams.

The new Alpha SL is $400 (compared to the Alpha FL’s $280). Both are solid, but if ultralight adventuring is your forte, then you’ll most definitely want to pay up for the Alpha SL.

Best New Smartwatch Release: Garmin Forerunner 970 & 750

Garmin just dropped its latest line of smartwatches for 2025, and they’re aimed at runners, triathletes, and hybrid athletes. Both the Forerunner 570 ($550) and the Forerunner 970 ($750) the most expensive model) come with bright AMOLED displays, more features, and more colors available.

The 570 offers a mid-tier upgrade to the most advanced 970. With the 570, you get new tools like skin temperature tracking, on-wrist calling, and adaptive race prep plans. With the 970, you get all those features plus full-color offline maps and an ECG capability.

I’ve been using my Garmin Forerunner 265 a ton lately to track running, biking, and strength training. It’s on the lower tier of Garmin watches, but I’m ok with it for now as I don’t use all the watch features. The on-wrist calling capability is the most attractive feature to me in this release. Based on how I use my watch now, I’d probably only want to upgrade to the 570 to get this feature, as I’m starting to get tired of carrying my phone all the time when running.

Rundown: The 19 Best Men’s Style & Gear Releases in May 2025

Best New Backpack Release: YETI CAYO All-Weather Backpack
Best New Everyday Shoe: On Running The Roger ADV Z5
Best New Watch Under $200: Q Timex® Continental GMT
Best Collaboration: Maharishi x Birkenstock Mogami Terra Tech
Best Release Under $20: Bass Pro Throwback Hats
Best New Watch Under $1,500: Marathon SSNAV-D ‘Blue Yonder’ Pilot Watch
Best New Activewear Release: TENŌRE Training Tanks
Best New Shades Release: Raen Breven
Best New Gadget Release: Satechi FindAll Collection
Best New Men’s Polo: Roark Bless Up Breathable Stretch Polo Shirt
Most Underrated Release: NANGA Tusser Nylon Easy Shorts
Best New Gear Release: Rugged Road Ultralight Coolers
Most Comfortable Release: Outerknown Slowdown Shirt
Best Small Brand Release: WillBo Limited Edition Heritage Dub Hat
Best Limited Edition Watch Release: Micromilspec Black Badger - Project Sabotage
Coolest Tech Release: Marshall Heston 120 Soundbar
Best New Collection Release: Flint and Tinder Summer ’25
Best New Hiking Backpack Release: Arc'teryx Alpha SL Backpack
Best New Smartwatch Release: Garmin Forerunner 970 & 750

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Comment your favorites + let me know if I missed anything!