SummitPost.org

I'm currently combing through a bunch of websites looking for a new pair of trail runners. I most recently had the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra all-mountains shoes (the waterproof, green ones), and was a bit disappointed with their performance. They did not even last a year, and most of the time they spent traversing around campus and trail running occasionally. They really fell apart in the RRG, actually; holes opened up; the lace/cords ripped; lace stays completely failed, etc. In fact, my old trail runners, one of Salomon's cheaper models, outlasted these supposedly bomber all-mountain shoes. Any recommendations for replacements? I really like Salomon for both design and function, but I was also looking La Sportiva and Merrell, among others. Any wisdom would be appreciated!

Cheers.

I have been in Five Ten Runaways for a year now. Pretty good durability. Awesome rubber (up side is that it is good for scrambling, down side is that it marks hardwood floors and the side wall of the opposite shoe).

They are out of production, but you can still find them around. I am planning on replacing the insoles and using them another season. I have never had a pair of running shoes last over a year until now. I know you're supposed to replace runners yearly, but my knees feel fine.

Take a look at Inov8. A couple of my ultra-runner acquaintances swear by them. I got a pair recently and find the grip vastly superior to my old Salomons especially on wet rock. The shoes are comfy and stay pretty dry, but I can't personally speak to durability (yet). I love the idea of naming the models by weight, makes it easy to search for just the amount of support you need.

Hey Stef! Good to see you back!

I just got a pair of La Sportiva Wildcats. They are really comfy. X Friction rubber sticks well on anything but clean smooth rock. You can feel the little tread lugs sliding down the rocks very slowly. So i wouldn't use it as an approach shoe or anything, but for trail running, they are sweet.

I just picked up my 3rd pair of Vasque Blurs on Sierra Trading Post for $56 and free shipping with one of their gearflyer coupons (Original MSRP ~$140). I'm a big fan. I easily put 1000 mi on them in a year, 600 of them on snow, ice and mud. I buy a new pair each spring, but my last 2 pairs are still in decent shape and I wear them around all the time, but by then I need new padding for running. I switch them over to gym shoes after getting new ones.

I do between 30-40 trail miles per week in my Brooks Cascadia and love them. I have also worn two pair of Montrail (Nitrus and XCR) and Asics. The Montrails seem to work well if you aren't doing any running, but they are a bit heavier and dont work as well for me.

I don't know anyone that wears the Cascadia's and doesn't like them.

Using both Brooks Cascadia and La Sportiva Crosslite 1.0 - love them both - they are fo different types of terrain.

I think it really depends on your foot and running gait. If you tend to pronate a bit, I would suggest a shoe with some support such as the Montrail Mountain Masochist. They also have a "waterproof version" (the GTX I believe, but its a trail runner so its not really going to be very waterproof) and a model with a bit of ankle protection. If you have a lower volume foot, la sportiva shoes will probably fit you better as the toe box is typically narrower.

I've run quite a few ultras and have found that Montrail shoes tend to fit my foot better than other brands (I need a wider toe box). La Sportiva, Innov-8, and Salomon also make great shoes, but I will say that many of the Innov-8 models are more minimalist with a low-heel drop which may not be what you are looking for (based on your "bomber trail runner" headline) as they will feel much more slipper-like without much support. I've run a bunch in the Brooks Cascadia and like it a lot. The mountain masochist is a bit lighter though and really fits my foot, so I switched to that one. Lastly, depending on the amount of running you are doing, it is probably a bit unrealistic to expect trail runners to last a year. I seem to go through shoes every couple months (but I run a lot, so it just depends).