Cushion Walk Comfy Sense by Isle Womens Boat Shoe/Moccasin in Blue - UNBOXED

Product Information

Not surprisingly, each design has compromises: the lighter options lack overall protection and support, while designs like the Ultra Raptor can be fairly cumbersome on easy trail. The updated Sirkos Evo GTX LO, utilises LOWA's proprietary PU in its midsole, to provide excellent lightweight comfort mile after mile. The upper is constructed from a light ‘Matryx’ mesh, hard-wearing but breathable, and while the tongue is certainly thin, the outsole is just thick enough to provide cushioning without impacting ground feel.

This spec was barely on the radar of folks outside the hardcore running community until the zero-drop fad hit a few years ago. The biggest changes were to the upper, which features stretchy engineered mesh without the overlays of the outgoing 4, translating to a closer fit with slightly less weight and bulk. Trail running naturally puts you in terrain far more challenging and potentially hazardous than what you’ll find around town. Protective elements are also dialled down compared to the most extreme trail models, with no underfoot rock plate and limited added coverage at the toe, but unless you’re tackling something really extreme there’s enough to keep you safe and comfortable. These plates vary in thickness, coverage, and materials, ranging from thin and flexible ESS foam under the ball of the foot to a stiff TPU shank.For experienced runners, these are great race-day shoes that offer an excellent combination of speed and stability. Most shoes use a standard lace-up method, but brands like Salomon are doing things a little differently with a single pull “Quicklace” system on their trail running shoes. Bulkier, harder trail shoes will feel really uncomfortable on the road, in which case it's a much better idea to introduce a shoe rotation and invest in a separate pair for each terrain. Adidas shoes usually get good marks for grip, and the Speed Ultra is no exception, feeling stable and secure across multiple terrains, with the possible exception of thick mud. The shoe exudes premium quality from heel to toe and is a noticeable step up from the Sense Ride above.

Meanwhile the bottom layer is more robust – durable and firmer, it helps keep your feet protected over uneven ground or treacherous rocks. But the modern Catamount 2 here offers a whole different take on a trail runner, with a nimble design built to take on moderate distances at speed.The main reason why the shoe is such a success is that it is clearly up to task when faced with challenging terrain and this latest model offered up the tried and tested grip made famous by previous models, feeling reassuring in mud and giving a very clear sense of ground feel and control, especially through the forefoot and toes.

Running-shoe giant Hoka has built a name around their max-cushioned designs (as seen in the Speedgoat above), but the Torrent 3 bucks this trend with a lower profile that provides ample ground feel. This is also no lightweight fragile racer, but a properly robust shoe, weighing in at 255g in a men’s and 221g in a women’s. There’s a moulded heel counter for additional support, and the padded collar and tongue feel nicely plush. The North Face hasn’t always been much of a player in trail running, but that all changed with the release of their Vectiv lineup.Much in the same way that a protective toe cap isolates you from a sharp rock or other trail debris, lightweight rock plates are inserted between the midsole and outsole on many trail shoes. When choosing a pair, think hard about what you require from the shoe, how often you'll be wearing it and whether you require a top-of-the-range model or reliable workhorse.