11. Nike Air Huarache Womens Brooks Pure Grit 4, Summer 2015 ¨C I tried on the Pure Grit 3 when it came out last year and liked everything about it but the high volume upper fit¡it was so roomy that I couldn¡¯t even tie the shoe as tight as I needed in the midfoot. The midsole and outsole seemed like a great balance between light and substantial with a good level of firmness in a shoe with that amount of cushion. The Pure Grit 4 is unchanged in the midsole and outsole, but gets a brand new upper that looks really nice with a seamless design and lower volume. Looking forward to trying it out.
2. inov-8 Terraclaw 220 (4mm drop) and 250 (8mm drop), Summer 2015 ¨C The Trailroc line has been a staple for inov-8 in the last couple of years. It¡¯s also one of my personal favorite lines from the brand and I¡¯ve used them in many races. Word is the Trailroc line is being phased out this year and is being replaced by the new Terraclaw 220 and 250. While this may be bad news for many, I think there may be room for some hope. If inov-8 can pull it off, I think the Terraclaws may well surpass the Trailroc in versatility as they will add a little more cushion, while still giving some structure with a Dynamic Fascia Band shank as well as an outsole that will handle more technical routes without getting super aggressive like the Mudclaw or X-Talon line. The upper designs may prove to be the greatest improvement though, with the 220 (4mm drop) being the most ambitious with a unique asymmetrical short-laced design and the 250 (8mm drop) retaining a more standard lacing setup
A couple of months ago I posted a list of new road shoes that I¡¯d like to try in 2015. As a complement to that Nike Air Huarache Mens post, and given that I don¡¯t run trails as often, I asked David Henry to put together a list of trail shoes that he is most excited about running in this year. David put together a list of 11 trail shoes, and what follows is his summary of why he is excited about each of them.
5. adidas Ultra Boost, Available Now ¨C I initially scoffed at the Ultra Boost when I first saw the launch and promotional materials. With the launch of Boost a couple years ago, I was pretty skeptical and a bit turned off by adidas¡¯ aggressive marketing and overblown claims. However, since trying many of the Boost shoes to hit the market in the last 6 months, I have to say I¡¯m pretty impressed with the Boost material. It is at the same time soft, responsive and durable; attributes that don¡¯t usually go together when talking about midsole compounds. Well, the Ultra Boost has more boost (20% according to adidas, compared to Energy Boost I¡¯m assuming), a stretch web outsole and a Primeknit, booty-style upper. I¡¯ve taken them out for a 10 mile run out of the box and the springy boost ride is very noticeable, but also very forgiving and the shoe is quite flexible. The upper is what really shines to me, especially for ultramarathons, as it is mostly a soft knitted material mid to forefoot with a very soft and low heel collar area. What this translates to is a shoe that will be very comfortable even late in long races. I think it will handle moderate trails just fine as well. They run and feel like I wished a Hoka did. Much more flexible, not rockered, and a significantly more comfortable fit which is key for a more heavily cushioned shoe since I would look to them more for longer runs or late in races. When your feet are tired the last thing you want is a stiff, uncomfortable, or narrow fit.
9. New Balance MT910v2, Summer 2015 ¨C New Balance was the brand I was first rawn to back in 2010 when I started running in earnest, and the then MT100 and later MT101 were mainstays in my lineup for the first year or so of my running. I ran a fair bit in the MT110v1, but since then I have been fairly unimpressed with NB¡¯s offerings, especially on the trail front. I have hope that this will change with the new MT910v2, which is a full top to bottom update to the 910. I assumed the 910 last year was basically a lower budget Leadville 1210 (they were very similar spec-wise including the same last). The updates that NB has put into the 910v2 should help differentiate it from the 1210 with a more aggressive outsole, rock plate, and they¡¯ve put it on the PL-8 last for a more performance fit instead of the UL last (higher volume) that the 1210 is on. RevLite midsole is a single piece, 10mm forefoot/18mm heel. It will be interesting to see how it rides, but I like the simplicity in the design in both the outsole and midsole and it looks t Nike Air Max 1 Mens o be both durable, protective and nimble at the same time. Hoping it runs that way too!
7. adidas Raven Boost ¨C While a shoe in this spec category (11.5 oz and 10mm drop) would not normally be on my list, I¡¯ve been reading good things about it from Sam Winebaum here and elsewhere and love the simplistic design of both midsole and outsole using quality materials (Boost and Continental rubber) and what looks like a nice, soft and comfortable upper. Adidas really looks to be stepping up their gam Nike Air Max 1 Womens e in the trail market this fall which has me excited.
