Last Friday I gave into temptation. For a long time I’d been using retired road running shoes to hit the trails. But I been eyeballin’ some new shoes for a while, and my training schedule had a big gap for Saturday. My head was on the hills, and I was gonna be wearin’ some new shoes!
Reasons to buy shoes specifically for trail running:
- Road running shoes do not have the traction required for navigating highly variant terrain.
- Road running shoes are not designed to handle the massive water evacuation that may be required by frequent stream crossings.
- Trail running shoes are constructed to provide better support in an environment where surface area is at a premium. Road shoes tend to have very large sole surface area to help distribute the load over a wider area on what is expected to be a stable, hard, flat surface. This translates to countless snags on roots, rocks, debris, etc when on trails.
- Road shoes are not designed to restrict the foot from sliding forward in the shoe as commonly encountered when running downhill. On the trail this translates to some very unhappy toes and toenails.
- Use the right tool for the job. I won’t wear trail running shoes to close a marathon, so I shouldn’t wear my road racing shoes on the trails. Be true to the sport.
On my way home from work I stopped at my favorite outdoor store, Hudson Trail Outfitters in Tenley Town.
I had two shoes in mind, The North Face Enduras XCR Boa and the Salomon XA Pro 3d. (The North Face) (Salomon).
North Face sponsors my hero, Dean Karnazes, and while researching the Endurance 50 there’s a cool flash video of him promoing the product. I figure if it’s good enough for a man who does more trail running than I will ever do, it might be good enough for me.
Six months ago I tried on a pair of the Salomon’s. I loved them, but at the time was doing little trail running and couldn’t justify the cost of a dedicated pair of trail shoes.
Into HTO I went, and man do I feel sorry for the sales people. They brought me the shoes and I Swear it took me no less than an hour and a half to make a decision! These two shoes are unbelievable.
The North Face Enduras XCR Boa
Pros:
Fit like a glove. Both shoes felt custom cut for my foot. I’ve logged a lot of running miles, and these felt like moving from a 1977 Ford Pinto into a 2006 Ferrari Testarossa. Using one of the store’s inclined testing ramps, no matter how hard I tried I could not get my toes to slide to the front of the toebox. The poor sales guy didn’t understand why this was so exciting, and got a little grossed out when I told him I was tired of loosing my toenails.
Super scheet Boa lacing system. The system uses a single wire that wraps through the custom lacing eyelets and is tightened using a knob located at the back of the heel. This makes for quick adjustment to the fit of the shoe without tying. Additionally, no laces means no snags on branches or twigs on the path.
Cons:
A little heavy. Each shoe weighs in at just over 1 oz more than the Salomans. One ounce may not be much, but after hours of running the difference can make a difference in overall stamina.
The Boa lacing system is a mixed blessing. Sure it’s convenient and state of the art. But what if the knob on the back breaks while the shoe is laced? Another sales associate told me that he had herd of that happening, and cutting the wire was the only way to remove the shoe. I’m not sure if I want to find myself without a pair of shoes midway through a race :/
Wide surface area on the ground. These shoes sport a large sole surface area. I’m skeptical about getting myself into another situation where my shoes are snagging on everything I’m crossing.
The Salomon XA Pro 3d
Pros:
Again these shoes fit like a glove.
The sole is not much wider than the foot. Cheese!
Light. At a mere 13.9 oz/shoe, they are a little lighter than the Enduras.
Ventilation and evacuation. Certainly it’s tough to tell how well a shoe will ventilate and evacuate water until trail testing, but two things put the Salomon ahead in my mind: the amount of light inside the shoe when holding it up to the light and peering inside; the minimal amount of padding in the upper. Less padding and fabric means less water retention.
The upper closed my Achilles ever so slightly. This means a lot to me since leg “design” leaves a gap between my tendon and the side of the shoe on either side of the Achilles. Rocks and pebbles love getting down in there. Last year I remember a long run where so much dust made it’s way down in there that I wore a hole in the side of my sock and right through the fabric in the heel!
Again, toes were unable to be coaxed to the front of the shoe.
Cons:
The speed lacing system is not as “cool” as the Boa system, but more than satisfactory. The tongue has a little compartment on the top for storing the excess cord. No worries here!
Brand familiarity. I’m not sure this is a con for the shoe, but I’m not familiar with Salomon for trail shoes. I know they are a great vendor for skis and snow related sports, but I had seen or known little about their trail gear.
The winner is!
Literally, I spent no less than an hour and a half switching from one shoe to another, up and down the incline, running back and forth in the store. I felt like an animal in the zoo with all the eyeballs on me… heh. But I’m serious about the gear, and willing to take my time.
I considered making the decision by a toss of a coin. I really contemplated buying both pairs!
But in the end, there could be only one. The Salomon XA Pro 3d is shoe that will nurture these feet over the next 500 miles of trails.
But I’ll keep my ear to the ground. I was very much impressed with the North Face shoe, and if I hear that the Boa system is highly reliable, I will consider trail testing them.
On the trail, Woot!
The next morning I was like a little kid on Christmas morning! I wanted to put those puppies to task, and I was on a mission! By 7:00 I was standing at the trail head at Shaffer farm.
It was the best 90 minutes of trails I’d run, and I attribute much of it to the XA Pro. Not one snag on a root, fallen tree or rock; never a loosened shoe; no toes mangled against the front of the toebox. They evacuated quickly after stream crossings, and were very sticky even when the soles were wet. My training schedule only allowed me to log 9 miles, but I’m excited that the next two weekends will afford me up to 11 miles each Saturday :)
Here’s an “after” shot.
A pair of Salomon XA Pro 3d’s after 90 minutes of good lovin’!
Rock!
Bill
