These are my workhorse for technical trails. Zero drop, wide toe box so my toes can splay, enormous cushion, and incredibly aggresive lugs for great traction on difficult technical trails.
These are my go-to shoe for easy trails. They are Altra’s MAX cushioned trail shoes, but something about how they fit my feet make them feel a bit sloppy on really technical aggressive terrain. Plus, the tread is minimal – not good for steep trails or wet conditions. When putting in easy miles on less demanding trails or dirt roads, however, these feel amazing – like floating on clouds
This is the road counterpart to the Olympus – max cushioning for the pavement. For how large they are (my family calls them my clown shoes) they are impressively light. And the cushioning, oh the cushioning. So nice.
I won these on facebook from none other than world champ ultra runner Max King. They feature Montrail’s “outdry” system, which keeps my feet dry in wet conditions. With their incredibly aggressive lugs and traction (plus the waterproofing) I save these for running in the snow or very wet muddy conditions. They aren’t as comfortable as the Altras, but certain conditions make them a good choice.
I inherited these from a friend and they were my primary trail shoe for the first 6-8 month of trail-running. I liked how they fit, liked the strong rock plate, likes offset laces prevent tongue creep, and generally had zero complaints. They were a 1/2 size too big, but that wasn’t the shoes’ fault. I still use them for hiking with the family.
