Montrail

Hot on the heels of the Montrail Rockridge and Sabino Trail comes three new shoes for Spring: Fairhaven ($110), Badrock ($100) and Rogue Racer ($110). The Fairhaven and Badrockfirst use Montrail’s new FluidPost technology with  triple-density EVA foam to provide “custom” pronation control under all conditions and terrain. As the foot falls inward, it rolls smoothly from soft to firm support for an adaptive  and safer foot strike — it all sounds pretty cool and is applicable to all foot types.

The Rogue Racer is a lightweight race-day shoe or a training shoe for those who prefer a more minimalistic design. At 8.8 oz, there are lighter shoes on the market, but the Rogue’s are packed with a bit more features than your standard racing flat.

For post-running comfort, Montrail is introducing the Lithia Loop ($60) and Lithia Slide ($65) sandals with dual-density PRFRM thermo-moldable footbeds for soothing trail-worn feet.

Mountain Hardwear

Extending the Hardwave Suspension design, Mountain Hardwear is now pushing its use throughout most of the line. This system is flexible, yet supportive and breathable and has been adapted slightly for use in larger packs, like the Men’s Molimo 70 ($250) and the Women’s Lomasi 60 ($250).

Sierra Designs

It’s been a long time since Sierra Designs had backpacks in their line, but they didn’t get into it halfway… their complete pack lineup is as impressive as many who have been making packs for much longer. Utilizing aircraft-grade aluminum stays, the Fulcrum Suspension system is both light and strong. The entire package is built to carry weight well with the suspension design and other little features, like the angled pack bottom to further concentrate weight on the waistbelt. Not only is this design made for comfort in the long haul, it’s made for ventilation with plenty of airflow. Each pack is also hydration compatible. Shown below is the Revival 65 ($240).

Outdoor Research

Hot off the heels of the success of the Helium Jacket, Outdoor Research keeps the momentum flowing with the ultralight Vigor Jacket ($70) and the Paladin Jacket ($250). Both jackets utilize Pertex laminates for lightweight durability with supreme weather performance. The Vigor is made for cycling and running and weighs a paltry 5 oz. The Paladin is a true 3-layer jacket built with Pertex Shield that can withstand heavy weather and demanding use.

Patagonia

Leading the charge in sustainability, Patagonia’s product line is now 90% recyclable through their Common Threads program. Kudos to Patagonia for that achievement. A new piece is the Ultralight Down Shirt ($250) that tips the scales at a mere 5.6 oz using ultralight ripstop nylon while being packed with 800-fill down for warmth. It’s packable and comfortable.

The new Men’s Torrentshell Pullover ($119) is made for climbers who prefer a minimalist design so nothing gets caught up in harnesses or packs. This pullover is economical and streamlined for demanding climbers and mountaineers.

Another great introduction is the new Air Flow running shirts. Available in both short-sleeve ($59) and sleeveless ($55), the Air Flow fabric features a subtle weave for extreme moisture wicking and performance.

The North Face

Ultralight continues to be the story with The North Face launching the Verto Jacket ($99) that tips the scales at a paltry 3.2 oz. This ultralight jacket will save your bacon in a pinch and packs away into its own energy bar-sized pouch.

With the success of the Single Track trail runners, The North Face is evolving their designs with the introduction of the Double Track ($110). This shoe features a bit more stability (X-Dome Cradle), yet still promises the overall performance that the Single Track’s are known for.

Another great piece from The North Face is the new Silicate mountain bike shorts ($85). These are more trail-friendly with a high-quality removable liner. The chamois is infused with silver microbial technology and was Italian-designed.

GoLite

I saw a few great pieces from the great folks at GoLite, but the one that stands out the most is the Kenai jacket ($200). Built with Pertex Shield, this technical 2.5-layer jacket is trim-fitting and perfect for demanding pursuits. I tried it on and loved the anatomical sleeve cuffs, pit zips and helmet-compatible hood. Weight is listed as 10 oz. on this, so it’s light, but not scary-light.

Arc’teryx

There’s just no stopping the Arc’teryx momentum from year-to-year. They just keep on innovating. For starters, the new Motus Crew shirt ($59, short-sleeve or $69, long-sleeve) is built to keep you warm (when needed), dry and comfortable with its hydrophobic and silver ion infused yarn.

Another cool bit from Arc’teryx is the new Cierzo ultralight pack line. Available in three sizes with several fun colors, the Cierzo line is simplistic yet still full-featured and is priced from $59-$119.

La Sportiva

After the announcement of the new La Sportiva MorphoDynamic trail runners last week, I thought they’d be content with that. Well, to my surprise, there are a few new or updated models and that includes the new La Sportiva Crosslite 2.0. Built with the same outsole and a similar upper, the Crosslite 2.0 has all the makings of a race-day feel with day-to-day training capability.

About the Montrail Mountain Masochist GTX Trail Running Shoes

A highly-supportive and protected trail runner, the Mountain Masochist GTX also shields your feet from rain and snow with its waterproof Gore-Tex liner. This is the foul-weather version of the award-winning Mountain Masochist.

Mountain Masochist GTX Features:

• Gryptonite™ outsole for great traction and exceptional durability
• Full foot Trail Shield™ for under foot protection from rocks and other trail debris
• Triple density Vapor Response™ EVA midsole provides a responsive ride with Trail Shield protection and mid-foot support
• Highly breathable hydrophobic mesh enhances the performance of the Gore-Tex® bootie construction
• Gusseted tongue construction keeps out dirt and moisture
• Color: Navy/Grey
• MSRP: $115

Montrail Mountain Masochist GTX Review

No other shoe I’ve tested has been built with as many bells and whistles as the Mountain Masochist GTX. Going down the list of proprietary construction, there’s little wonder why Montrail trail runners are so regarded in the market today. This shoe is built for all-weather training with enough all-around performance to excel in all terrain in cool weather conditions.

Giving them a visual rundown, they kind of appear a bit out of Mad Max with multiple materials stitched together for a half-mesh/half-suede combo and plenty of supportive bands to provide just the right all-terrain support.

Over the past few months, I’ve been able to test these shoes in a variety of conditions from hot and try to wet, snowy and muddy. Like all Gore-Tex runners, I don’t recommend them in weather over 60-degrees. The combination of the large volume (hence a thicker sock), burly materials and the Gore-Tex liner do limit breathability, but are a welcomed combo when the temperatures dip into the 40′s and below.

The uppers provide an excellent fit with the ability to fit a large-volume foot very well. With my narrow and flat feet, I found the toebox unable to cinch down as much as I’d like, but the extra wiggle-room ended up being pretty comfortable and stable with tons of protection from rocks, roots and debris. In fact, should you have sensitive toes or suffer from poor circulation, I’d highly recommend these shoes for their armor-like and market-leading toebox protection.

Continuing along the protection vein, the Full Foot Trail Shield plate provides superb forefoot protection from sharp rocks and trail stubble. Outsole traction is solid in a variety of conditions, but did tend to attract mud in some of the smaller crevices.

One more thing about the outsole… the island-like heel-strike area is built to isolate those forces and provide specialized cushioning. That’s great and all and works well at stride, but you can really feel the transition from heel-strike area to the midfoot when walking around. At speed, it disappears, but at walking pace, it’s kind of odd.

I’m really impressed with the overall stability and have found them to be extremely supportive and stable in technical and variable terrain. At the other end of the terrain spectrum, short distances on the road are acceptable with this shoe.

Good Mountain Masochist GTX

• Excellent cushioning
• Smooth stride on the trail
• Great trail grip on soft, tacky trails
• Great for cold weather running–keep feet warm and dry
• Shed mud pretty well
• Excellent trail protection and feel
• Superior toebox protection on uppers (great for sensitive toesies)
• Withstood 30-second creek submersion test
• Excellent price for a GTX runner

Bad Mountain Masochist GTX

• Stride is a little odd for walking around
• Exposed sockliner on inner cuff wears easily
• Larger volume requires thicker socks
• They turn into foot saunas north of 60-degrees
• Awkward patchwork styling
• You can feel the tongue gussets with thinner socks
• A little heavy on paper

Bottom Line: Montrail Mountain Masochist GTX

An excellent foul-weather trail running shoe for medium to large-volume feet, the Mountain Masochist GTX will provide superior trail and weather protection in a comfortable and highly-supportive package.

Buy Now: Search for Montrail Mountain Masochist

I’d say this year was more of a refinement year with not much in the “entirely new” category coming down the pike. Here’s a quick overview of a handful of great products coming your way later this Fall and into Spring 2010.

Montrail Rockridge Trail Runners

Hot on the heels of the award-winning Mountain Masochist trail runners, Montrail is introducing a handful of trail runners including the all-new Montrail Rockridge. This shoe is built on a low-profile last for excellent trail feel, but still sporting plenty of cushioning with neutral support for the long-haul. Traction is provided by Gryptonite rubber with center deflecting lugs with perimeter traction lugs. The entire liner of the shoe is also seamless for superior comfort. MSRP is $90 with an early 2010 release date.

Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10 Hydration Pack

With all the hydration packs currently on the market, there are only a handful that I can totally recommend (Deuter comes to mind).  But, the new Mountain Hardwear Fluid 10/18/26 hydration pack lineup looks like a great foray into the market. The best feature is the frame sheet, dubbed HardWave, which looks like an accordion going top-to-bottom for a back-conforming fit, but still providing torsional rigidity. Another bonus of this design is its ability to conform to the contours of your back while providing excellent breathability.

An additional innovation on this pack is the OTF (On-the-Fly) Compression system that allows you to cinch down the entire pack from the hip. This ingenious design has long been needed in the market. I always complain when packs don’t have compression straps to cinch the load, but this one takes simple compression straps to the next level by allowing you to cinch the entire load down from the waistbelt. Capacity is 600 cu. in. and weight is 1 lb. 4 oz. with an MSRP of $80.

Patagonia Tsali  and Nine Trails Trail Running Shoes

Honestly, I was totally impressed with the trail running lineup from Patagonia. I hadn’t explored their shoe line much previously, but both the ultralight Tsali and the supportive Nine Trails look to be killer shoes for Spring 2010.

The Tsali tips the scales at just under 10 oz. each, but still provides excellent cushioning and support in a fast and light package. One of the coolest features is the proprietary Dynamic Lace System (shown below) where the two uppermost lace eyelets are criss-crossed for a more snug fit. At $100, the Tsali is a solid player in the lightweight trail running space.

The all-new Nine Trails offers a tad more support than the Tsali, yet still tips the scales at a respectable 11.2 oz. With a medial post for extra support, Dynamic Lace System and a bit of sticky rubber in the toe/heel for smearing, the Nine Trails will get you there for $110.

GoLite Comp Trail Running Shoes

An interesting story indeed, GoLite shoes approach the shoe-building process upside-down. While the rest of the shoe market builds cushioning that’s built to squish the foot to the hard outsole or tread, GoLite’s patented “Soft Against the Ground” design actually keeps the foot stable and cushioning happens from the outsole-in. Think of it this way… you’ve undoubtedly ridden in a truck or a bus and seen the driver’s suspension captain’s chair, right? Well, that’s like traditional shoe cushioning… seems silly eh? Now think of a car’s suspension. Everything is built to keep the frame of the car stable and cushion the tires/rims as they compress towards the rigid frame. Sounds better, right?

With that in mind, let me introduce the GoLite Comp trail running shoe. This trail runner is offered in both mesh and softshell designs with an exoskeleton for supportand interchangeable inserts to increase or decrease toebox volume depending on your preference. The only downer is the price as these shoes are a bit more spendy than others in the market at $130 for the mesh and $140 for the softshell.

Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp

With a variety of LED bulb options to both extend battery life and provide just the right lighting for the situation, the new Princeton Tec Remix headlamp is the choice for all situations. With a large on/off button and easily-rotated lamp body, the Remix looks great for winter dawn patrols. The new Remix sports 3 – 5mm LED’s and 1 Maxbright Rebel LED to deliver a bright 45 lumens with up to 200 hours of burntime. MSRP is $44.99.

Outdoor Research Helium Jacket

Another great offering in the lightweight jacket world, the all-new OR Helium Jacket tips the scales at 6.8 oz. (Men’s) and features waterproof/breathable Pertex 2.5 fabric. Built with a full hood and minimalistic design, the entire jacket stuffs down smaller than a can of soda with the built-in stuff pocket. Look for the Helium in Spring 2010 at a $140 pricepoint.

Oboz Dash Trail Runner with Enhanced Footbed

I’ve been excited about the progression of the Oboz brand over the years. For Spring 2010, look for an entirely-new trail runner called the Dash. Utilizing the same outsole as the Ignition, but modified slightly to provide a more supportive overall feel, the Dash comes standard with a few little niceties not found on many shoes on the market. For starters, the Dash will feature a thin EVA padding on top of the footboard, which serves to provide just a tad more comfort. Add on top of that, a fully-supportive, proprietary insole that puts other stock insoles to shame.

The goal is to get this insole into every shoe and not raise prices. Looks like feet everywhere will rejoice in the added stability, control and comfort, but wallets everywhere can relax because that footbed will come with the $100 Dash trail runners in Spring 2010.