|
Montrail Susitna Trail Running Shoe
By John Walter
It's still dark when I awake.
I check my watch-just before 5:00 am, perfect timing. I glance back
at the bed to look at my still sleeping wife and realize it wasn't
my finely tuned internal clock that awakened me, but rather the my
3-year old red-headed daughter, the alpha female, crawling into our
bed and plunking herself in the middle-sideways. No matter, I will
not be swayed.
I sneak to the window and pull back the blinds with anticipation—the
weatherman on the local news said it would come. Big, white flakes
are dropping silently from the sky. Already there are several
inches of the heavy wet snow accumulated on the road. I rub my hands
in delight. This late October snowstorm is creating the perfect conditions
for my run. Most people would roll back into bed on days like this.
But, as my mother has told me my whole life, I am not like most
people. I am, however, prepared for this morning's run with the Susitna
XCR trail running shoe from Montrail.
The Susitna is a unique shoe in several respects. For starters Montrail,
in an effort to make an all conditions trail running shoe, has employed
GORE-TEX XCR to develop what they call Dry-Shell Technology. Most
'waterproof' shoes laminate a GORE-TEX lining or bootie inside the shoe.
However, Montrail has taken that technology outside and created a shell
for the shoe. The idea is similar to the shell used on your body-repel
the water before it can soak anything inside the shell. The shell has
a gusseted zipper that slants towards the outside of the shoe and covers
the laces.
Another unique thing about the Susitna is its custom gaiter. Montrail
isn't the first shoe manufacturer to introduce a gaiter for their running
shoe. But the gaiter for the Susitna is again, unique in that it attaches
to the back of the shoe at the heel, rather than the toe.
The Montrail Susitna is built on the same IntegraFit last and the same
TerraFlex RD sole as the Montrail's Melee trail runner. It has a molded
plastic heel cup and thermoplastic toe counter. The Susitna has an Airmesh
lining to boost breathability.
At first glance I thought the Susitna would be like most other waterproof
shoes-hot and sweaty. The black color combined with the GORE-TEX XCR shell
made my sweat start sweating just thinking about wearing them, not to mention
the wearing gaiter. But while wearing the shoe to break them in, as well
as running in them, I didn't notice my feet getting hot at all; in fact
the shoe is so breathable that I found myself wearing socks that were a
little thicker to keep my feet warmer in cold temperatures.
I've been out on my run for about 12 minutes when I round a corner and
head up the hill toward the dirt roads that lead to the foothills near
my house. I'm sloshing up the last major street before my run takes me
off road. I look up to notice an early morning commuter traveling down the
hill toward me. As luck would have it the city drains are clogged with
fallen leaves and water has pooled in a large puddle right in front of me.
The truck barrels through the pool of water, launching a wave of water that
crests over me. Soaked to the bone, I turn around to see the silhouette of
the driver shaking his head with laughter. Standing there with water
dripping off, stammering and sputtering, I look down at my feet to see that
I'm standing in the pool of water. It's then I notice that the only dry
parts of my body are my feet. I look back at the truck, now just tail
lights in the distance, and turn to finish my run, comforted to know that
at least part of me will stay dry on this run.
Summary: Montrail, known widely for their footwear
innovations, scores another home run with the Susitna. The GORE-TEX XCR
shell on the outside of the shoe allows great water resistance while still
keeping a very breathable shoe. And weighing in at only 13 oz., Montrail
stays true to their fast and light commitment. At $125 a pair, the Susitna
isn't cheap, but if you need a reason to keep you out on the trail this
winter, the Susitna is worth a look.
Buy the Montrail Susitna Trail Running Shoes.
Walt is the climbing editor/managing editor/webmaster/grounds crew/janitor at GearReview.com
For more information, contact:
Montrail
2505 Airport Way South
Seattle, WA 98134
(206)621-9303
goodfit@montrail.com
|
