[trail] shoe review – montrail fluidflex II

i was selected as a winner in the Team Running Free lottery this year and my prize was a credit toward any montrail product.  given that i wanted to put some more time on the trails this summer and fall i elected to give the montrail fluidflex II (FF2) a go – and after logging about 100km in them i’m ready to share some thoughts about this rugged trainer.

what i like:

even though these came free to me, the FF2s settle in at a nice pricepoint of just about $100 CDN – which is great for a spendthrift like me!  they also work well with my preference for a lighter, minimalistic shoe – weighing in at a shade over 8oz. (men’s size 9) and featuring a 4mm heel-to-toe drop and a reasonable maximum stack height of 22mm.  while the fluidfoam midsole made it a comfortable (not plush) trainer to take on the trails, there was enough firmness to make me feel like (a) i could race in these and (b) i didn’t have to worry about extra underfoot protection, even though there is no rock/impact plate.

the gryptonite outsole, while innocent-looking enough, provided decent traction over light-moderately technical trails (haven’t yet tested them out on anything too rugged) as well as performing admirably over wet and slick (e.g. moss or leaf-covered) terrain.  i haven’t dragged them across mud, although i suspect that with the size of the lugs they might not dig in with enough ferocity and could get gummed up in the in-between spaces and flex grooves.

the upper is nice and breathable, without any annoying seams (although i always ran with socks).  it’s not particularly stretchy over the forefoot, but i suppose that that’s a good thing when it comes down to making sure that you have a nice and ‘locked-in’ feel for navigating the uneven surfaces.  i also was taken by the soft or ‘threaded’ eyelets for the shoelaces – probably a feature designed to reduce some weight and perhaps eliminate pressure points.

what i wished were different:

there were a couple of fit areas that didn’t immediately endear the FF2s to me – the first was the heel/ankle collar, which rises about as high on these shoes as on any shoe in my current rotation.  after the first run in them wearing no-show sockettes i found that the scar tissue on my right achilles tendon (having had it surgically reattached) rubbed raw.  it was far from debilitating, but it was definitely annoying and required that i move to a 3/4 anklet sock in order to prevent that kind of skin abrasion.  i will say that in the anklet socks i’ve not had any follow-up issues.

the other fit issue was the semi-curved last – most (all?) of my other shoes seem to be constructed on a straighter last, and so the form of the FF2s seemed a bit unnatural to me initially.  but given that there is sufficient width in the forefoot for toe splay and no perceptible rub points the semi-curve structure disappears after the first kilometre of running.

i also noticed some bunching of the upper material at the first set of eyelets (closest to my toes) when the shoe was laced up snug – it might be a sizing issue, as shoefitr recommended that i take a 10.5 in these whereas i would normally take a 10 in most other brands.

overall:

this is a very solid shoe from montrail, and one that deserves consideration if you are looking for a nice and nimble everyday trail runner or even trail racer.  try on a pair and get out there!