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Outside magazine, August 2000 Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Over the river, through the woods, whatever—these new trail runners can handle any off-road adventure

By Roseann Hanson

Steve Weisbauer
UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, trail running was a fringe activity limited mostly to Ethiopian marathoners, some Indians in Mexico's Sierra Madre, and a handful of überjocks in places like Boulder and Burlington. The footwear was equally anomalous. While Tarahumara distance runners laced strips of tire tread to their feet with rawhide thongs, the rest of us made do with old sneakers and basketball shoes. But as trail running's popularity has skyrocketed during the last few years—the sport now claims some 5.5 million devotees in America, up 38 percent over 1999—shoe manufacturers have responded. This year, 14 companies are offering more than 40 types of trail-running footwear designed to handle everything from the scree-strewn slopes of Colorado's Flat Irons to the spring-thawed bogs of Vermont's Green Mountains. We've reviewed the best, keeping an eye on several key features.

First, the sole: Hard-packed or sand-dusted trails require the traction provided by a big, knobby design. But for wallowing through mud, you'll need a more rounded pattern that sloughs off goop. Support is also important. Uneven trails demand more stiffness, so look for midsoles buttressed with polyurethane or reinforced with some kind of plate or post under the arch. Smoother terrain allows you a lighter and more supple shoe. For comfort, go with extra padding on the tongue, plenty of toe room, and a snug arch—all of which will help reduce, if not eliminate, the pain you endure on those brutal descents.

INSIDE:
• Computerized cartography
• Bomber climbing bolts
• Books: Murray Taylor's memoir of fighting wildfires

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