Outside Online
advertisement
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Gear
  • Bodywork
  • Culture
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Photos
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
Subscribe to Outside Magazine


You Are Here:   Home  >>   Gear   >>  Traction Heroes

2008 Winter Buyer's Guide
View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.
Gear Guy

Today's Question
Is there a shoe that acts like a light-hiker shoe but looks at home in the office? answer

Can you help me lighten my backpacking load? answer

Gear Spotlight
  • Simms G3 Guide Waders
    (Clothing)
  • Dakine District Bag
    (Accessories)
  • Bianchi San Jose
    (Bike)
  • View all Gear Spotlights
Workbench

Skin Care

Gear Upgrade

Make a Ski Sling

Browse Outdoor Gear
  • Apparel
  • Audio Players & MP3's
  • Backpacks
  • Binoculars
  • Cameras
  • Camp Stoves
  • Car Racks
  • Cell Phones & PDA's
  • Climbing Gear
  • Daypacks
  • Digital Cameras
  • GPS
  • Heart-Rate Monitors
  • Hiking Boots
  • Hydration Packs
  • Jackets
  • Kayaks
  • Knives
  • Lanterns & Headlamps
  • Lightweight Shells
  • Luggage
  • Mountain Bikes
  • Rain Jackets
  • Road Bikes
  • Road Runners
  • Sandals
  • Ski Gear
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Soft Shells
  • Sunglasses
  • Surf Gear
  • Tents
  • Tools
  • Trail Runners
  • Urban Wear
  • Watches
  • Water Filters & Purifiers
  • Weekend Backpacks
  • Wetsuits

Online Favorites

  • "Into Thin Air"
  • Best Adventure Books
  • The O Files: Unsolved Mysteries
  • Dream Towns
  • Dream Jobs

Special Issues

  • Family Road Trips
  • Interactive Colorado
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Adventure Lodges
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Photo Galleries

  • Malia Jones
  • Amanda Beard
  • Julia Mancuso
  • Women Who Rock
  • Kelly Slater
  • Olympic Cities
  • Exposure: Sara Carlson
  • See All Galleries
share this article del.icio.us DIGG Facebook StumbleUpon

Outside Magazine, August 2005

Review: Trail Running
Traction Heroes
Whether your happy medium is mud, water, or plain old dirt, there's a trick new trail runner built to take you there

By Gordy Megroz


Slop | Splash | Speed

Asics Gel-Eagle Trail IV, Adidas Jasten, La Sportiva Rajas, New Balance 871
(Mark Wiens)

TOP PICK: BIRD OF PLAY
Asics Gel-Eagle Trail IV
$90; www.asicsamerica.com
The aptly named Eagle soared through the nastiest glop we could find
WICKED SOLE: At first blush, this shoe evokes a mild-mannered street runner, but flip it over and you'll find an outsole that tears asphalt to shreds. I could feel the grooved tread—bristling with conical studs—hustle mud out from under my foot and latch on to the terra firma beneath. FLEX TIME: Some manufacturers engineer their trail runners to be stiff underfoot, to increase stability on off-trail surfaces. But Asics makes the case that more flex between heel strike and toe-off creates a more freely moving sole that allows your foot to better "feel" its way through the terrain. HOLD ME NOW:

SLOP: Lace up these crud shedders and indulge in a deluxe mud treatment

It's hard enough to run in mud; the last thing you need is a loose-feeling kick. Asics eliminated shoe slop with a memory-foam-lined heel collar that molded to my foot after only a few miles. Result? The snuggest, most secure fit of all the shoes I tested. GRAVEL GUARD: When you're hoofing it through goop, you're destined to hit a rock. Fortunately, the extra rubber on the Eagle's forefoot helps buffer your toes. And unlike some other manufacturers, Asics doesn't go overboard with the stuff and add unwanted weight.

Support
Get the inside story on the best socks for trail runners, along with support inserts ideal for you new pair of kicks.

»1. Adidas Jasten
The Jasten's substantial carbon-rubber tread rips through muck while a thin hard-plastic plate, tucked just under the outsole in the shoe's forefoot area, protects you from the sharp rocks that mud can conceal. $90; www.adidas.com

»2. La Sportiva Rajas
A buffed-up tread inspired me to tackle the gnarliest off-trail terrain I could find. The Rajas dug in and prevented slippage on muddy descents as effectively as it did on the climbs. $90; www.lasportiva.com

»3. New Balance 871
New Balance engineered excellent support into the 871 to keep me, well, balanced. Laces pass through a silver-dollar-size plastic plate; one quick tug binds the shoe tight to your instep. $90; www.newbalance.com



Next Page: The Super Soakers

 
Slop | Splash | Speed

• Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

• Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

• Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.
BlogVideosPodcastsPhotos
TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
Material Girl: Winter-Ready Surfing
For most of us, it's not cold enough to break out thicker wetsuits, hoods, booties, or gloves. But...

TV Goes Green
Television writers met yesterday to discuss the role TV shows can play in spreading the green message, according to a ...

More Blogs:
  • Fiery Battle with Pirates
  • Bear Market Can't Slow Dutch Bike Maker
  • Can Ryan Hall Win Boston?
  • Featured Blog: Green Issues
  • Blog Home
The Peacemaker
Greg Mortenson works to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Greg Mortenson video Watch

winter gear video
Winter Gear
winter filming video
Winter Film
ROM video
The ROM

More Videos:
  • Russell Coutts
  • Gym Jones
  • Dean Potter
  • Photo Guide
  • See all Videos
Gone Missing
The crew of the Travel Channel's newest show talks about filming in Papua.
Gone Missing podcast Listen

Mike Rowe Speaks
Mike Rowe talks about his long strange trip to TV's dirtiest dream job.
Mike Rowe podcast Listen

More Podcasts:
  • Q&A: Climbing El Capitan
  • Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz
  • Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch
  • Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer
  • See all Podcasts
Malia Jones photo gallery
Malia Jones
pirate photo gallery
Pirates
Rwanda photo gallery
Rwanda

readers  photo gallery
Readers
Julia Mancuso photo gallery
Julia Mancuso
Amanda Beard photo gallery
A. Beard

More Photos:
  • Cousteaus
  • Cuba
  • Rally Car
  • Submit Your Own Photo
  • See all Photos

advertisement




Subscribe to Outside Magazine!

special featrues

Gear Spotlight: Adventure Electronics
Our esteemed Gear Guy hones in the FAQs of the digital world in this exclusive archive.
The Green Issue
Earth Day may fall in April, but global awareness should be a 365-day concern. Let us help you stay focused.




Vacation Packages

More Travel Deals
  • Save 50% on packages to thousands of destinations
  • Thanksgiving flights from $166
  • Last Minute Deals for travel this weekend or next
  • Ski destinations packages from $181
Sign up for our Travel Deals Newsletter


More From Outside Online

Outside August 2008

  • Best Towns
  • Jeff Lowe
  • Burma Cyclone
  • Triathlon Training

Special Issues

  • 2008 Summer Buyer's Guide
  • 2008 Winter Buyer's Guide
  • Outside Blog
  • Unsolved Mysteries

Outside July 2008

  • Andy Roddick
  • Fitness Special
  • Summer Road Trips
  • Canadian Adventures

Online Exclusives

  • Spooky Spots and Terrible Tales
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Outside June 2008

  • Malia Jones
  • Weekend Escapes
  • Satellite Radio
  • Joe Papp

Online Favorites

  • Outside Gear Blog
  • Gear Guy
  • Fitness Q&A
  • Adventure Adviser

Outside May 2008

  • Anderson Cooper
  • Best Jobs 2008
  • Surf Genius
  • Russell Brice

Outside Classics

  • Into Thin Air
  • The Whale Hunters
  • Raising the Dead
  • The Long Way Home


Vacation Ideas from The Away Network

Outside's Best Towns 2008

  • Crested Butte, CO
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Portsmouth, NH
  • Washington, DC
  • Rest of the Best

Gay-Friendly Vacation Guides

  • Asia
  • Europe
  • South America
  • United States
  • All Vacation Destinations

Best Fall Foliage

  • Black Hills National Forest
  • Glacier National Park
  • Great Smoky Mountains
  • Monongahela National Forest
  • Shenandoah National Park

Trip-Planning Tools

  • Cheap Flights 101
  • Cheap Hotels 101
  • Compare Rates
  • Travel Insurance Tips
  • Vacation Rentals Index

Top Scenic Drives

  • California's Deserts
  • Mountain Tours
  • Upstate New York
  • Weekend Road Trips
  • See All Drives

GORP's Fall Outdoor Guides

  • Where to Camp
  • Where to Fish
  • Where to Hike
  • Where to Mountain Bike
  • All Fall Guides

GORPTravel Trips

  • Active Resorts
  • Horses & Riding
  • Nature Observation
  • Culinary Tours
  • Volunteer Vacations

Fall Travel Guides

  • Active Travel
  • Cultural Travel
  • Outdoor Travel
  • Romantic Travel
  • All Monthly Travel Guides



  • Home |
  • Travel |
  • Gear |
  • Bodywork |
  • Culture |
  • Videos |
  • Podcasts |
  • Photos |
  • Archives |
  • Feedback |
  • RSS Feeds |
  • Subscribe to Outside Magazine |
  • Join/Login




  • About Outside |
  • Advertise |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Subscription Services |
  • Sponsorship Policy |
  • Outside Info |
  • Site Map |
  • Press Room

  • Outside Magazine Media Kit |
  • Photo Department |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact Us |
  • Contributor's Guidelines

Partner Sites:
  • Away.com |
  • GORP.com |
  • Orbitz |
  • Cheaptickets |
  • ebookers |
  • HotelClub.com |
  • RatesToGo.com |
  • asia-hotels.com |
  • Outside's Go


©1994-2008 Mariah Media Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material from any pages without written permission is strictly prohibited.