In order for me to proclaim true love for a shoe, it must not make my left foot go numb, it must not cramp my delicately painted toenails, and it must not rub in any uncomfortable manner. For me, this describes the GoLite Trail Fly. But for some reason I still can't justify, I decided I wanted to try something else.
Usually the something elses turn out to be just OK when compared to my true love, the Trail Fly. In the last year I've also been through:
- Brooks Cascadia: because of the "tall foot" issue, I have to wear my shoes loosely tied. The Cascadias do not have a gusseted or attached tongue, which means that it slides around and puts pressure on the top-side of my foot. Yep, this makes it fall asleep.
- Merrell Overdrive: this shoe has an attached tongue but it has those silly quick laces that tighten all on their own even if you leave them loose. Yep, this makes my foot fall asleep. I wear it to Crossfit. Seems to be good for that.
- North Face Rucky Chucky: these don't have an attached tongue but I was able to lace them such that the tongue stayed where it was supposed to. I liked these. A lot. Problem with these is that they were completely dead after only about 200 miles. I want at least 300 miles for that kind of money.
Last year Martha got the Oboz Ignition. I'd read a lot about this shoe and was really excited to try it on at backcountry.com (we regularly crash the warehouse to try on shoes and look at gear since it's in our beloved City of Salt) but alas! It was far too narrow for my Fred Flintstone feet. I like the bootie concept, but I suspect that if it was wide enough it would probably...say it all together now...make my foot fall asleep.
I got excited again this year when I saw that Oboz introduced a new trail running shoe called the Burn. The Oboz website describes the shoe thusly:
The Burn ($100) is designed to be a lightweight, all-around trail running shoe that will excel in conditions when a breathable shoe is desired. Its all-synthetic upper features mesh is overlaid with welded panels that help hold the foot and give structure to the upper. The shoe has a traditional tongue design and the toe area is well protected by a synthetic leather toecap. The Burn offers protection and stability suitable for most trail conditions. The midsole is configured with two densities of EVA and has a full-foot sheet of TPU for underfoot protection. Additionally, A TPU heel clip helps keep the foot in a neutral position upon heel strike. Finally, the Burn’s non-marking, high friction outsole is surefooted on slick surfaces and loose trail debris. A hallmark of all Oboz shoes is the high quality footbed inside. The three-density insole in the Burn is designed for running, giving resilient cushioning in the heel area, support along the arch and inside of the foot, and soft cushioning for impact under the forefoot.
I picked up a pair at REI and was able to use my REI Anniversary 20% off coupon so the hit wasn't so big. I agree, it is nicely ventilated and has good traction. And the tongue is attached, which the description does not state. HOWEVER, I beg to differ on the "soft cushioning for impact under the forefoot." Not that it's like running in Vibram Five Fingers or anything like that, but "cushion" is not a word that comes to mind for this shoe.
It's fine for non-technical singletrack that doesn't have a lot of rocks. I figured out pretty quickly that I needed to avoid stepping on anything that resembled such geologic specimens. It'll be great for short runs on buffed trail in the heat of the summer. I am going to give myself some time to get used to the increased sole flexibility (when compared to the Trail Fly) because I think it will probably be good for my lower leg inflexibility issues. However, I don't see running anything farther than about 10 miles in this shoe. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is.
Rating: 3
Where to buy: Oboz Footwear Retail Outlet Locator
Price: $100
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