protargol
01-26-2012, 17:27
I went through 3 pairs of trail runners on my SOBO thru. I started with La Sportiva Imogene, and they lasted 300 miles. I was able to pick up a pair of slightly used Montrail's (I believe that's the brand), from a consignment shop for $20 and they got me to close to the 1000 mile mark (Pine Grove, PA) so I ended up with 700 miles on them. However, I want to talk about my experiences with my third shoe, the Brooks Cascadia 6 that took me from Pine Grove to Springer (1181 miles).
I bought these when I took a side trip to visit my sister in NYC and she took me to her running store. I bought them on a whim, and afterwards felt silly for paying full price ($110). However I ended up getting much more than I expected out of them so now feel like they were worth every penny.
I got the green pair and used them in combination with the blue Superfeet insoles. I used the Superfeet in my other shoes and just moved them around. NOBOs had been warning me that PA was a graveyard for trail runners, so I wasn't expecting big miles out of them but was proven wrong. After the hike they are still in great shape, with minimum wear (shown below) and still have good tread on them. They went through multiple freeze/thaw cycles and were put through the paces in all types of terrain.
I can't speak highly enough about these shoes. I had no idea they'd last 1200 miles, and still have plenty of life left in them to boot! They're breathable, light, comfortable, and I got very few blisters with them even on very big mile days (upper 50s and mid 60s). If you're looking for a trail runners, I would highly recommend buying these shoes. I'd be happy to answer any questions.
15006
Overview of shoes after 1200 miles
15007
Alternate overview
15008
Tread condition after 1200 miles
15009
Stitching coming apart
15010
Stitching coming apart and sidewall rubber shedding
I bought these when I took a side trip to visit my sister in NYC and she took me to her running store. I bought them on a whim, and afterwards felt silly for paying full price ($110). However I ended up getting much more than I expected out of them so now feel like they were worth every penny.
I got the green pair and used them in combination with the blue Superfeet insoles. I used the Superfeet in my other shoes and just moved them around. NOBOs had been warning me that PA was a graveyard for trail runners, so I wasn't expecting big miles out of them but was proven wrong. After the hike they are still in great shape, with minimum wear (shown below) and still have good tread on them. They went through multiple freeze/thaw cycles and were put through the paces in all types of terrain.
I can't speak highly enough about these shoes. I had no idea they'd last 1200 miles, and still have plenty of life left in them to boot! They're breathable, light, comfortable, and I got very few blisters with them even on very big mile days (upper 50s and mid 60s). If you're looking for a trail runners, I would highly recommend buying these shoes. I'd be happy to answer any questions.
15006
Overview of shoes after 1200 miles
15007
Alternate overview
15008
Tread condition after 1200 miles
15009
Stitching coming apart
15010
Stitching coming apart and sidewall rubber shedding