Editor's Update: The Vanish XC was worn to set the new world record for the fastest 100 miles ever run on trails. Congrats to Zach Bitter and Altra for the achievement! Such a feat should assuage any doubts as to the competency of the Vanish XC as a competitive racer! See our complete review (below) for our non-record-breaking opinions! Introduction
Racing flats are evolving. The next generation of carbon-laden rockets, including Hoka One One Carbon X, Nike Vaporfly NEXT%, and Skechers Go Run Speed Elite Hyper, are all on the market or due in the coming months, and should propel racers across the roads and tracks for seasons to come. But what about for nature’s purest sport? What of the runners dueling across golf courses, horse tracks, abandoned soccer fields and closed-off parks? Are they to trust a $250 carbon-propelled flat to get them over hay bales, stream crossings, steep inclines and leg-bending turns? Of course not. Enter the Altra Vanish XC: the purest form of cross-country racer on the market today. No carbon, no spikes - hell, there’s hardly an upper at all.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Fun, breathable (and drainable), dynamic lacing means you’ll never have to worry about finding the perfect fit - and sharp-looking to boot.
Cons: Limited use case for those of us out of high-school and collegiate XC; would be nice to have a spiked option for those on technical terrain or on the track.
Article by Sam Winebaum Brooks Running highlighted changes to its light support Cushion line Transcend 7 and Speed line Ravenna 11 which will now come with an integral lateral GuideRail and a medial co-molded GuideRail. The idea is to make the light knee focused guidance more seamless to the shoe and more flexible as glue layers are eliminated. This will be a welcome change for me as I found the Ravenna 10's GuideRail while a promising approach but stiff impeding transition on the medial side.
Many models drop approximately 0.5 oz in weight due to upper and outsole changes.
The Energize line shoes Levitate, Bedlam, and Ricochet get new flat knit uppers and a redesigned outsole.
The Caldera becomes a more maximally cushioned ultra type shoe and Brooks introduced a new $100 "door to trail" rock plate model the Divide
Article by Don Reichelt, Jeff Valliere, and Sam Winebaum
Editor's Note: We welcome Don Reichelt to the RoadTrailRun test team. Don is an accomplished ultra runner whose most recent exploits include a 3d place at the notorious extreme temperatures, big climb 2018 Badwater 135 miler. He more recently finished 4th at the Jemez 50 mile. Don trains over 100 miles per week on both road and trail in Colorado and works in the running industry at BibRave, a running race review site.
NIke Air Zoom Pegasus 36 Trail ($130)
Introduction
Sam: The Zoom Pegasus 36 Trail shares, name, basic look, Zoom Air plus Cushlon midsole with the road Pegasus 36 but under the hood and up top is a very different shoe with a different purpose. Whereas the Pegasus 36 is a firm, snug fast paces and "workouts" oriented shoe at this point, say compared to Nike's Epic React 2, or Vomero 14 , the Trail is a softer more heavily lugged and cushioned hybrid road trail shoe. It also differs from the more pure trail and speed oriented Terra Kiger 5.
It differs from the Pegasus 36 in having:
Front and rear Zoom Air units for a more flexible easier going transition, whereas Peg 36 has a single full Zoom Air unit and a fairly stiff, firm and responsive transition and toe off.. if you can take it...
2mm wider on the ground platform for greater trail stability and a broader fit as well
1.5mm higher more trail focused lugs and 1mm more midsole foam both leading to a softer, more cushioned ride with its 30.5 mm heel / 20.5 forefoot stack
a toe bumper and heel overlay for durability
a dense but very well ventilated and roomier engineered mesh upper with a similar but slightly better padded and more comfortable tongue and lace up
all of this adding up to a mere 0.4 oz more weight than Peg 36 at 9.3 oz / 264 g
It differs from the Terra Kiger 5 in having:
10mm drop vs. 4mm for the Kiger, with the Kiger's lower drop translating to a more stable, agile ride on more technical terrain and for the Trail a faster, more cushioned ride on smoother terrain and roads.
30.5mm heel / 20.5mm forefoot vs. 27mm heel / 23mm forefoot for the Kiger 5
0.3 oz lower weight for the Trail
Dual Zoom Air units, whereas the Kiger has a rear Zoom Air and a front rock plate for protection and stability.
fuller coverage but lower lugged outsole in a more continuous ground contact pattern.
Sam: Trail fits true to my size 8.5 with noticeably less over the top of instep pressure than a Pegasus 36, even one loosely laced. The fit is generous yet secure with higher toe box room than the Kiger 5 and about the same width, maybe a touch narrower. The upper mesh is soft and comfortable. The Flywire cords which secure the foot to the platform from laces to midsole really shine here doing their job without the "usual" low and aggressive bite over the top of the foot of the road Pegasus but as with road Peg don't lace them tight. The design is elegant in its simplicity and without all the usual prominent overlays found in many trail shoes.
Jeff: Very sleek looking in style, design and luminous green (yellow) color looks great (though will get dirty brown very quickly with trail dust/mud/dirt). The pointed heel, while I can’t detect a clear advantage, is fast and aero in looks and the heel collar is also tall and pointed, providing good hold and support. When first slipping them on, they feel very light and well cushioned/padded with a precise upper, yet with an accommodating fit. I noticed a bit of heel slippage at first, but quickly corrected by employing the extra lace hole. The tongue seems a bit thin, low and is slightly offset, but I like the look/feel of the booty like construction, which is somewhat reminiscent of Salomon Endofit.
Don: The unboxing of this shoe was quite the treat. I wasn’t sure I was going to love the green color when I saw it via photo… but it presents nicely in person. I immediately took note that it felt lighter than I was expecting. The step in experience is better than most trail shoes, you can absolutely tell it has a road heritage based on the immediacy of comfort when you put it on. It feels softer than other shoes in the Nike Trail line, but the fit is similar, minus a slightly more narrow toe box than the Kiger 5.
Pros:
Jeff: Sleek and modern looking, Lightweight, Well cushioned, Comfortable, Responsive, Secure upper, Breathability, Traction, Runs very well on road
Don: Soft and featherlike on smooth, groomed trails. A fantastic option for runs that will take you from road to trail and back. Performs better than nearly all other trail shoes on the road. The upper is incredible.
Sam: A wonderfully supportive yet soft and breathable upper. Well cushioned, softer more easy going ride than either the road Pegasus 36 or Terra Kiger 5. Ideal road to trail ride and feel
Cons:
Jeff/Sam: Tongue is a bit thin and short (which can give a bit of lace bite if not careful, particularly on long downhills), Thin toe bumper.
Don: I’m concerned the soft upper won’t hold up well to harsh terrain. Toe bumper not made for rocks. Shoe in general is too soft for super rocky/technical trails.
Sam: On more technical terrain the shoe is not as torsionally rigid as I would like and front of the shoe is somewhat high feeling and unstable.
Watch our Video Review of the Zoom Pegasus 36 Trail
with comparisons to Pegasus 35 & 36 as well as Terra Kiger 5
Article by Jeff Valliere Brooks Running Cascadia 14 ($130)
Introduction/First Impressions
Brooks went back to the drawing board for the Cascadia 14, rebuilding from the ground up. When I heard the details initially, I had high hopes, but was caught off guard by how much they have improved this shoe, losing a full ounce in weight to come in a 10.7 oz, simplifying and streamlining the upper, improving fit, and drastically improving response, flexibility, traction and the overall performance of the shoe.
While I have been running in the Brooks Cascadia since version 4 and have run in most of the versions since and have found them to be a great shoe, rugged, durable, protective and with good traction under most circumstances, they had fallen out of favor for me. I found earlier versions to be well suited for running and were a reasonable weight, but as the shoe evolved, the weight has steadily creeped up and I have increasingly found them to be a bit too stiff, heavy and ponderous for true running. I did however recognize the appeal and reasoning behind the Cascadia design for more casual running and hiking (a top pick for thru hikers), but for faster running or racing, the Cascadia had become a bit too much. The Cascadia 14 however has suddenly jumped to the top of my pick list, read on!
Saucony surprised us with a blizzard of new big updates which included changes in midsole foams and upper designs. Bottom line Everun and PWRFOAM midsoles go away starting Spring 2020 in both road and trail and are replaced by two new compounds:
PWRRUN+ is a TPU bead based material which is said to be 3x more durable and 3x less temperature sensitive than EVA, 2x as flexible (we saw that), and 25% lighter and absorbing 5% more impact than Saucony previous best foam (assume also TPU based Everun). A more plush springy feeling foam, it will be in shoes such as Triumph 17, Hurricane 22, Freedom 3, and the Xodus 10
PWRRun is a TPU EVA blend. A responsive yet well cushioned feeling foam it will be in shoes such as the Kinvara 11 and the 3 flavors of the Peregrine 10.
ISOFit uppers start to go away replaced by FormFit which combines integration of upper, sockliner, midsole walls and underfoot board. Models are now named and numbered as to their version in a simpler scheme than before.
Peregrine 10 The Peregrine will now come in three flavors: Peregrine 10, Peregrine 10 ST for soft ground, and Peregrine 10 GTX. All share the same POWRUN midsole with the ST having a slightly higher stack due to its more aggressive 6.5mm lugs with the standard 10 and GTX having 5mm lugs, a drop from prior 6.5mm lugs. Peregine 10 ($120)
Peregrine 10 women's color
The Peregrine 10 gets a new PWRUN midsole for a responsive protective ride with a top sole of the slightly bouncier PWRRUN+,
We see FormFit (upper, midsole walls, and topsoie) to lock down the foot to the platform (ISOFit is gone). A gaiter hook is included.
The outsole is PWRTRAC tacky rubber with a more spaced out multidirectional lug pattern as well as a rock plate.
It also gets designed in locations for shoe traction screws and for drilling drain holes as first seen in the Mad River TR (RTR Review)
The 27mm heel, 23mm forefoot all-arounder gains a few 0.2 oz to come in at 10.7 oz / 303g (men's), 9.3 oz / 264 g (women's). It releases 1/1/20 Peregrine 10 ST ($120)
Designed for soft ground use the ST comes in at 11.3 oz / 320 g men's, 9.9 oz /281grams women's. It features the PWRUN midsole with an EVA rock plate and a high abrasion, water resistant, ripstop nylon upper.
It has aggressive 6.5mm lugs in its PWRTRAC outsole.The outsole shown below is not quite the final production design. Given the height of the lugs and outsole design it does not have pre placed traction screw locations. Peregrine 10 GTX ($140)
Front: Peregrine 10 GTX Back: Peregrine 10 ST
The Peregrine 10 GTX will come in at 11.2 oz / 318 g men's, 9.9 oz women's. It has the same stack height and outsole as the Peregrine 10 and also comes with the option of installing shoe screws in pre planned locations. It differs in having a a GORE-TEX Invisible Fit upper. Unlike more conventional Gore bootie uppers, Invisible Fit is laminated directed to the outer upper. This reduces weight and makes the upper less crinkly and smoother fitting. It will release 1/1/20. Xodus 10 ($150)
The formerly near hiker Xodus sees the most significant changes making it a great new option for a super cushioned, more maximal trail cruiser. It drops a massive 2.3 oz / 65 g as the midsole changes from Everun to the plush new PWRUN+, the Peregrine 10's having the more responsive PWRUN midsole foam. It will weigh 11.7 oz / 332 g men's, 10.5 oz / 298g women's with a 31.5mm heel 27.5mm stack, 4mm drop. Releases 2/1/20.
Its outsole is PWRTRAC in a chevron oriented 5mm lug (dropping for 6.5 mm) design pattern . It includes shoe screw placement locations down the center red strips.
Article by Sam Winebaum Reebok Harmony Road 3 ($120)
The Harmony Road is a well cushioned 31mm heel / 21mm forefoot stack daily trainer. It has a mostly Forever Energy midsole with a rear EVA heel cup and a full carbon outsole. Forever Energy is a TPU based midsole foam with a springy feel contrasting with parent company adidas bouncier softer Boost. It can be thought of as the daily trainer companion to the Forever Floatride Energy (RTR Review) or Floatride Fast (RTR Review) which are lighter more uptempo or race offerings from Reebok. It weighs 9.6 oz /263 g in my US size M8.5. The fit is true to size for me and generous, yet very secure thanks in large part to the non stretch mid foot Flexweave panels.
Watch our initial video review for all the details and comparisons
Article by Sam Winebaum Saucony surprised us with a blizzard of new shoes, changes in midsole foams, and upper design. Bottom line Everun and PWRFOAM midsoles go away starting Spring 2020 in both road and trail and are replaced by two new compounds:
PWRRUN+ is a TPU bead based material which is said to be 3x more durable and 3x less temperature sensitive than EVA, 2x as flexible (we saw that), and 25% lighter and absorbing 5% more impact than Saucony previous best foam (assume also TPU based Everun). A more plush springy feeling foam, it will be in shoes such as Triumph 17, Hurricane 22, Freedom 3, and Xodus 6
PWRRun is a TPU EVA blend. A responsive yet well cushioned feeling foam it will be in shoes such as the Kinvara 11 and 3 new flavors of the Peregrine 10.
Many shoes have a TPU based topsole board similar to the prior Everun flavors but it is not called out as Everun or nearly as highlighted as before.
ISOFit uppers start to go away replaced by a more conventional approach called FormFit.
Shoes are now named and numbered as to their version in a simpler scheme than before.
The road highlights were significant make overs and weight drops for the Freedom and Triumph. Read on for all the details.
We will be regularly updating our 2020 Run Previews and Introductions Page with article links and videos as we report from Outdoor Retailer in Denver throughout the week and as more emerges later this year.
