Winter came late to Northern California, filling the past couple of weeks with endless days of stormy weather. Great news for the mountains, which finally now have snow, but tough on those of us stuck at sea level ready for some spring outdoor sports.
Not one to sit inside when the weather is bad, however, I donned my new Ecco Biom Trail Shoes and hit the trails, hiking with Lola and going for a run or two. Wet and muddy has been the name of the game, with absolutely no hope or desire even to stay clean and dry.
The Biom Trail Shoes beefed up Ecco's Natural Motion system to match the demands of heading off road.Without using too much artificial cushioning or excessive motion control, the trail shoes enable your foot to move and flex with proper torsion, adapting to the terrain beneath you.
A rugged rubber outsole features a specially designed traction pattern to give you that extra grip needed on muddy and wet surfaces. Even hiking down steep, muddy slopes, I never once had a problem with slipping.
The Biom Trail Shoes fit snugly to your foot, ensuring you do not slide around inside the shoe. The only problem for me was an unfortunate inside seam that happened to hit right at the widest part of my forefoot. Although seemingly fine now, I was getting hotspots and even blisters when I first started running in these trail shoes, even when wearing heavier socks.
The textile upper is not waterproof, so expect your feet to get somewhat wet on muddy trails. The shoes are extremely breathable however, reducing the chance of sweat build up during those hot trail days.
Bottom Line: The Ecco Biom Trail Shoes are versatile and lightweight, great for both hiking and trail running. These trail shoes provide great traction on everything from loose dry terrain to wet and muddy trails.
The men's and women's Ecco Biom Trail Shoes come in a textile version ($175, pictured top) or a Yak leather version ($200).
