La Sportiva Barr Trail Running Shoe - Men's - 2006 BCS

The sizing of these shoes is bizarre. My feet are a typical US size 10, and I normally find that a European 43 fits me well. I ordered a 43 in this shoe, found it much too small, returned it for a 43.5 (still too small) and returned it for a 44.0 which finally fit my foot. When you order, I suggest you order *at least* one half-size larger than you would normally. These are clearly serious trail-running shoes. As such, the fit of the forefoot is, I believe, intended to be fairly snug to stop your foot sliding around in the shoe as it lands on angled ground. I'm used to running with a lightweight racing trail shoe (Montrail Masai), and the differences are very noticeable. These have a stiffer sole that makes landing hard on sharp rocks much more comfortable. There is also a pronounced ridge around the perimeter of the sole that stabilizes off-camber landings and helps prevent rolling your foot. I found the traction of the sticky-rubber tread was excellent. The footbed is relatively flat (no big bulge under the arch), which is the way I like it. I have fairly flat feet, and find that shoes with high arch support are uncomfortable and give me blisters. I've only had three long runs wearing these, but I'm starting to like them a lot. Overall, I would say that they are just a little too heavy and too stiff to be used as a racing shoe (unless the trail is covered in loose, sharp rock). But I'm optimistic that they will prove to be a great everyday training shoe. For comparison, the Barr Trail size 44.0 weighs 1lb 13oz (pair) vs. 1lb 10oz for the Masai (size 10). I can't yet speak to durability of this shoe, but the construction seems very solid. I typically wear through the uppers of my trail shoes at the sides, just where the shoe flexes: these have some serious-looking reinforcement right at this point (on both inside and outside) so the prognosis looks good.

These shoes are extremely comfortable and have an extremely sticky sole. Size em up a little bit. I usually wear a 43 or 44 and got a 44.5. They are made for narrower feet to regular feet. Highly recommended.