I purchased a pair of Vasque Blur Trail Running Shoe back in
March. Initially I purchased them for the great review they received by
trail magazines and general reviews. I wore them on several occasion and
found them to be very hard to walk in, much less run in. The middle part
of the sole had very little flex. I continued to wear them , thinking
they just needed time to break in, but it never got better.The shoe overall is stiffer than some hiking boots I have owned. I eventually
ended up buying some Adidas. I have owned other Vasque boots and shoes and
love them, but not this pair. They have been sitting in my closet for
the last few months after a few test runs. Please try them on before you buy them.

Great trail runners. Stable, with a good amount of shielding in the shank. Before this I had a pair of Brooks Cascadia "trail runners" but they were really street running shoes with trail-running colors. They were very comfortable, but offered no shielding or stability. Every rock could be felt and ankles were unstable. These block those rocks that terrorize the bottom of your feet. They're light, fit true to size, and are moderately comfortable. I just wish they had a tiny bit more padding.

The good - large toe box, well cushioned, moderate protection, hugs the foot well, good traction on lots of different surfaces, and a wide stable base.

The bad - a bit clunky feeling, a wider heel then other trail shoes I have tried from North Face, Montrail, and La Sportiva.

Overall this is a great training and race shoe for someone looking for a middle of the road combination of weight, support, cushion, and pronation control. It's just the right amount of everything for the long haul without being too stiff or too flexible. There is a fair amount of cushioning that could feel a little mushy but not so much that I feel vulnerable to rolling my ankles. I've ran everything from a rough all day affair 50k with lots of loose gravel, large rocks, and roots to a sub 4 hour marathon (somewhat fast for me) on well groomed rolling prairie trails.

These shoes fit true to size. They are light. I use them to run on rocky, rooty, and sometimes slippery single track trails. I like them so well that I have four pair and afraid to try any other brand.

These don't really work for me. Which is a shame, as they have a lot of great qualities. The good stuff first: bomber construction, good grip, very comfortable, nice forefoot fit and feel. What I didn't like: heavy; upper extends too high on ankle, and is over-padded there; sole is too thick at heel (makes it easy to roll the shoe); lacing area is too long (extends too far back on the shoe); sole too stiff. But much of this is personal taste: I have problem-free feet, and like to race, so my preference is towards lighter shoes with less support and less protection. Having said that, if Vasque could lighten these shoes up, and fix the flaws in the back end, I would be very tempted.

I wore my trail runners in the mountains of Kenya through thick mud and on stone and gravel roads.. I pushed suv's through thick mud and the trail runners kept my footing, and I was comfortable wearing them for days at a time..

Comfortable shoe, but the problem is with the sole. The small rubber tongue shaped piece that come over the toe started to come loose within a couple months...same with the back and back sides of the sole, which are not a solid outline, but a series of jagged ins and outs that come loose from the bottom of the shoe. Years ago I had some Vasque trail runners that were comfortable and solidly designed, the last two pairs have gone away from this, instead going with technically useless additions.

Overall, I love the fit of Vasque shoes and have been wearing the same pair of Sundowners every weekend for almost ten years now. I just wish they would get rid of the frilly looking stuff on their trail shoes/runners, i would increase the quality to that of their boots.

These sneakers are inexpensive, comfortable, and very highly rated! I am happy to have them and I've got no complaints!!!

Excellent fit, protection, and support in a trail shoe. I haven't put many miles on these but they felt great right out of the box. I own several other episodes of Vasque trail runners and these may be the best yet. Not crazy about the look - but the reflective stripe may save me from becoming so much night time roadkill...

Great shoe. Used them a few times: light hiking/trail running (5 - 10mi). Very comfortable, great traction, no blisters or any other complaints.

I didn't find them stiff enough,and a little loose around my narrow heels. I'll try new insoles. Been wearing with the BC "merino" sock, which are thinner than my usual socks.

Maybe I have vastly different feet from the 2 reviewers here.... I have half a years use in Alaska in my Gore-Tex version... they are ruggedly built no doubt... a somewhat narrow and straight fitting last (Salomon like) as well as spot on sizing, it would pay to try these on vs. buying them blind.. Excellent heel cup! But to me, they have a very firm footbed, not much in the way of cushioning and the leather lace holes grip the laces and make it difficult to open the shoe to slide your foot in... a good shoe but I find myself wearing my Asics or NB's more due to their much more comfortable fit... maybe cushy foot beds would help these..???

Very stable shoe, in the muck, through the roots and on the road - esp if you are a big guy - I weigh in at a reasonably fit 245 and need a shoe that will hold up under the abuse that weight puts on a shoe - Strong lateral support, good cushioning and light enough to be agile in the technical stuff. I hit trails 2-3 times a week so I do not know if it will be durable enough for a daily runner - but if it is like any of my previous Vasque's - it should do just fine.

I've been running trails for over 5 years, putting in on average of 4050 miles a week in. I live in Germany where the weather is much like that of Northwest--rain and wet! These shoes are the best I've owned to date--a must buy!!

I have a pair from 2006. They literally transformed my trail runs from picking my way down hills and through rocks to blasting down the trail. An amazing shoe!

My wife and I took these to New Zealand, hiked everyday for 7 days, averaging 6 miles+ a day on all sorts of terrain. They held up very well, and had great traction throughout. Though at the end of the day sometimes they started becoming uncomfortable. New Insoles fixed that though. Great all around shoe.

Outstanding trail runners. I understand why they were "Gear of the Year". Excellent stability, strong ankle support, stiff flex, great traction. Hiking, trail runs, dry land snow ski exercises, just about any outdoor activity. Buy 'em!

I just love em ,I have never had a pair of shoes fit this good.I usually try to purchase the best for the money.And i can truly say that i purchased these sight unseen, And they fit better than any pair of shoes that i have bought at any store.

...nobody's ever gonna keep these down. I bought the Vasque Blur because I heard they were stiff--and stiff they were...I mean are. I have used them to hike, trail run, walk my dogs, play Frisbee and more and they're up for the task. Mostly hiking though.

I used these for a long trail hike and found that forward foot bed is to thin for the ball of your foot.I was lucky enough to meet someone on the same trail with the same shoe and they said the same thing.why someone would run on something with such a thin forward footbed?

I tested this pair by running a fast 10-mile wooded trail. I found them a bit stiff, but responsive. They moved twigs and stones and such out of the way with relative ease. And yet the shoes do not feel heavy or clunky. Just a bit "stiff" compared to my Anurva's (North Face's BOA shoes - which seem lighter and more flexible; sometimes a bit on the mushy side. But I digress, for comparison). Anyhow, I got used to the Blur's and really got to like them after a few runs. The Blur's are as good as advertised. Can't go wrong with them. Good luck.

I broke these in doing a practice sprint adventure race in the swamps of south carolina....they got the job done. It's a good shoe.