Bought these after reading up on the Company; great philosphy, more should follow suite. Have worn these just knocking around town, but had not taken them on a trail run. Put them on the trail finally and, hate to admit, fairly inadequate. Not enough suport and little protection for anything remotly technical. Upper material is HOT, not much breathing going on. I have not tried the heavier version so the jury is still out. These Stumptown 8.5's are better suited to the perils of grocery store traffic.

First pair of La Sportivas and am happy as a pig in...Great low profile, decent shank protection, excellent heal cup, good grit guard, light weight and plesently surprised by the tread. The Frixion rubber is sticky and the tread design gives ample traction going up and going down. Lots of comments about these being tight; I have wide feet and do not think the Fireblades feel restrictive at all. I got the 'wide' sized version (there is a + next to the size number). A well designed trail runner sutible for training and positively race worthy. Roll on with these tied to fleet feet.

Ok, I had these for exactly to the day one year. Been a Salomon customer for many moons.No major issues.Speedcross was comfortable and solid, light in the cushioning department-unmatched in the traction department. Coming back from an out and back run I snagged a toe and the shoe literly riped in half accross the toe box. NEVER seen that before in any shoe despite the age and use I got out of these.Not happy with the total lack on customer support at Salomon; imposible to talk/email/comment. A friendly warning to all true trail runners, keep an eye on that seam along the toe box; not cool and I expected more out a a shoe this expensive and have switched brands.

I recently gave my new CWX LiteFit shirt a test run on a very hot and sultry trail run through temp's in the low 90's. It preformed as advertised pulling the sweat from my body helping me feel cool as I hopped, skipped and jumped down the trail. A great addition to my trail running attire. Two thumbs up...

Two very important pieces of advice my momma gave me as a youngster; never eat anything bigger than your head and you can never have too many pairs of shoes. To go with those shoes you need lots of socks. These Lorpen Multi sport Coolmax Light Shorty sock fit the bill for traveling down hot weather adventures. The snug sock is comfortable and wraps around your foot for an almost seamless fit. The cool max material keeps your toes dry and the ankle height is perfect to stop migrating sand or dirt from working its way to your delicate treads. To top it all off, they are mighty fine to look at as well.

The North Face Cool Stretch Shirt is a great layer to help a hard working body. pulls perspiration quickly away from your skin, helping to keep you cool and dry as you rocket through the wilderness. Its snug fit and long tail help keep it in place either as a single layer or as part of a multiple layer system for cooler days. Highly recommended for your outdoor activities.