These what you'd expect of a trail-road hybrid--mediocre at both. They've got a ton of cushioning, but the run is clunky, like they don't want to leave the ground. The fit is baggy, inferior to the typical Montrail last--the 11 is usually a perfect fit for me but here it only works if I wear thick hiking socks. And by contrast with the zippy but austere look of the Streak, these look like hell.

I got these for protection on very long runs, which they'll probably still be good for, but they're just not impressive shoes.

These are frustrating shoes. The gaiters are a nice touch, and the waterproofing is good, but Sportiva makes great climbing and running shoes (the Fireblades are awesome) so I was a little startled at some of the lame aspects of these. I'd say for short to medium runs on wet or snowy terrain they're solid, but they don't feel fast or comfy enough for much else.

Cushioning: minimal--a long run on a hard surface will be very uncomfortable. That would be OK if they rode low, so you could get good feel for the surface, but they seem to ride higher than the minimalist Fireblades.

Fit: solidly cylindrical--for a person with a wide toe and narrow heel it's hard to feel completely comfortable in them.

Lacing: inflexible and strangely uncomfortable--you have to keep playing with the lacing to get it to feel right, and it's really easy to crank it too hard in one place and get a bad pinch.

Gaiters: Water-resistant, but not waterproof. Great for snow and splashes. These take some doing to attach to the shoe, and because the clips aren't too well designed I have to use something like a butter knife to keep the attachments open to receive them. Once they're on they protect well against snow, though I'm not sure why they didn't make them out of XCR.

Montrail is a deservedly legendary trail shoe company, but it seemed headed downhill with its purchase by Columbia--it was harder to reach customer service, and almost every shoe I got from them (Odyssey, Hurricane, Namche) in recent years had a manufacturing defect.

The Streak is a great return to form: classic Montrail fit, with a snug, sculpted heel cup and huge, roomy toebox. The body has a comfy, soft and very breathable mesh. What's special about these shoes is their light, agile feel. They have a very minimal sole, just beefy enough to protect you from rocks but thin enough that you can feel the terrain. They ride low to encourage stability through good foot placement, rather than lots of extra padding and structure. Overall, they combine a fast, sprightly feel with enough toughness to handle three hour trail runs just fine.

For more brutal terrain, you might want to look into a beefier shoe like the Vitesse, for dirt and grass a lugged fell running-type shoe like the Highlander, and for wet conditions something in goretex. But as a go-to, just-enough-to-do-the-job minimalist trail shoe, the Streak and the similarly fast n light La Sportiva Fireblade are the ones to beat.

Mine works well. The trick is to put some very hot water in first, then dump it and put in your hot beverage. In my experience it keeps things blazing hot for a couple hours, hot for a couple more, and warm for a few thereafter.

There are two, perhaps unavoidable, design problems you can encounter. The first is that unless you've opened just the right amount, it's a tad splashy when it pours.

The second is that if you've got a colored one, the color will eventually start to flake off. They still look cool, but you might want to just stay with the basic aluminum color.