okay, so this is only after one trail run...

By b.j. Ranked #218 - Men's Trail Run Shoes January 16, 2009

...but I love them.

Things I like:

1) simplicity of the design: seems they have found the right balance with materials, features and construction. and they look quite nice.

2) weight: they feel very light for a trail shoe. My last pair of trail runners were salomon XA pro with XCR. so much lighter.

3) philosophy: this played a big part in me gambling on buying a shoe from a little known brand. The company is making a concerted effort to improve its ecological footprint. Sure it's not perfect, but I'd prefer to put my money towards a company that is trying. I also appreciate that ecological awareness is part of their core philosophy (like Patagonia). What good is having a small range of green shoes when the rest of your products do not involve these practices (e.g. nike).

Two unknowns so far:

1) water resistant?: I just went running in snow and they seemed to hold up okay. I'm curious if they'll do okay in wetter conditions. obviously they are not goretex. They do breath better than my old XCR shoes.

2) durability: this will be the biggest test for these shoes. I can't see any potential problems, but it is always a risk with simple-lightweight shoes, and of course, the benefit of buying green shoes is reduced if you have to buy twice as many. time will tell!

View Details: END Stumptown 12oz Trail Running Shoe - Men's

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