A great lightweight trail shoe for all dry conditions

By danielsear332716 Ranked #1289 - Men's Trail Run Shoes July 30, 2009

I run trails and ultras here in the Pacific Northwest. After having my Salomons rip apart while running an ultra in Bend I found the Pearl Izumi Peak XC and haven't looked back.

I weigh 140 lbs and run neutral with a mid foot strike so I look for lighter trail shoes that aren't posted and allow for fast leg turnover. I like a low-riding lightweight shoe for dry/damp conditions and after putting about 300 miles on my pair I have to say that they've held up really well across a whole range of tough conditions are now my preferred dry condition trail shoe. I just used them last weekend for the White River 50 race and they were great. While the tread isn't very deep they are sticky enough and give good traction on rocks, loose dirt, scree and even treacherous roots on some really steep stuff.

Lightweight upper mesh keeps the foot cool and allows water to drain. I use Sof Sole and Arch Mold inserts due to having a high arch. While the Peak XC is not a burly posted shoe for a course like Hard Rock or Cascade Crest, I use them for all my training runs and trail races up to 50 miles. If it's really wet and muddy or really long then I turn to my Montrails. But for at least half the year this is the shoe I use exclusively.

I'm buying another few pairs for my late Summer and early Fall races. Happy feet.

View Details: Pearl Izumi Peak XC Trail Running Shoe - Men's

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