Reviews by User: joshr (4)

So I had been looking at getting a hydration backpack for a while, but I didn't really need one and since nicer ones set you back at least like $70 or so, I waited. I lucked out and saw the Hammerhead on the site, so I figured that was a good deal. I also have a The North Face Neutron backpack that I use day to day and I like it a lot. I run trails, usually once a week, but most of the time I just use a hand-held water bottle because I can fill up at a few drinking fountains, and most of the time my runs are around 10 miles, so more storage and fluid isn't totally necessary. My running crew and I, however, planned a solid 20 miler, so I figured this was a good time to finally try out the hammerhead. I filled the bladder up about 2/3 of the way to keep the weight down some, and loaded up with some snacks for all of us. All in all, the pack did great. I had an issue with the hydration hose coming loose from the bladder, but only once, and otherwise having my hands free and my water readily available was nice. The pack held every thing with lots of room to spare, which is nice, although for a run I could probably do with something smaller. The pack sat really well on my back and didn't bounce around at all. My back got sweaty, sure, but it wasn't terrible.

I decided to retire my Montrail Hardrocks to everyday/weekend use and upgrade to these for use only on runs. I met up with some friends for a Dec. 31 9 miler on our normal trail route, and couldn't have been happier. The shoe felt great right out of the box (Hardrocks took a little longer to loosen up) and my feet felt excellent afterwards. I wore them on a couple more runs and then did a 25k on Angel Island, again, with nary an issue. They breathe really well, are very stable and supportive, and seem to do well on both flat, hard sections and on more technical terrain.

I'm a fan of Montrail's trail running shoes (have an older pair of Hardrocks and a new pair of Continental Divides), so in preparation for an upcoming trip to Maui (leaving tomorrow!) I figured a new pair of flip-flops would be in order. In general I prefer closed toed shoes (Keen's, for example), but the last time I wore those on the beach I found that sand gets in and doesn't get out. So yeah, these Molokai's should be great for the usual hanging out, and the sole feels comfortable enough and has enough tread on the bottom that any light treks shouldn't be an issue. I've been wearing them for at least an hour or two a day since they arrived and I'd say they are more comfortable than your typical flip-flop.

and, unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be a length issue. my feet just don't fit in them, too much volume, maybe too wide, maybe both. oh well, they look amazingly well built, the flexibility seems awesome, the soles are very impressive, but there is no way i'll be able to run in these. for comparison, my newish pair of New Balance MR790s fit very well, so it must just not be the right shoe for me.