I have been waiting for these shoes for almost a year now. I wanted 
to get them last summer, but because of my small feet Montaril didn’t have my size when I tried to order them last May. This year I ordered them in the fall to make sure that I got a pair. I didn’t get the white pair in the picture (who wears white shoes on the trail?).
I decided on these shoes because the seemed to fit exactly what I was looking for. For trail shoes I like a light low profile shoe that allows me to feel the trail. I usually run in a stability shoe on the road, but feel that on the trail where your feet are never truly flat the stability doesn’t have a place, and can cause me to roll my ankle if I step on a rock or root with my instep. I also like a shoe that hugs my foot and feels snug. I hate the feeling of swimming in my shoe or it feeling large and clunky. The Highlander has a very low profile which is almost like a racing flat. There is not a lot of cushioning, but trails are nice and soft and to much cushioning takes away the feeling of the trail. It is also a lower volume shoe that hugs your foot nicely. The mush upper breathes and drains very well, without allowing trail grit to enter. The webbing along the side adds stability to the light mesh and hugs you midfoot. The last (shape of the footbed that the shoe is buitl around) is designed using Montrails Integrafit. Montrail took digital measurements of 800,000 pairs of men’s and women’s feet and used the data to understand the foot’s true three-dimensional shape. Then they considered how feet move to create footwear shapes that fit to 80% of the population. My favourite part of this shoe though is the outsole with it’s bike tire like lugs. These lugs orivede the best grip of any trail shoe I have used. The Gryptonite rubber provides traction on hard and slippery surfaces (Rocks and roots), but is also quite durable. I haven’t noticed much wear after running in these shoes throughout the spring and summer. The only compaint I have is that when running on soft surfaces sand and dirt gets kicked up onto the back of my legs. Fortunately the fit, wieght and comfort far outweigh this small problem. So grab a pair and head out on the trails. Now that I am done with this review I am heading out to Durham Forest for a brick workout, see you there.
