VJ Spark
Weight: 7.2 oz (W7/M5.5)
Health - Injuries
Every now and then, we’ll test an exciting shoe over the weekend that we can’t wait until Monday to tell our fellow editors about. On a Saturday evening, Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate sent this message [July 10, 2021, 5:05 PM – Slack from Jeff]:
You know how VJ says “greatest grip on earth”? No joke! I ran with a friend up in the Adirondacks this morning. He’s sponsored by VJ and was wearing a shoe not yet released (Spark). He was stuck to the wet rocks on Giant Mountain like a gecko. We had 5,000 feet of vert over the first seven miles and a 3,000-foot descent over the final three miles, so it was kinda treacherous.
When we got our samples, we experienced it ourselves. Credit that grip to VJ’s butyl rubber outsole. The 5mm lugs aren’t super-long, and they’re not sharp like a set of YakTrax, but they’re tacky and flexible to grip slick terrain. The Spark is designed to be super-lightweight and fast, so while you won’t get cushioning for an ultra, the foam is ample for trail runs and obstacle races. No, VJ’s fairly standard and dense EVA isn’t on par with the latest bouncy nitrogen-injected TPU offerings out there. But you don’t buy the Spark for its cushioning. You buy it for the grip to dodge roots and rocks at speed, or heck, even hop an OCR fire pit and scale a rope wall.
Overall, the Spark has a precision fit. Testers felt locked in, thanks to a sturdy strap over the midfoot that ensures you won’t shift around inside the shoe. The snugness at the collar also helped keep gravel and debris from trickling in and prevented any Cinderella situations on the trail—i.e., losing a shoe in thick mud. Go up a half size if you have a wider foot or want more room for toe splay.—Morgan Petruny
Montrail Trinity AG
Weight: 10.1 oz (M), 8.7 oz (W)
Drop: 8 mm
Many longtime trail runners will remember the burly tanks Montrail built in the 2000s. Ultramarathoners may even recall the defunct Montrail Ultra Cup, a series of ultramarathon races that culminated in a guaranteed ticket (for the top-three-ranked finishers) to the Western States 100. Columbia Sportswear acquired Montrail back in 2006, and the parent brand had been pretty quiet on the running shoe scene until just last year, when it released the Columbia Escape Ascent, a model best suited for tame-to-moderate trails. Does the Trinity AG, now with the Montrail name on its upper, reignite the rugged legacy?
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Unlike the early Montrail models, the Trinity AG isn’t bowl-of-nails-for- breakfast tough. But it rides lighter and nimbler than last year’s Escape Ascent. A completely new construction underfoot makes it better for going fast, too, with a full-length piece of snappy Pebax sandwiched between two layers of EVA-based foam. The slightly softer top layer of foam, combined with less-aggressive 4mm lugs, gave testers just enough cushioning to take the shoe from road to trail comfortably. “The midsole has a nice mix of ground feel and protection; it’s doughy enough to absorb most rocks and bumps while running downhill,” said a tester of both the Escape Ascent and Trinity AG, who much preferred the latter. “I liked the Trinity AG for trail races with loose gravel, some roots and wet leaves, and moderately rough terrain,” another tester added. “Though for snow and heavy mud, I’d definitely look for a shoe with a more aggressive tread underfoot.”—M.P.
*Women’s version will be available April 2022 for $150
The North Face Vectiv Eminus
Weight: 10.4 oz (M), 9.0 oz (W)
Drop: 6 mm
The North Face Vectiv Eminus
The North Face extends its Vectiv line to the pavement with the new Eminus. This everyday trainer is a comfort-first, all-terrain shoe for runners who spend most of their time on the roads but may wander onto dirt from time to time.
Whenever I hear “road-to-trail,” I don’t expect the shoe to perform very well on either surface. The Eminus, however, was a pleasant surprise on both trail and asphalt. There isn’t as much outsole coverage as I usually like to have in a trail shoe, but certainly more than what you’ll find on most road trainers. On a long run over wet ground, the SurfaceCTRL outsole rubber had plenty of grip on roads and through rocky stream crossings, while the 3.5mm lugs bit into everything but the sloppiest mud. On crusty snow-and-ice-covered trails, it inspired confidence to push the pace.
The Eminus feels more like a trail- capable road shoe, rather than a road-compatible trail shoe. The single-density EVA midsole provides plenty of cushioning for comfortable long runs on pavement, where many trail shoes feel overly firm since they’re tuned for softer ground. The signature Vectiv TPU plate is limited to the forefoot to provide stability on toe-off. While testers noted the Eminus feels a bit too sluggish for speedwork, the extra flexibility and comfort make it a great option to lace up for longer runs at an easy pace.—Pat Heine-Holmberg
*Women’s version will be available in Spring 2022
Saucony Peregrine 12
Weight: 9.5 oz (M), 8.0 oz (W)
From Runners World for On
Saucony’s Peregrine line has long been a speedy trail shoe that works well for many types of runners in a wide variety of conditions. It’s just as suited for newbies’ first footprints on a muddy trail as it is for shielding vert-chasers’ toes on rock-strewn singletrack. And it’s earned multiple awards from our team for its versatility—across terrains, foot shapes, and distances—at a price that didn’t break the bank. It still does all of those things well, though it underwent a big change: Saucony shaved off over an ounce compared to last year’s Peregrine.
Most of that weight savings comes from the upper and topsole. A more durable, sleek mesh keeps the same level of protection without the need for more layered overlays. Underfoot, Saucony peeled off the TPU bead-based topsole and instead used it for the sockliner. The midsole itself still uses less-responsive Pwrrun foam, but embedded in it is a new rock plate tuned to be slightly more flexible. On foot, it comes together mostly well. The more pliable rock plate keeps the shoe running smooth yet still protective, despite the thin stack height—the heel and forefoot measurements are down just half a millimeter each.—M.P.
Topo Athletic MT-4
Weight: 10.3 oz (M), 8.6 oz (W)
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If you’re new to trail running or want to try a lower-drop shoe without fully committing to 0mm, the MT-4 is your entry point. Two layers of foam provide all the comfort and protection you’ll need for most off-road excursions. It features a dual-density midsole with a top layer that’s 10 percent softer than the bottom layer. Instead of a rock plate, this denser foam acts as a buffer against hard ground. Still, the overall tester consensus was that the shoe lacked enough cushioning for long runs. As a runner who mostly sticks to the groomed path, I found the MT-4 had nice ground feel with protection from stray rocks and roots over shorter distances.
If you want to take it onto gnarly terrain, the shoe has the technical chops to excel. The Vibram tread is grippy on loose mud and rakes through dry sand, while drainage ports on the medial side pump out water after stream crossings. A tester new to Topo wore the shoes on his usual rocky seven-miler. “The MT-4 was a pleasure to wear after a day of working,” he said. “It did great on the rocky sections, protecting my feet, and the traction was excellent. But on the open singletrack, the shoes were a little clunky.”
Even though it has a 3mm offset, the MT-4 felt like a zero-drop shoe to our wear-testers. One admitted that he was apprehensive about testing zero-drop shoes. “For the road, I’m wearing Hoka’s Rincon 3, which has a 5mm drop,” he said. Whether you’re running on 0mm or 3, it’s best to err on the side of caution by doing short stints of very easy-paced mileage initially. Rule of thumb: Start slow if you go low.—Amanda Furrer
Altra Lone Peak 6
Weight: 9.5 oz (M), 7.7 oz (W)
Demo Run First Impression: On Cloudboom Strike
A few key tweaks mostly dialed in the fit of the Lone Peak 6. Altra removed overlays from the quick-dry air mesh upper to increase flexibility. It also reconfigured the Lone Peak’s closure system with additional midfoot lacing, making the 6 feel slightly more secure than its predecessor, which testers had described as having a “sloppy” fit unless they tinkered with the laces. Still, some had trouble locking in their feet no matter how tautly they laced up. “I couldn’t tie the shoe as tight as I wanted,” said a tester. “It felt like there was too much room around the ankle.”
The midsole is Altra’s Ego compound, which provides moderate cushioning and contains a rock plate. The foam isn’t exceptionally thick, so it left some testers wishing for just a little more comfort. “I generally like to be able to feel the ground when running, but this shoe just didn’t feel great,” said one tester who previously loved the Merrell Trail Glove 6. “After a long run on jagged, rocky terrain, my feet felt pretty beat up.” Testers who ran on softer, groomed ground reported a more balanced ride. The outsole, however, is built to tackle technical terrain. The MaxTrac rubber is tacky on wet rocks, while chevron-shaped lugs claw loose dirt.—A.F.
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Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
