I have a friend who recently moved from my fair city聴Port Townsend, Washington聴to Kelowna, B.C. I regard Phil as a way-above-average cross-country mountain-biker, but he tells me the guys he has fallen in with are totally whipping is his butt on technical downhills. 聯Man, Canadians are hardcore!” he said in his last report.
Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR Trail-runner
XA Pro 3D XCR Trail-runnersSo, I expect you fall into that same category, except trail-running, not trail-biking. Actually, if you聮re doing a 50-miler, you聮re also nuts, but that聮s just an aside. You don聮t say what you wear now聴something pretty heavy, I take it. So you聮d be fine in any reasonable trail-runner, but probably one with a Gore-Tex bootie, as it could be very wet in the Headlands area in December.
I like Salomon footwear, and if I suffered a severe brain injury and decided to run a 50-miler, I聮d perhaps purchase a pair of XA Pro 3D XCR shoes ($125; salomonsports.com) from that company. They have a mesh upper and Gore-Tex liner for a decent combination of breathability and waterproofness, sturdy toe caps, and EVA insoles with an extra nylon plate for cushioning and stability. If you聮re a neutral runner, these would work great.
Montrail shoes are also popular with endurance runners, and that company聮s Hurricane Ridge ($120; montrail.com) is a rugged but comfortable shoe that has a Gore-Tex liner, polyurethane webbing to cradle and support the foot, and a medial post that helps pronators like me but also aids stability in neutral runners. Nice shoes.
A wild card is the Teva Wraptor Stability eVent ($110; teva.com). These new shoes don聮t have the trail pedigree of Salomon or Montrail, but they do have some very interesting technology. A very pronounced webbing wrap can be adjusted to create a semi-custom fit. Also, they have a liner made of eVent, a non-Gore-Tex waterproof/breathable material that I think is extremely good. A urethane shank aids stability, while EVA provides cushioning. All state-of-the-art. So I聮d suggest you try a pair.
And good luck with the race, but I still think you聮re nuts.
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