“A versatile and durable trail running shoe. I like the Topo fit,wide toe box and more fitted in the waist. Lightweight With excellent grip and protection. Responsive and comfortable but definitely not plush and squishy.The Shoe does fine on all trail surfaces and been no problem on road sections A very robust shoe, I have run over 1000 miles in the first pair I bought and continue to use them. Great all-rounder.”
“This is my second pair. They just suit my feet really well. I love the wide toe box and the grip is great. Looking forward to a new version. Hopefully some better colour options”
“An excellent trail shoe. Wore them for the first time recently with no adverse effects e.g blisters. Great grip on loose surfaces and perfect if you have a wide foot. Very pleased with them.”
“Really like them !
Like my Hoka speedgoat 4’s but always that nagging annoyance of tightness in toe box .
These have the same vibram mega grip , which is mega , and feel snug in heel , initially could feel that little bit of medial support but after a run or two not aware of it at all . And the luxurious toe box . Don’t have to keep redoing laces las easy to get a nice fit . Using mainly my on wet grassy field , muddy fields , farm tracks but also few miles each run on road and feel good on road too though know will wear tread a little quicker . Always get uk 9 for running shoes and seem true to size. .”
“I have struggled for a while to find a trail shoe that is stable (I over-pronate and wear orthotics), wide in the toebox, neat at the heel and generally rugged enough to cope with mountains, trails, beaches and the odd stretch of tarmac. After a bit of searching I came across the Mtn Racer 2 which seemed to offer what I needed.
So far they seem to be living up to my expectations. They are not perfect but I have now run around 60 miles in them (including one 20 miler) and the pro's far out weigh the cons.
Bad stuff first (and this is purely from my perspective) ...
The tongue is very thin and and as such you can feel the laces across the top of your feet. It's not enough to be a huge problem but it's a bit odd for shoes that are priced at the top end of market.
I am finding it difficult to get the shoes laced in a way that keeps the heel nice and snug without having the laces pulled really tight (not good). On longer runs I have found myself adjusting the laces a couple of times.
Whilst the heel has a low external cup I would have preferred to have a more traditional solid internal heel cup. For me it makes for a more secure and supported feeling.
Price - Great shoes but a bit pricey. I will wait and see how long they last though, it may be that the 'cost per mile' works out to be better than other shoes I have owned and they turn out to be worth every penny.
The uppers are very light, the material looks pretty tough but at this stage not sure how well they will stand up to sharp rocks and stones. Open minded though and time will tell. Related to this (but a totally personal thing) I prefer a more substantial toe bumper, something a bit more protective. They have an OK bumper but something a bit more '4x4' would be better.
Not a problem just an observation but I did find I had to go for a half size down from my normal shoe size, but appreciate that may just be because in the past I was buying a slightly larger size to gain a bit of extra width in the toe box.
Right now the good stuff...
The outsoles are great. I have run on the road, grass, trails, mountain tracks, sand, and coastal rocks and they have coped with everything. I have not been able to try them in really muddy conditions yet but they have coped well with the small sections of mud I have had to run through. I am pretty confident they will perform well, so no concerns at all in this area.
The support seems pretty good. Although these aren't 'proper' support shoes they do have a tri-density mid sole, with a bit of posting and a nice broad base with a totally flat outsole. So far they have felt really supportive. Not sure I would run huge distances on the road with them (and I wouldn't but them for that) but the short sections I have done have felt fine.
The fit is pretty good. The wide toebox is a revelation (no more 'burning' toes) it may not suit everyone but if your feet start to feel 'cramped' after a few miles these could be the shoes for you. The low drop design (5mm) hasn't been an issue and I have 'migrated' with out any problems. Overall they really comfortable and I was able to complete a 10 mile run in them straight out of the box. I didn't plan to run that far but they felt so good I just bashed on.
Cushioning is nice, not too bouncey but enough to feel good underfoot without loosing feedback from the trail.
I mentioned earlier these are quite expensive but the build quality is great. My usual preference is for more sedate colours so these are a bit of a departure but I really like the look of them and, unusually, I have had several people comment on how good they look.
So in conclusion, really pleased with these shoes. It's early days but they are performing well.”
