Montrail Mountain Masochist Review

I got my Montrail Mountain Masochists right before heading to Outdoor Retailer in August, which meant I scarcely broke them in before running the 5K Wasatch Wobble at the crack of dawn.

Thankfully, they required no break in period. I sometimes have a tough time with my big toe rubbing my second toe in running shoes, but this has yet to happen in my MMs. I think the toe box is roomy enough that my toes spread out comfortably.

I have mostly trailrun in my Mountain Masochists in Dupont and Pisgah, where conditions have varied from hot and steamy to moist and icy. The mesh upper keeps these trailrunners light and breathable. This past winter, I got impatient waiting for the snow to melt and took my MMs running on some icy and snowy runs, and they performed pretty well. My feet stayed drier than I would have thought. But, on the hardest, most packed snow, I slid around like I was on a banana peel. Still, they yield great traction on muddy trails and creek crossings.

I just washed them in the washing machine, but they are already covered in mud again. Still, you can hardly tell that they aren't brand new, so thumbs up to durability so far. My consensus is that Montrail has made an excellent newcomer to their trailrunning collection. I must not be alone, because Outside Magazine named the Mountain Masochist 2009 Gear of the Year.

Check out the new selection of Mountain Masochist for men and women at Looking Glass Outfitters! Also available with Gore Tex in the GTX model for rain and mud lovers.