Over hill, over dale, I hit the dusty trail and the Sabino carried me along. After years of primarily being one to pound the pavement, I laced up with a pair on Montrail Sabino shoes and got off road. Now truth be told, given the state of many roads and even sidewalks in much of the country these days, finding “off road” isn’t as hard as it seems. But these performance running shoes are really designed for stability in true trail conditions.
The Sabinos are heavier than many of today’s lightweight running training shoes, but that’s because these need to stand up to harsher terrain. In other words you wouldn’t use a sports car where a SUV needs to go – then again, many SUVs probably couldn’t go where these shoes will take you. Made of synthetic leather and lylon mesh upper materials and thermoplastic midfoot shank, the Sabinos fit like a glove and were just right for the rather humid and warm day when I hit the trail. Whether we’ll be able to say if these were neither too hot nor too cold will have to determined at another time, but it is safe to say that these will do the job in a variety of weather conditions.
Sure Footed
The shoes provided plenty of support on uneven terrain, including a few sprints up and down the hills in reasonably rocky conditions. The Gryptonite outsole offered solid traction on the rocks as well, but it did slip and slide just a bit on some of the really wet rocks. This was nothing that ended my run, but enough that I wanted to make sure I was sure footed on the next set of rocks.
This particular model of shoes is also best for those with a wider foot, so if you have narrow feet you’ll want to consider something else. But if these shoes fit, the trails you should hit, because the Sabinos are the way to go.
Pros:
- Light weight
- Rugged
- Breathable
Cons:
- Loose fitting with narrow feet
Sabino Facts:
- Available Sizes: US 7-13, 14, 15 • UK 6-12, 13, 14 • EUR 40-47, 48, 49
- Weight: 12.8 oz
- Midsole: Dual-density compression molded EVA
- Durometer: Medial Post 68 Asker C / 58 Asker C (+/-3 degrees)
- Ride Height: 19 mm heel, 9 mm forefoot
- Outsole: Gryptonite
- Protection: Forefoot-only Trail Shield
- Toe Counter: Synthetic overlay
- MSRP: $100