Montrail Highline

As a satisfied user of Montrail trail running shoes I was disappointed with the Highline. I had the same experience as a previous reviewer with the cracking and splitting across the toe and forefoot of the shoe.

My past experience with Montrail has been shoes with a snug heel fit that prevents slipping but a roomy toebox. The Highline had a very snug forefoot and toebox that is unusual especially since I have a borderline narrow foot. This may have contributed to the cracking and splitting but I've never had this problem with the other Montrail shoes, Vitesse and Hurricane Ridge.

Bought these (March '04) for running on business trips. They are marketed as trail runners. I like trails.The plastic cladding just aft of my left pinky toe cracked in two in the first month. That was from mostly walking, on pavement.

My orthotic slides around beneath the stock innersole, making noise. The midsole is somewhat stiff, yet the cushioning of the sole/footbed is very soft. Standing on one foot in these shoes becomes agony as my orthotic digs up into my foot, with the forefoot material nowhere to be found.

I must underscore also that these are not my full-time shoes. They are worn to the gym for an hour or so, four times a week at the very most. I am too intimidated to attempt anything more aggressive.

There's now a finger tip-sized hole in that spot I mentioned in paragraph #1.Both soles are delaminating at the heels. I have never owned shoes that exhibited so much wear for so little use so quickly.

The good part is the three eyelet plastic mesh compressing my instep, but leaving toes free to wiggle. It's almost a flash of brilliance.

Overall this shoe and its maker remind me of one of those German car companies, testing their "innovations" on the customer. I feel dumb having spent $100 on these. At least I didn't find out the hard way, in the field.