Montrail Susitna II XCR

This is a great shoe for trail running in the rain and mud, especially in the cooler weather of fall and winter. The Gore-Tex works very well keeping your toes warm and dry.

I have a pair of Mt.Mist Montrails (I love the Hardrock for dry weather), but the Mt.Mist's are too clunky - the Gore-tex adds a lot of weight. The Susitna IIs are much lighter and feel like a running shoe (as they should).

Some people in other reviews I've read complain that the nubs on the anterior sole come off with use but I've not had that problem. Admittedly, these are my foul-weather-only shoes and I only use them on trails; I'm not sure how well the sole would hold up with lots of dry or road running.

My only complaint is that they fit so well/tightly that they will not take a Superfeet Green well as the Superfeet elevate the heel too much and take it out of the pocket so there is too much slip. They also don't have quite the protection plate of the Hardrock, but I guess there is a weight trade-off: Gore-tex for less underfoot protection.

Very nice shoes. I wanted to love these but I bought a half size too big. The fit around my ankle and midfoot was perfect, but the toe was too long. The lacing system is awesome, the green "wheels" allow you to tighten the shoe from top to bottom. I'm not sure it's a better system than good old fat laces, but it seemed to work when tied right. I loved the front of the shoe, very sleek and it seemed water tight.

I took these on a run though and they were also very stiff, felt like running in a hiking boot. That could because of the larger size, but I just couldn't bring myself to keep them. That being said...I love backcountry.com, their return policy is excellent and their staff is wonderful. I just don't think I'd buy shoes mail-order again.