Lafuma Men's Sky Race OT

I have only had these for a short while, but have been using them for trail runs in the late autumn/early winter 2009. Conditions have been trails with leaves, dirt/mud; sometimes with rain and even a bit of slushy snow.

So far I'm very happy with them. I've been happy with the comfort, the cushioning/stability combination, and the traction. The waterproofing is effective within reason. I often end up with damp feet while running on wet days, but I suspect it is often because the wet is coming in from above (it's a low-cut shoe). The body of the shoes seem to be doing a reasonably good job of preventing water from getting in.

I do have a few nitpicks that keep me from giving them 5 stars: the lacing system with the dual toggles is a gimmicky fix to a problem I didn't have. It doesn't work that well and it isn't that easy to use.

Sizing: I had read that they ran small, so I ordered up a half size (men's 9 US, marked as UK 8.5, EUR 42 2/3). When they arrived they were way too big. So I exchanged them for my normal size (men's US 8.5), and even these are a tiny bit too big for me. But they're ok. I'm keeping them and just wearing a slightly thicker sock and cranking the lacing.

To sum up, I'd definitely recommend them to a friend.