Montrail Women's Hurricane Ridge XCR

I wore the Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCRs on the Appalachian Trail, GA-VA, for two backpacking trips. One was just under 300 miles, the second was just under 200 miles. Both hikes were April and May. My pack weight was 35#-45#. I started out on the AT with a pair of Vasque boots. I felt every single rock in those boots! So, my husband sent me the Montrails. They were a godsend!

When I went out onto the trail the second time I was fighting a bad case of plantar fasciitis. These shoes gave me enough support, biomechanically, that after the trip I no longer had plantar fasciitis. That's more than I can say for my "everyday life" shoes.

The shoes kept my feet comfortable, warm, and dry. I misstepped into a mid-shin deep creek, and submersed my shoes, but the socks and my feet remained dry. My feet tend to get hot, but while putting in those miles they didn't in the Hurricane Ridge XCRs.

The only issue I had was that one of the plastic shoe lace loops, p at the ankle, broke off while on the AT. Other than that the shoes were excellent!

I like the Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCRs enough that I am contemplating using several pairs for everyday shoes. Thanks to Montrail for these excellent shoes!

This shoe was comfortable out of the box and worn on an Appalachian Trail section hike of 80 miles the first week I owned them. I liked the sturdy sole which is stiffer than other trail runners. I was carrying 7 days of food and my start weight for the pack was 38#. This shoe was perfect for the load and the varying terrain.

They did NOT keep my feet dry on this hike with Hurricane Ivan's torrential rains. I am not sure that any shoe could have kept my feet dry that day for 12 miles. They did dry very fast. The black pair bled red onto my socks (from around the top collar) but that collar also keeps rocks and other debris out of the shoes.

I would highly recommend these shoes for long distance hikers who are looking to shed some boot weight. I was not sure that I could hike a distance in these but the guy at the store convinced me that trail runners were what other thru hikers were doing.

I have been running trails with Montrail's Hurricane Ridge for over two years. I have tried other shoes (other Montrails, Nike trail runners) but keep coming back to my Hurricane Ridge shoes. The previous reviewer was correct, that beyond a certain point, your feet will get wet. However, I am always impressed at the streams and puddles I can skim over and stay relatively dry.

They are incredibly stable and, like the previous reviewer, I'm taking them on an extended through trip. For the protection they give, they are relatively light. The only drawback I've experienced is they can get hot on long runs on warm, dry days (when you don't really need a shpoe like this, but it just goes to show you how much I prefer these over anything else!). If you are a serious overpronator, look at the Montrail Hardrock.

I'm currently on my 3rd pair and I love them. I wear the soles down! They're comfortable, waterproof and attention-grabbing. I've tried the Montrail Continental Divide and Vitesse, but came back to Hurricane Ridge because of better comfort and traction. Some people recommend ordering half a size larger, but I find that my normal size is just right. The only drawback I would say about this shoe is its lack of breathability due to Gore-tex.