All this discussion about trail runners got me interested enough again to head to REI and try on some pairs. I'll provide more details below but for those of you that don't want to suffer through the specifics let me just say that trail runners are indeed awesome for hiking and I am 100% on board with them. If you're on the fence go get a pair and get out there. You won't be disappointed.
With all the threads and articles I had read I decided I was going to try on the La Sportiva Wildcats ($110) and the La Sportiva Ultra Raptors ($130). The Wildcats were very comfortable and the toe box is fairly wide as previously mentioned. The Ultra Raptors were similarly comfortable but I had to go up 1/2 a size to get the toe comfort. The Ultra Raptors had two features I felt were well worth the extra $20. First, the obviously had a much better cushioning sole than the Wildcats. It was very obvious just trying on the shoes. Also, they had a one inch or so wide rubber strip that went around the perimeter of the sole which seemed would be of great benefit preventing abrasion damage to the mesh uppers of the shoe (which also appeared beefier than the Wildcats, which went all the way to the sole). For the extra $20 it seemed well worth it. The Wildcats seemed like they might wear out and get damaged faster on the rugged trails in the Whites and elsewhere.
So I tried them out Sunday right out of the box with no break in using only a pair of Iniji Ultralight lightly cushioned liner socks and no gaiters. I did a 16 mile loop of the Ethan Pond Trail from Crawford Notch out past Zealand Hut, up the A-Z trail and back on the Willey Range Trail. I saw pretty much every trail condition there is : gravel, wet rock, dry rock, mud, standing water, bog bridges, talus, roots and logs, some scrambles, etc (as an aside what an awesome route to take in the Willey Range. Tremendous variety of terrain, forest growth, water and mountain views, etc. Highly recommend). The shoes did not disappoint at all. I'm probably in the best hiking shape of my life right now and with the trail runners my pace was 15-20% faster than what I've been doing this year. I presume the much lighter weight and increased agility account for that boost, particularly on ascents where it was most notable.
Traction was excellent on pretty much everything except wet bog bridges. They felt a little slippery on these. I assume this is a function of the tread pattern because the rubber was very tacky on regular logs, tree roots, etc. (most of my other boots don't exactly perform well on wet bog bridges either so I really wasn't deterred by this). I even intentionally took some poor foot placements with my trekking poles ready to save me just to see at what point the treads gave way. Even on side sloped, off camber positions they did pretty well. If you really got forward on the tips of the toes in a long stride they would slip (again so would probably most shoes) and on the few occasion where the slipped on wet side sloping rock they did so in a "stuttering" kind of way as opposed to a fast quick slip so you could catch your balance before you went over.
As for my concerns about water, mud and debris they proved to be no big deal. The trails were pretty wet and muddy today so I didn't baby the shoes. I walked where I normally would and let my feet get wet when it was time. They were just as comfortable wet and even with the thin liner sock no hot spots or blisters developed. To many prior poster's comments they do not dry out completely. They do dry to the point that they seem dry but if you take them off and feel your socks and the mesh uppers they are damp. I stopped at Thoreau Falls and took them off to inspect them and my socks and air out a bit. I took them off briefly one other time to remove some pine needles. With such a low cuff and no gaiters I was very surprised at how little debris I got in the shoes. There was probably less than I get in my regular hiking shoes when I'm not wearing gaiters. I did notice when the laces were loose the shoe would "pucker" more when it flexed making more debris in the shoes likely.
As far as ankle fatigue or other soreness that many have wondered about I can't say I really feel any different today than I normally would. During the hike there were a few short stretches where my hamstrings felt a little tight, which is unusual for me but has happened before. I also felt a little more aware of my knee ligaments in places and my knees are a little more sore than usual today. I think that was likely the steep rough decline off Willey after so many miles negotiating slick rocks, roots and bog bridges. I don't think I can attribute any of this soreness to the shoes in particular. My feet feel fine.
So if you've been reluctant like me to take the plunge and give up the security of your big, clunky hiking boots I'd say do it! I'm looking very forward to my next hike in the new lightweight footwear. I was thoroughly impressed.
So I'm definitely a convert and wish I hadn't waited so long to try.
(Looks like they didn't have my size anyway and I'm an instant gratification kind of a guy). Good heads up though. That's a great price.
