When I started running trails back in 2005 I bought a pair of Montrail
Vitesse and thought they were the best shoes ever made. Hindsight being
20/20 I realize just how clunky the Vitesse (meaning "speed" in
french) actually were. Since then I've tried numerous models of
Montrails from the Hardrock tankers to the lightweight Rogue Racers and
despite it's lack of durability one of my old favorites was the Masai.
Probably because it was the lightest shoe I had tried on the trail at
the time and it didn't seem to bind my foot to a certain shape. I
mention this because the newly released Bajada reminds me an awful lot
of the old Masai in more ways than one
The pre-release hype around the Bajada was mostly
geared around the idea that it was a more protective version of the
Rogue Racer and that had me pretty excited since I really enjoy the
Rogue's but just can't tolerate them on rough, long trail runs. For
rougher terrain I used the Masochist but never really fell in love with
the shoe. There are aspects of it that I like such as the protection
underfoot, the cushion and stable platform but the upper just doesn't
agree with my foot all the time. The extinct Masai and newer Rogue's
lack the protection and cushion but have great uppers that are much
more comfortable.
The Bajada is the best of both shoes with a comfortable upper (that has absolutely no durabiilty, see Upper section),
plenty of cushion with protection and an improved outsole that actually
maintains grip. With the added features the weight is increased a bit
over it's little brother, the Rogue Racer's by ~3 oz, coming in at 10
oz. each for size 8's. As for sizing, the Bajada's run a bit large so I
would suggest going down by a 1/2 size from most other models. For
instance I wear an 8.5 in the Rogue's and Masochist's, but a size 8 was
perfect for the Bajada's. They are priced just above the $100 mark which
is right on par with other shoes of this caliber.
The Outsole: Montrail uses rubber compound
they call Gryptonite that I have found to be less than "grippy" in wet
or muddy conditions. Personally I think the grip has more to do with the
lug pattern than the rubber compound, but what I do I know, I'm just a
runner. The Bajada's use a similar pattern to the Rogue Racers, a
3-pointed lug, but with twice the depth which is actually quite
effective. They're still not ideal in slippery conditions but seem to
work better than the Masochist. The small "blocks" are reinforced on the
right side of the heel where many of my shoes have shown significant
wear in the past. After 250 miles the outsole is still holding up
strong.
The Midsole: The midsole feels a lot like the
Masochist. Plenty of cushion and protection with about a 9mm heel to
toe drop. The energy return is noticeable, especially after wearing more
minimal shoes. The midsole still feels new after 250 miles and shows no
signs of collapse or unusual wear.
The Upper: Reinforced plastic provides
support in the mesh upper with a lightweight but protective toe counter.
A padded tongue keeps the top of the foot happy, but the narrow toe box
had my toes smashed on the first steep descent. Part of it was because
the laces had come a little bit loose but no matter, the next steep
descent I experienced toe bang once again. I should point out I had
plenty of room in front of my toes, in fact slightly more than 1/2 inch.
Despite the toe bang I was really enjoying the shoe until I started to
feel more and more debris rattling around inside. As I stopped to clean
out the shoe one day I noticed a tear developing on the inside, near the
arch where the plastic support joins the mesh upper. Both shoes had
torn completely open after 150 miles. The toe also showed some similar
wear issues, although it did not tear completely through.
Unfortunately this is where I draw the other comparison with the
Masai; lack of durability. There is clearly a problem with the interface
between the plastic and mesh. After tearing the plastic completely
loose I find it hard to believe that the plastic is actually doing
anything in the first place since it anchored little more than 2mm of
contact. I ended up taping the shoe and continuing for another 100 miles
just to see if I could wear out anything else on the shoe but the upper
proved to be the weak point. Although I did manage to develop two huge
heel blisters from the excessive foot movement now that the shoe was
blown wide open.
Overall I really like the shoe, but I can't possibly
purchase another pair knowing they will only last 150 miles before they
blow out the upper. Fix the upper and I would run in this shoe again
without a second thought.
You might also like Christian's review of the Montrail Rogue Racer from March 2011.
