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.
6 comments:
This could have been my favorite shoe...however my foot moved considerably inside the shoe, so I had to tie them super tight which felt amazing during my runs, but my Achilles would hurt for a couple days after. I stopped running in them and iced the area, after a couple days the pain went away. Against better judgement I decided to wear them at the Bosho Marathon and loved every step...until the next morning and the past two weeks after, they may have done something serious to my Achilles.
It is very rigid around the heel and ankle area especially compared to other Montrail models. Just my two cents..
I like these quite a bit but have also noticed a bit of toe bang. 200+ miles and still holding up great (fingers crossed after seeing those rip). Great review Christian!
I am enjoying the Bajada myself and have about 300+ on my first pair. I've had none of the upper issues, my look as good as new, albeit a little dirty. The midsole has held-up well, doesn't feel flat or stiff. My only issue has been as the shoe packs out, internal cushioning compresses, the fit went off. I have to really crank on the laces to lock my foot down and do feel some of the toe rattling others have experienced. While I have ran a few 50's in them on modest terrain with success, I passed on them for Miwok as I was unsure of how they would perform on the down hills in the forefoot. Overall this is a very good shoe that delivers a light but protective ride.
montrail designs shoes to fail, by design, so you buy more. pretty poor. Oh yah, that's right, Columbia owns Montrail.....
I tried a pair of these on at a local running store. Love how light weight they are, and they felt great in the fore and midfoot. THe problem is that my heel slips a bit with one of my feet. (I've got narrow heels). In fact, I have this issue with a lot of trail shoes. Why do many trail shoes not provide the extra eyelit for alternate lacing? Any suggestions on solving the heel slippage, and/or finding a lightweight trail shoe that fits a narrow heel?
excellent write up! i got a pair via runfar USA as they didnt sell in the UK at that time, well all i can say is great platform, but the uppers have just disintegrated on them, and stitching on insides have given way to a whole section just coming away from the shoe, never seen a pair of shoes go to the dogs so quickly, shame, as i liked the ride they give.
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