[pct-l] Footwear...again

[Carolyn Barbee]

Hey Leslie!

I work at a shop that sells Montrail and Salomon. I personally like Salomon
better (though I will say the quick laces are a pain in the butt, I have
the XA PROs). I like Salomon for their support. They actually provide
decent support for all three arches of the foot. Mine felt slightly more
cushion-ey to me, but still pretty rugged. I don't think I like the quick
lacing system much, and the downside is that it can't be removed and
swapped for traditional laces. Bummer. But all in all it's one of the best
hiking/trail shoes I've ever worn, right up there with Asolo boots.

That said, the Montrail mountain masochist is a killer shoe and provides
excellent support as well. I felt that it was equally stable to a standard
Salomon, and had a really good guiding mechanism with the rock platform
under the midfoot. I also felt it had a boxier-shaped toe, as opposed to
the more pointed toe of the Salomon which is great for those with really
long big toes, like me. If you wear Keen shoes and like the fit of those,
you might like a Montrail better. Montrail might also be better if you like
the build of a trail runner rather than a hiker. The masochist is a bit
more lightweight and feels more like a sneaker, whereas my XA PROs feel
more like a hiking shoe without sacrificing ventilation. We have several
customers who thru hiked the AT in the mountain masochist and swear by them.

My advice is to go and try both shoes on, wherever you can find them. Wear
them around the store, not just for a few minutes. Any decent shoe salesman
will not rush you into making a decision for something like this. Go up and
down stairs if you can, really move around in them and see what feels best
to you. Make sure you try it on in a couple of half-sizes up too, because
your feet will need the extra room. If you pick one you like, take it home
and wear it around the house for a few days before taking it to the trail
(that way you can return it if it starts to bug you). I bartend on the
weekends for 14 hour shifts, running around and standing on hard surfaces,
and I wore my XA PROs through a full shift with no pain. Found my shoe!

Hope this helps!