Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1131148
June 2019 • Outdoor Insight • 37 outdoorinsightmag.com inov-8 Trailroc 280. Featuring a graphene-enhanced rubber outsole, this $150 trail runner delivers tough grip over hard and rocky terrain. Hoka One One Hopara. Made for wet or dry terrain, the $120 Porter has a synthetic upper with drainage cutouts, a rubberized toe cap and sticky rubber outsole. Brooks Cascadia 14. The brand's popular trail shoe, $130, gets an update, improving durability, cutting weight and adding TrailTack traction for better grip. Topo Athletic Runventure 3. Built for the trail, this $110 style has an aggressive Vibram XS Trek outsole, single density EVA midsole and an ESS forefoot rock plate. Salomon Supercross. This $110 trail runner has Chevron lugs with a Contagrip outsole for grip and stability in any terrain. Garmont Bolt. This ultra light hiker, $140, has an athletic profile, a roomy toe box and a Michelin lugged outsole. "There's a lot of experimentation happening with TPU or TPU/EVA blends in midsole foams to make them more light, resilient, cushy and responsive. Outsole rubber options have expanded significantly: blown rubber, different composition rubbers, or more focus on wet slip resistance. Upper meshes are now engineered to offer more options for optimizing breathability where you want it and security where you need it. It has reduced the need for overlays, and thus weight, and makes the shoe feel like a more natural extension of the body, especially when paired with new printing techniques." These new offerings are enabling brands to build shoes that dial in just the right traits for consumers' performance needs. Topo Athletic Trailventure. A super lightweight trail boot, the $130 Trailventure delivers traction, durability, protection and a secure midfoot fit. Craft Spartan RD Pro. Developed by Craft Sportswear and OCR leader Spartan, the $140 shoe is designed to address Drainage, Grip, Speed and Endurance.