Montrail Fluid Feel–initial review

The FluidFeel is one of Montrails newer entries into the hybrid/light weight trainer market. Not meant for only road or only technical trails, it falls somewhere in between.

I chose to try the Montrail FluidFeel right out of the box with no break-in.  Some of the shoes I run in feel better after a short break in, but I had no issues during the first six mile run right out of the box.  I’ve been running in it for a few weeks and so far it’s held up great.

Fit

I have a narrow foot with a high arch.  The Fluidfeel fit true to size and held my foot well, unlike other shoes I run in from Saucony or Hoka that have a loose midfoot.  The midfoot in the Fluidfeel was very snug which worried me at first, but has worked out just fine.  Tempo running in the Fluidfeel was great.  The shoe held me well and the forefoot was flexible enough not to impede toe off.

Performance

The Fluidfeel cushioning felt firm and responsive while running on pavement.  I like a firm shoe, and the firm cushioning and smooth tread pattern was a great combination for pavement running.

As a hybrid, smooth trail running was as good as pavement running.  I was unable to run the Fluidfeel on more technical trails, but due to the smooth tread pattern I can only see the shoe having issues on the trails when it’s wet out.  I normally run in road shoes on my local trails (including Western States 100 and other Sierra trails) and I’m confident the FluidFeel would hold up on anywhere.

Weight and Cost

Size 11 comes in at just over 10oz. MSRP is $110.

Comparison

The only other Montrail shoe I have run in is the Bajada.  I see the FluidFeel as more cushioned and less flexible than the Bajada.

Use

I would use this as an everyday trainer or fast trail running shoe and would race the Fluidfeel in any distance up to 50 miles.  This would be the perfect single shoe to train and race a mixed-surface ultra in (like the American River 50), as its road qualities and trail qualities wouldn’t require a shoe change.

Full disclosure: This shoe was provided to URP by Montrail for review. 

Reviewed by guest-reviewer Anthony Brantley.