Gear · 2013
Montrail FluidFlex review: 6.1 ounces, $90, and surprisingly little compromise
The trade-off every light trail shoe makes, and a rare case of it going the right way.
Specifications as reviewed
- Women’s Montrail FluidFlex
- 4mm heel-to-toe offset
- 6.1oz / 172g
- Size 8, fitting true to size
- MSRP $90
- Colourway: Coral / Sea Salt
What it was trying to do
The FluidFlex was Montrail’s attempt to have it both ways: enough support, traction and cushioning for real trail miles, at a weight that would normally imply a racing flat. Two features carried that ambition. The lacing was non-traditional, designed to pull the upper snug across the midfoot without pressure points. The outsole used Montrail’s Gryptonite compound in a micro-lug pattern — similar to their other trail soles, but with more flex built in.
Fit
The review rated the fit highly: snug through the upper, adjustable enough to form around the foot, with no heel slip and no movement in the toe box. The preference stated is a shoe that fits like a glove with room at the toe, and the FluidFlex delivered it.
One complaint, and it is specific: the collar where the shoe meets the Achilles was the only part of the shoe the reviewer noticed while running. More padding there would have fixed it. Otherwise the upper was praised for the absence of material that does not do anything — a recurring failing in trail shoes of that period, which tended to add overlays for the look of ruggedness.
On the ground
The versatility was the surprise. The traction worked on bike path as well as trail, and — unusually — the shoe did not feel clunky on pavement, which most trail shoes of the era did. On rocky trail, the underfoot protection was adequate: the reviewer could run without feeling every sharp edge, which at 6.1 ounces is not a given.
The price
At $90 the FluidFlex undercut most of the comparable trail shoes on the market by a wide margin, and the review made a point of it.
Bottom line
A shoe the reviewer wanted in permanent rotation, rated for trail use up to 50 miles, and adaptable enough between surfaces to make her wish she had an American River 50 entry that spring.
The shoes were supplied at no cost. No payment was made and no positive coverage was agreed in advance.