GoLite Storm Dragon Trail Running Shoe

ASs posted on backpackinglight.com "My first impression was not good. Received them on Friday pm and put them on Saturday morning straight from their box for a 30 km walk at Wilsons Promotory.........formed tracks, broadwalks, rocky steps, some muddy track, some beach walking and a creek crossing. Before I left the car park when putting the shoes on I managed to pull the lace on one shoe thru an eyelet and then when fitting the gaiters, one of the side slides pulled away...........it was glued but not sewn into place as the other slides were. A disappointing start to the day. With regard to fit I found these to be the most comfortable shoes I have backpacked in. The toe box is wide and suits my foot, there could slightly more arch in the sole. The sole lugs definitely cushion the foot form ground impact. I had one creek crossing with total immersion of both feet and found the shoes very efficiently expelled what water did ingress. Combined with Injinji socks after 30 kms and 7 hours no blisters or hot spots on my feet. On the foot on which the gaiter was intact there was no ingress of mud, sand or debris......my white Injinji sock on that foot was still white. The following weekend and a 20km 4.5 hours beach (sand, rock and creek crossings) sees me still happy with foot comfort apart from wishing for slightly more arch support. Whilst I didn't slip on the wet rocks, I had an apprehension that these shoes could slip. Externally there is now evidence of wear on the undersole lugs and the upper sole where the toes flex looks like there is some fabric wear after only 50kms of use. I have noted in the BPL Forums comments re GoLoites new range of shoes and that the 2007 or 2008 models have been improved and will monitor BPL awaiting updates from other users as for me this shoe is SO COMFORTABLE but I want a shoes that will last a couple of hundred kilometers. I would be prepared to pay more for better quality.perhaps Golite should make them in the USA rather than China. As I live in Australia and purchased the shoes over the internet, haven't bothered with the effort to return them to Golite....no doubt they monitor this website and will see my comments that they need to improve the quality of their product as I think the sizing and theory is great, but sorry only a 2..just"

Steep and Cheap and backcountryoutlet.com listed these as "[Pair, size 8] 13.5oz (383g)" which is false. I ordered size 11 Storm Dragons and they are 16 ounces EACH. 32 ounces per pair. Those size 8s they quote must be 13.5 oz EACH not per pair. My current low-cuts range from 18 to 20 ounces each, so shoes less than half that weight was very appealling (I do 10-20 hour, 25-50 mile day hikes) and I ordered three pairs. I thought it would be a huge weight savings like going from a traditional 5-6 pound pack to a modern, ultralight 1-1.5 pound pack. They are a bit lighter than the competition but only by a few ounces, not by the full pound that was advertized.

Difficult to rate properly here; the shoes are really comfortable, and work really well in all conditions - road, trail, hardpack, soft and really muddy terrain. loads of grip, and the gaiter system keeps the major crud out of your feet. OK so they're not waterproof, but the absence of any mesh is a big help in keeping bits of trail out of your toes. A 5 star rating for function. But.....there is a fundamental design flaw in the shoe. The plastic plate that protects your foot from rocks, thorns and hard stuff just isn't flexible enough. It does the job of protecting the foot well, but after a few miles I noticed a small crack developing in the plate where it sits on the edge of the shoe on the inside of the ball of the foot - where the most flexing takes place. This has steadily got worse over the miles, and has made a weakspot right across the sole where the lugs of the grip poke through. All of the lugs across this section have now almost completely detached from the shoe. Exactly the same on both shoes, so I think this is a design flaw, not a manufacturing fault. To be fair, this hasn't affected how well the shoe performed, but I'd give it a 1-2 star for form. I've done a lot of training + a 50 mile race in tough UK winter conditions in these shoes, despite the problem above, and I still like them! But they are expensive given that in the current design they have a limited lifespan. I will be asking for my money back I'm afraid!