The Montrail name has a strong heritage in trail running and adventure racing and was my first choice as a running shoe in the 2000’s. Columbia has brought the brand to a wider audience and I was interested to see how much original DNA was in the Trinity.
The upper on the Montrail Trinity FKT is a breathable mesh overlayed by a protective plastic matrix. This works very well as it resists abrasion right around the front half of the shoe but doesn’t inhibit breathability or stop water egress through the mesh if you are bog hopping or river crossing and fill the shoes with water. The tongue and ankle are the same mesh fabric but here are also lightly padded internally, which is very welcome on the tongue, with large plastic logos placed at the abrasion points below the ankle.
Peter Macfarlane Recommends
In the wet it hasn’t been so good, especially on hard surfaces which makes the Trinity a good dry or changeable weather choice.- Asymetrical lacing
- comfort
- Grip in dry conditions
- Grip not great in wet
- Hard surfaces
| Quick specs | |
|---|---|
| Price: £125 Weight: 676g pair, UK9 Materials & features: stack height: 30mm, seamless mesh upper, asymmetric lacing, Techlite+ foam midsole, OrthoLite Eco insole, Adapt Trax outsole, Flexible ESS rock plate Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm Lug depth: 5mm Sizes: UK 6 to 12 inc half sizes from 6.5 to 10.5 woman’s version: Yes URL: www.columbiasportswear.co.uk |
The lacing is asymmetric which means the lacing follows the contour of your foot towards your outer toes as it goes down from the cuff. It looks a little strange at first but it’s a feature I’ve always liked and if a shoe or boot already has a good fit on your feet, this style of lacing can enhance fit and security as well as minimizing the pressure or tight lacing on your foot. On the Trinity it works very well and the security of the lacing helped counter what feels like a slightly low heel cup for my foot.
The heel is well shaped otherwise with a strong reinforcement. Cushioning is good with the thick sole absorbing feedback from rough ground. It has good flex along the whole sole even with an integral rock plate which additional flex at the forefoot. For walking the Trinity is a very accessible choice with a natural feel, good comfort and durability. For running I found it to be a very lively shoe and one I grew to feel confident in.
The outsole on the Montrail Trinity FKT has decent overall grip, with a spur at the heel for a little extra grip in descending. In the wet it hasn’t been so good, especially on hard surfaces which makes the Trinity a good dry or changeable weather choice.
Reviewed and tested by Peter MacFarlane
Peter is long time user of trail running shoes in the outdoors for activities ranging from long distance paths to walking the Munros. He has also been a sporadic trail runner over the years and used these test models to retune his running feet around his local trails in the Kilpatrick Hills.
Peter has a narrow heel and wide forefoot and the weights are taken from his own digital scales.
