Trail-runner "Kick Off"

I Logged 112.32 mi over the course of November and December using both the Ambit3 and Vivoactive running watches to record mileage, with a mean and median mileage per shoe of 18.72mi and 18.14mi, respectively . Outlined below are the best shoes for building your calves, tackling lowlands terrain, running "naked," achieving a blend of flexibility and stability, carving canyons, and "walking the moon." 

  • Calf and ankle builder for ultra light runners with a neutral step: The North Face Ultra Trail II, $110, www.thenorthface.com

Features: The UT 2 uses minimal padding to reduce weight and permeable FlashDry fabric to wick sweat away from feet. The shoe also features a Vibram "sticky paw" rubber sole which adeptly clings to uneven and jagged surfaces, such as craiggy stones interspersed through a trail. It was designed after cross country racers in mind, but lacks spikes.  

Evaluation: Minimal cushioning will force you to build your calves since there's no foam to propel you forward and the lack of a stiff upper to support your ankles will naturally strengthen them. I found these to be great in situations where the ground is cushioned naturally such as on pine-needles when running in the woods or on sandy beaches. Of the group, the Trail II contains the least amount of padding of any in this lineup, and the addition of the Amfit Precise insoles added negligible cushioning. However, the benefit of this is that the UT 2 embodies running in its purest form-athleticism without technological assistance. 

Features: The KEEN.DRY, which is Keen's version of Gore-Tex, coating seals feet from water and mud, and  come with a reinforced foot-bed.

Evaluation:  These are constructed for beach running and other shallow terrain activities and can be modified to effectively scale hills and mountains and higher terrain challenges when coupled with third-party insoles. They are surefooted on trails, and with their reinforced toe-cap they successfully protect your feet. Since I estimate their cushioning to be twice as thick as the average shoe, I believe these will provide sustained cushioning over the course of their lifecycle. In addition, I was able to build my ankles and calves quickly when jogging in sand with the WP. Although they are wide, they conformed better to my feet when Amfit Precise insoles were installed, which lent them greater ankle stability than originally present. This demonstrates that that they can rise to the occasion of running steep terrain when coupled with third-party insoles.

Features: Bonded upper supported by Kevlar frame protects feet and prevents blisters, while its polyurethane insole provides a lot of cushioning out of the box. Also, its direct-injection foam cushioning lasts a long time, and sports a Gore-Tex membrane for keeping your feet dry

Evaluation: Achieved the most natural fit of the line-up due to it's ability to wrap around my foot seamlessly. As such, it fit my foot like a glove. They are like running barefoot, albeit with a lot of cushioning, and hug the ground like a Mustang. These shaved a minute off my average time in worse wet conditions than those in which I ran with the other shoes.

Features: Endofit sleeve wraps around the foot to give more control over foot placement on trails. This 3D modeled shoe maintains stability on rugged trails as well as a better, more natural range of motion in line with a runner's step. It also possesses a Gore-Tex membrane to stay dry.   

Evaluation: I found the XA to be a hybrid that incorporates the most desirable qualities of others in the lineup. For instance, the XA Pro included adequate cushioning which was more moderate than the Vasque, the Kevlar lacing system and ankle support of the La Sportiva Sythesis GTX, and the most accurate fit after the Ecco Biom.

Features: Nano-Cell upper hugs and protects foot, Gore-Tex breathes in 360 degree arc.

Evaluation: They excel at carving when tackling higher elevation scenarios like hills and mountains, and while I enjoyed running on the beach in 'em, they may be overkill for casual, flatter runs. They maintained an excellent tread with good stability on rocky and mossy surfaces, and even performed well on ice. The ankle support was best of the line-up, and even better when paired with the Amfit Precise insole. Strangely, these exhibited their thickest padding in the toes, while their arch and heel have average padding.

Features: Mesh-upper for maximum breathability, bonded upper to eliminate stitching that chafes feet, TPU foam that flexes, and dual density EVA foam to absorb shock

Evaluation: These were the best cushioned and most springy of the lineup, and the bonded upper means no blisters. I felt no soreness in my feet after a nine mile run lasting two hours!

Features: While most off-the-shelf insoles (yep, even Superfeet) offer a wide variety of top cover sizes that are then applied to 8-10 base shells, Amfit Precise Insoles offer 24 different sizes of supportive shell to offer an ideal fit for any length, width and arch height. 

Evaluation: Helped wider shoes in the lineup, including Salomon, Vasque, La Sportiva and Keen, to better fit my narrow feet and provided better cushioning on the thinly soled Ecco and North Face.

  • Best GPS watch (for battery life): Suunto Ambit3 Run with HR, $350, suunto.com

Features: Strong battery life of 10, 15 hours, or 100 hours at various fix rates, and 14 days in time mode. It's a durable product though its lifespan is dependent on how you use it and care for it. It should last you a long time. The Finnish are proud of the longevity of their products, and the Ambit3 arrives with a two-year factory warranty. In addition, the watch shares workout data with an Android and IOS app over Bluetooth and comes with a heart-rate strap that wraps around your chest to monitor the intensity of your workout.

Set-up: Move forward in the menu with the middle "Next" button on the right and back with the "Back Lap" button in the upper left. Select workout, run, then engage and calibrate the GPS, which will take from one to five minutes depending on your location. If you are inside, it may not calibrate at all. Once GPS is engaged, begin your workout with the upper right "Start/Stop" button and end your work-out with the same.

Evaluation: The lack of touch screen makes the watch more resilient when running in settings such as forests where the face could be scratched. Consequently, its long battery life afforded me one week between charges when I was diligent to turn the GPS off after each work out. If you forget to turn the GPS off, the battery can be completely run down in one day. Also, while the GPS took a longer time to synchronize with satellites than the Vivoactive, my perception is that the Ambit3 measures more distance more accurately, though differences in readings were negligible.

Features: There's support for tracking distances logged for three activities: running, cycling, and swimming.  The display for running that I used primarily includes Distance, Timer, Pace, Lap Time, Lap Pace. Users navigate menus via a touch-screen which isn't offered by the Ambit3.

Set-up: The menu asks for your gender and then your birth year, which is broken into two parts. I was born in 1989 which becomes 19-89 on the Garmin. Scrolling to 89 was a bit tedious. It then asks height and weight, and whether you want to place the device on your left or right wrist. Select activity, then run.  After your run is finished, simply tap Stop Navigation to turn off the GPS in order to conserve the battery, which doesn't have the longevity of the Ambit3. If you would like to track distances for swimming or cycling, select those activities in the menu first, and then begin your workout.

Evaluation: This is my go-to fitness tracker because I run and bike, and appreciate the modern convenience of its touchscreen. Like an arranged marriage, the initial set-up was dull and prescriptive. However, my relationship with the watch deepened with the acknowledgment that I had purchased the review sample, and would be using it on my runs for years to come. The external aesthetic is modern and clean with its thin rectangular face and matte black coloring, and the internal software is intuitive to navigate.

Features: For runners in all-climates. Includes UPF 50+ sun protection and is useful for warm weather as it keeps an athlete cooler than the air around him, as well as for cold weather where it helps the athlete to capture his body-heat, keeping him comfortable in all conditions.

Evaluation: Since merino wool is anti-stink, I found you can log over a marathon's distance of 26mi in between four to six workouts before developing a need to wash it! In addition, it is much more breathable and traps less moisture than cotton or polyester-based fitness shirts for a much more comfortable workout.