Question:
I just bought a pair of New Balance
shoes, model 704. NB claims that
they are trail running shoes. What
makes these different from regular
running shoes? Are they supposedly
better for running on off-road trails?
Answer:
Frequently, trail shoes have a more
aggressive tread for mud, dry rock,
wet rock, etc. but different models
vary considerably in what they are
good for. Usually the heel is lower
than road shoes and sometimes the
whole foot is lower for stability
and so you can feel the trail. Some
(Montrail, most notably) have a
protective plate (frequently under
the forefoot, I believe) to guard
against pointy rocks. Some may have
a sticky outer sole surface to grab
rocks better, but these will wear
more rapidly on paved roads. Many
of these features may not be needed
unless you are on technical trails.
I think the
704's are listed as road/trail (all
terrain) running shoes on NB page
so you can probably use them either
place with no problem, but may be
challenging on some trails. They
are probably more versatile than
my 904's that I've only used for
snowshoe running because the tread
is too hard for snow-covered pavement
(feel tread pattern through the
sole) where I was running during
the winter and had terrible traction
on ice under snow, which is where
I thought they'd do better than
my road shoes. I'm going to try
them again later this summer on
softer trails, where they may do
better.
