Ecco Biom Trail FL Trail-Running Shoe (Spring 2015)
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12 oz (men’s 41) | 7mm drop (men’s); 6mm drop (women’s) | $150
The dirt: Lightweight but sturdy construction is the hallmark of the ECCO Biom Trail FL. One tester likened it to “a fine Italian dress shoe, built with longevity and durability in mind.” The toe and heel guards, reinforced with Kevlar, are waterproof and extremely abrasion resistant, making this a great shoe for bushwacking, varied terrain and finnicky weather conditions. The Biom Trail FL is also available in a yak-leather upper, for added mud and abrasion resistance.
With a moderately flexible midsole, supportive upper and burly tread, the Biom Trail FL performs well on steep, technical terrain; testers praised its traction on mud, dirt, wet grass and snow, though found it relatively slaphappy on pavement or flat, hard-packed terrain.
Best for: Medium-distance runs on technical terrain and mud or soft surfaces.
Fit: Snug through the midfoot, with a heel that tends to slip. Runs about a half-size big. (The Biom Trail FL is sized according to the European scale; U.S. sizes are approximate.)
Tester Raves
“They glided through the mud, and had just enough flex to allow easy scrambling over rocks and downed trees when necessary.”
—Michael Linscott, Bellevue, WA
“I felt supported and fast.”
—Rachel Thomas, Phoenix, AZ
Testers on Fit
“The wrap and lining are snug and firm in all the right places, making for a very natural fit. However, the fit of the heel cup was never quite right.”
—Michael Linscott, Bellevue, WA
“My forefoot felt snug and supported through the toebox.”
—Rachel Thomas, Phoenix, AZ
“I liked the firmness of the cushion. It seemed to support my foot well and fit well through the arch, without being overly corrective.”
—Liz Stuart, Lake Odessa, MI
Testers on Tread
“On steep dirt and grass hills I did not find myself slipping at all, even with frost on the grass.”
—Liz Stuart, Lake Odessa, MI
“I enjoyed how well the sole of he shoe performed on numerous types of tricky terrain. During runs along exposed, wet and mossy rocks, the shoes kept solid traction everywhere.”
—Michael Linscott, Bellevue, WA
“I love these for runs with lots of climbing because of the good traction. My foot was solid as I came down the trail, and I was able to move faster!”
—Rachel Thomas, Phoenix, AZ
Testers on Downsides
“On flatter trails, such as fire roads, and especially on smooth pavement, the shoes felt clunky and floppy. The sole is nearly flat and didn’t really generate any push-off.”
—Michael Linscott, Bellevue, WA
“The tread is offset in the midfoot, which makes it difficult to execute a midfoot strike. Even the transition [from heel to toe] was not smooth and I could feel my forefoot slapping down. I was easily the most noisy runner around.”
—Liz Stuart, Lake Odessa, MI
“My heel continued to slip regardless of how tight I tied the laces.”
—Rachel Thomas, Phoenix, AZ
>More spring 2015 trail-running shoes
