Review: Montrail Phoenix

The Phoenix (large image) was designed to meet the demands of UK and European off road running. Unfortunately the shoe wasn’t well received in the UK. Montrail made several design changes and the following season launched the “Highlander’ of the back of the original Phoenix design.

I have used the Highlander extensively for daily training on the tracks and wooded paths surrounding the R+R warehouse and have always considered it ideal for that style of running. When the opportunity came the way of R+R to clear Montrail’s warehouse of the old Phoenix I was understandably keen to try them out.



First Impressions

The colour is different. To be honest, I think this is probably the main reason why retailers never bought in the Phoenix in the first place. Personally, I like products that look a bit different and the change from ubiquitous white/grey/navy used by most other brands is refreshing. When you get them dirty they look even better!

The outsole is the same as the Highlander but as soon as I tried them on I could tell that the upper had less volume particularly in the forefoot. I definitely prefer the fit to the Highlander because you are likely to get more stability on rough ground. Another feature that I think should have been carried over to the Highlander is the variable width lacing. Being close on the forefoot means that you can really crank the upper in where you need the extra stability.

On the Run

One of the my favourite lunch time runs combines tracks, muddy fields, exposed limestone pavement, road and estuary sand. Although the terrain is varied it’s not overly rough and full-on fell shoes wouldn’t give me enough protection for pounding out sessions day after day. So, I need a daily training shoe with plenty of mid-sole protection but with an aggressive out sole. Both the Phoenix and the Highlander cover those requirements. Road shoes just don’t have enough traction.

My first impressions about the upper shape and volume were correct. The Phoenix definitely feels more stable than the Highlander and twists on the foot far less on rocky tracks. As you would expect the outsole feels much the same except that the tighter upper means you can transfer more power to the edge studs which ultimately means you have to expend less energy running in rough terrain, particularly sloping muddy paths.

Since that first run (a week ago), I have used the Phoenix every day. I even ended up having to runs a couple of the miles of road in them after getting lost in a Scottish forest, and didn’t seem to suffer any ill effect such as stiff calves that would have been a certainty with any fell shoe.

Uses

I think Montrail originally had aspiration that this shoes would challenge the specialist fell shoe brands. Well they failed in that but inadvertently they seen to have produced one of the best ‘Off-Road’ training shoes I have ever used. If you’re looking for a shoe specifically for fell races, mountain marathons or orienteering forget it. If you need a shoes for your weekly training that will cope with any amount of muddy tracks, paths and a few road sections this is the shoe for you.

Size

Unlike the Highlander the UK sizes seem to be dead on. I’m normally a UK 9.5 and that’s what size I got in Phoenix. I’m normally a UK10 in Inov8 shoes.

Verdict

I like em! And for the money you aren’t going to go far wrong.

Andy Hyslop
Check out my orienteering blog:

This clip shows the key features of the Phoenix from different angles: