Scarpa Neutron Gtx Trail Running Shoe Reviews Women

Written by Neil Bryant for the URC

Scarpa are an Italian family unit run visitor that have a long heritage of producing some of the finest mountaineering boots in the earth. They also make some groovy ski touring boots, and rock climbing shoes. Information technology seemed like a natural extension to start making trail running shoes. Subsequently all, it couldn't be that difficult with their knowledge and experience… could it?

The more than shoes I run in, the more I realise that it must be quite a fine art designing a good running shoe. And of class, what volition exist the all-time shoe ever for one man, will be the most atrocious for the next, and so I am never too expectant that a shoe volition work or won't with me and my feet.

I own an sometime pair of Scarpa mountaineering boots that feel good on my feet, yet that doesn't hateful a dandy deal equally they will be fabricated on unlike lasts.

So, enough second guessing! I was brash to get upwardly a size, but they were also large, so went with my normal size 43, and they felt good out of the box. My feet are not that wide, simply are certainly non narrow, so I would say these are pretty much in the centre of the book range, neither wide nor narrow.

Scarpa describe the Neutron as "a race-inspired, just training-worthy trail shoe" and at first glance this seems a fair assessment. Non super calorie-free, but a reasonable 275g they feel like a nimble simply sturdy shoe. A adequately beefy Vibram sole and a toenail saving rand all make me think this would exist a bang-up everyday shoe. I was surprised to read they have a fairly low 6mm heel to toe drop on them. I say surprised as it simply felt more when I put them on.

I'll just get through the shoe in more depth earlier finishing off with my conclusion.

Upper

The showtime matter I thought when I looked over this shoe is that it is very 'traditional'. By traditional, I hateful that at that place are no existent features that stand up out as peculiarly unusual or innovative. Now, I sympathise that this may read as not good to some, but what I mean is that information technology is a solid shoe that is relying on the reliable. Information technology is designed as a solid, dependable yet fast shoe, a shoe that can put in mile after mile with no concerns.

The main material is a polyester mesh which is tight enough to foreclose debris ingression yet is relatively breathable.Over the top of this is a synthetic leather structure that wraps effectually the toe for protection and creates a cage around the midfoot adding more stability in the area of the laces. This has partly been stitched and partly welded onto the main textile underneath. Why the mix in bonding techniques I'chiliad non sure, but I would guess that it is a strength thing?

Likewise around the toe area is an extra layer over the height of the synthetic layer to add a little actress protection. This gives a well protected toe box, but it doesn't experience besides built upward. Merely right to allow the odd boot of a rock or root and to not get a black toenail.

The tongue is fairly chunky, but not besides much in my opinion, and joy of joys, Scarpa accept made it a gusseted tongue! Information technology is a pet hate for me when shoes are not somehow attached to the upper to preclude sliding to the side. Why would a designer not add this feature? The elevation section of the tongue besides has a small rubberband pocket to stow the laces in, to neaten things up.

The laces are perfectly serviceable and, for me the right length. The eyes I am not so keen on as they let the laces run freely through. I prefer it if in that location is a footling grip so it holds the lace a little when they take tension on. I'm obviously getting more than decisive with what I like and what I don't (fussy)! This is by no means a deal breaker though.

The heel is quite a solid one with average padding. Occasionally I try a shoe that has fat, squashy padding in the heel area (and the tongue) which I actually tin't see the point in. It doesn't actually add comfort, doesn't exhale well and absorbs moisture. Thankfully that is non the case with the Neutrons.

Midsole

At 6 mm, this is a relatively low driblet shoe. Nothing extreme, but worth knowing if you are not used to this. Personally, I seem to like the feel of anything with a drib of iv-6mm and then these are only slap-up. The midsole itself is produced from pinch molded EVA. Also within the sole is a rockplate. If you lot have read any of my other reviews, then you will know that I similar a decent fleck of protection, and this rockplate seems actually solid. I'm guessing that the protection offered from this setup is going to exist quite substantial. This is great, as long as you don't lose too much of the feel of the trail.

Outsole

At present on to the ever of import sole. I was delighted to see the familiar little xanthous Vibram logo on the sole. For me this is a sure sign of quality. Vibram really do make some amazingly consequent outsoles, and I am ever happy to use them. Do they even make a duff sole?

The tread is fairly aggressive, being made up mostly of chevrons pointing in all directions meaning they should hold in all directions. They are nicely spaced to promote mud clearance.

The safety feels quite tacky so I am expectant of some fantastic grip. Volition it be at the cost of durability though. Time to get testing!

The Ride

Well, it'southward taken me a while to give the Neutrons a expert examination, for a few reasons (Being a new father and information technology being Wintertime here in Chamonix so the ski boots are getting more vesture) but with the snow disappearing fast in the 'heat wave' we are currently suffering, the lower trails are drying out and opportunities for running are opening up. I'm hardly run fit, but the ski touring is keeping me in decent enough shape to requite the shoes a good hammering.

This shoe puzzles me a little. It appears similar an one-time schoolhouse trail shoe, but it is non heavy and it has a fairly low heel to toe drop at just 6mm. Things are not what they always first seem. I'll be honest, when I first opened the box, I was keen to try them out, but I was not excited. Then I felt the weight and tried them on. They were low-cal and felt actually great on my foot. I was getting more interested.

Scarpa say '...this is a race-inspired, but training-worthy trail shoe' so this is not intended to be a super light, super fast shoe reserved for race day. The Neutron is supposed to exist a fast shoe that tin take the daily abuse of the trails and not fall apart as and so many of the race shoes practice subsequently a very short corporeality of use.

In practice, this shoe is growing on me. I like the calorie-free feel yet undecayed build. It is showing very little sign of wear and it feels similar it will merely keep going. It performs as it was designed to. Nice work Scarpa! Of class there is no reason why you lot couldn't race this shoe, and with the decent rock plate, information technology really looks afterward your feet, meaning that you could go for hours and hours i.e. an ultra! If you similar a lot of feedback from the trail then the rockplate loses some of it, but not overly then.

The toe box and fit in general is completely a personal affair, only for me, they feel actually good on my pes. No pressure points or rub points anywhere yet. The laces concord firm and have never come undone.

Tick, tick, tick… are there any unticked boxes?

At present down to the maker or breaker with whatsoever shoe: the tread. Equally I already said, information technology's a Vibram which in my experience tends to be an almost definite winner. Is it this time? Well, in brief, yeah it is. It holds an excellent middle ground of a pretty deep tread, but not a pure mud shoe. Every bit it is supposed to exist, this is the shoe that can practise all. Hard pack trail it is comfy and grippy. The new 'Megagrip' compound really is magic stuff from Vibram as it grips very well on Moisture rocks. The conviction that is borne from this I'm sure is advantageous in numerous ways. I relax more in slippy terrain, meaning I am less likely to fall. I am besides less fussy about my footing. With some other shoes that aren't so grippy I have constitute that I tend to completely contrivance rocks with the slightest sign of wet on every bit I know information technology could hateful I'll end upwards falling. I take also been on a niggling ice and they of grade don't stick well to that, simply there is some course of traction in that location.

I tin't mistake the outsole really. It doesn't seem to wearing likewise apace either.

So if y'all spend a lot of your time on varied trail (rocks, polish, mud, snow etc.) and y'all want a shoe that you tin can merely pull on day later day, with no thought for durability then the Neutron is certainly worth a try. Just make sure your achilles are ready for the 6mm drop.

Scarpa also exercise some other absurd looking shoes with near being lighter! Cheque out the website here to see the range.I need to effort them!

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Source: https://ultrarunningcommunity.com/reviews/full-gear-list/10-shoe-review/1286-scarpa-neutron

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