STABILITY IN MOTION
Ever watch a caterpillar crawl over your knuckles? The weather-resistant, soft-shell Shadow Dragon takes a page from the little bugs: the outsole’s 12 protruding lugs, which gave us a noticeable boost in stability on the small rocks, roots, and other obstacles of Boulder’s Mesa Trail. 11.5 oz; golite-footwear.com
Bonus: GoLite’s unique sizing system uses an adjustable footbed to let you dial in fit based on the width and volume of your foot. Upshot? We got a more precise fit than with other shoes, even though the Shadow Dragon comes only in full sizes.
Bummer: Our feet felt toasty in mild weather.