Outdoor footwear manufacturer SCARPA has created a nice lightweight trail running shoe in the Pursuit and Pursuit GTX. The SCAPRA Pursuit, which I tested, is a well-cushioned trail shoe that provides excellent stability while on uneven, rocky or sandy terrain. They’ve given the Pursuit a super cushioned upper, which seems to work although it may be slightly overdone. The tread is quite aggressive, allowing for good speed while ascending and descending.
In addition to its great design SCARPA has gone to great lengths to be environmentally friendly with the Pursuit. It includes EcoPure fabric in the EVA midsole so that it will break down quickly should you ever have to discard the shoe in a landfill. Further, recycled materials are used in the upper, lining and footbed construction, rounding out a very ‘green’ shoe.
Personally I really love the traction that this shoe provides while on the trails. After a few long runs on the Lethbridge trails I noticed a substantial improvement in traction over my other trail shoes. These shoes gives the runner all the necessary cushioning, but the added heal stability was problematic for my feet. The heel on the shoe has been made very rigid creating some discomfort if the shoes don’t fit quite right. Given the European sizing for these shoes I’d ensure that you try them on first before purchasing a pair – you may require a half size larger. Overall, a great trail shoe with a sleek looking design.