Mammut MTR 201 Trail Shoes
Most of my running is done on terrain that requires a good grip, especially in winter when even some of the less arduous paths and trails are still muddy. That means wearing a full on fell running shoe but with spring, and hopefully some warm, sunnier days on the horizon, some of the trails will dry up enough to warrant wearing a trail shoe.
Mammut isn’t the first brand that springs to mind when thinking of trail running but they are becoming more recognised by trail runners, as testified by their sponsorship of the Dig Deep Peak District races including the Ultra Tour of the Peak District. So I was keen to see how their MTR 201 Tech Low shoes coped with some fast running on the Peak District trails.
putting the MTR 201’s to test in the Peak District
Fell running shoes tend to be pretty lightweight so I was expecting the 201’s to be heavier than I am used to and indeed they are, although at 540 grams for a pair of size 7’s they aren’t too heavy and certainly didn’t have me thinking I was wearing lead boots!
a pair of size 7 weigh 540g
Straight out of the box they felt comfortable and not too “clunky”, something I’ve found with trail shoes in the past. Mammut haven’t gone down the “barefoot” road and the 9 mm heel drop is slightly more than the 6 mm of my fell shoes but to be honest wasn’t too noticeable on undulating ground. I’m usually size 6.5 but needed a half size up, the 7’s fitting fine. The upper is a mesh construction which should breathe well and hints at being good for summer training. A rubber toe cap gives some protection from stones and stubbed toes.
lightweight, breathable, mesh uppers and rubber toe protection
The Gripex™ sole has a much shallower tread than all my fell shoes and whilst it coped well on short, dry grass and hard packed trail it did have me sliding around on the odd muddy patch that I encountered so I would only want to use it for dry conditions.
gripex™ sole, good in the dry not in the mud
My first run in the 201’s was a fast paced 20 minute effort on hard packed trail and I was pleased with the level of comfort and response. In particular I liked the fact that I didn’t feel any pressure on my Achilles tendon as I find some shoes are too high in the heel cup.
One thing I don’t like is the Speed Lace system. This is a small plastic toggle designed to allow you to pull the laces tight and stow the excess away without tying a conventional knot. I found that once you’d pulled the laces tight you couldn’t then tuck them away and needed to tie the usual bow (which was made more difficult by the plastic toggle!) On top of that the toggle is fiddly to release, even indoors with brand new shoes let alone with a bit of grit on the laces or with cold hands. It’s not a major issue, you can just take the toggle off the laces and tie them normally.
Speed Lace system – a fiddly faff!
The RRP for the 2o1’s is £120, roughly in line with the likes of Salomon and Inov-8 and although not the most commonly seen trail shoe, Mammut are stocked by Outside in Hathersage.
Verdict:
A comfy, breathable shoe with a moderate heel to toe drop. Ideal for trail running or racing in dry conditions.
