Saucony Xodus 5.0 Trail Running Shoes (For Men)

I'm a regular exercise hiker living in ABQ, NM. Trails here are abundant, but tend to be rocky. I used to be a card-carrying "monster-truck" shoe fan--I would even wear mountaineering boots on easy hikes because I like the feeling of being impervious to any kind of rough/rocky terrain. When I read that weight on one's feet is not very energy-efficient (I forget the multiplier, but it's something like 1 lb on the feet = 5 lbs on the back), I moved to lighter weight low-cut hiking shoes more. Then I read "Running for Life," and also read that a lot of heavy through-hikers (e.g. Appalachian/PCT, etc.) were opting for trail-running footwear, I thought I'd give some of those a try. My first pair was the Salomon Sense-Mantra: very light weight and a 6mm heel/toe drop. I was extremely surprised and pleased at how they worked out. They handle rocky trails with no problems, make me feel much more sure- AND light-footed. And, especially surprisingly, they grip slick rocks better than anything I'd used before. I got those from STP at a great discount and decided to continue to experiment and ordered these Saucony Xodus as a second pair. They are a little different than the Salomon--heel/toe drop is 4mm (IIRC) and they have a somewhat stiffer and VIBRAM sole. I think they also weigh a couple ounces more. But overall, I'm still super-pleased at their performance. I'm not sure what I'll be using in the winter when snow/ice will require something heavier that can accommodate Icetrekkers or Microspikes or similar traction devices, but for mild-weather hiking, I'll be wearing trail-runners in the future!

STP