I went from the New Balance Hierros to the Brooks Catamount 3, and I like how much ground feel I have with the Catamount. If you're in the US, you can get some pretty good deals on the Catamount 3 instead of the newer Catamount 4, too! I usually get at least 400 miles out of my pairs on some pretty technical trails and feel like they're a good value on a high performing shoe.
The Catamount is a much lighter weight shoe with less cushion. To me, it feels much faster and more nimble. Even though there's less cushion, I've still worn it for 50 mile races with no issues. I like that it's a high performing shoe that is still relatively affordable and I can get a decent amount of miles out of before they start wearing down too much. It also runs pretty well on the road, so it's pretty versatile as a road to trail shoe or just strictly trail.
But as others have said, the best shoe for you is the one that fits your feet the best. Find places with good selection or good return policies to see what works best for you!
For uphill: Scarpa Spin Race - superlight, fast, Vibram outsole. Verry direct and less toe protection for downhills or when you get a bit tired.
Scott Supertrac RC 3 - for technical up and downs, mudd, wet blocks wet roots … slim, light and awesome grip and deep lugs. Top upper - a beast!
For more runnable terrain i like the la sportiva prodigio. It‘s like a rockershaped running shoe with great cushion under heel and midfoot - great grip!
Brooks catamount 3 - great fit and cool in uphill through their plate, fast, agile but I use them just when conditions are dry. Fast shoe.
I checked Amazon and found Catamount 3s for sale. I'd get another pair or two if they are your favorites. I'm on my second pair of Catamount 2s - great shoes.
I do quite a bit of hiking and my circle of friends have tried a lot of shoes. Don't limit yourself to what is available at REI. Do you have a running store nearby? Ours does fittings with stride analysis and such to help you get into shoes that work for you. I hike in "trail runners" and the local running store had a lot of great options.
Personally, I've found Merrells to be junk. They are super comfortable at first but the support breaks down VERY quickly. I gave up after a few different pair.
A couple of my friends swear by Altra (They wear the Lone Peak 9's right now) and those are nice because they have a huge toe box. Both of their most recent pairs had some of the lettering come off the upper after a week of crazy wet trails but it didn't impact the function/comfort.
My partner loves Salomon.
I've heard good things about Hoka.
I personally landed in the Brooks Catamount 2's and went through a couple pair of those and now I hike in Catamount 3's. I've been very happy with those and will probably stick with that for my next pair.
FWIW, all three pair of Catamounts that I have still look brand new after a bunch of trail miles and then tons and tons of daily wear. But the cushioning breaks down over a lot of miles (especially if you're hiking on rough trails with a lot of water crossings) and I notice a big difference in comfort/fatigue after a long day when that happens.
Edit: You are planning this trip for next week. If it involves any serious hiking you should buy shoes ASAP and wear them as your dailies for the rest of the week. The last place you want to find out that shoes don't work for you is eight miles into your first of five twelve mile days.
I have Brooks Catamount (Both 2 & 3) and I like them a lot. They loose some spring/cushion after a few hundred miles but they still look new.
I don’t know that it’s realistic to expect the foam to stay bouncy for five hundred hard miles.
Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit
1
Mount to Coast
H1
85% positive of 177 users
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
coachwaz
