GS:BLK

Hands down the best running/trail shoe I've ever owned! I've had several pair and they just keep getting better. A recent 50 mile R3 in the grand canyon and the one thing that I didn't have to think about or worry about was my feet or my shoes letting me down. They're worth every penny!

Comfort, precision, stability

Comfortable right out of the box. I loved the BOA system on my Altra Timp 5s, but Speedland takes it further with two dials that can both tighten and loosen the fit precisely. The carbon plate helps reduce load on my foot, which has been especially helpful with plantar fasciitis. I can enjoy longer runs more and still walk normally the next day. Highly recommended.

Good but needs improvement

My second pair of Speedlands after the very similar trail Cocodonas from last year, the BLK is pretty good but needs work. 1) There are slits/breaks on the inside ankle collar of each shoe. I don't see the point: it's a low to the ground access point for dirt to hop in, and it makes it feel like you really need to crank the Boas down to wrap your foot because the shoe is a bit like a clog with no back because of this small slit--and nobody wants to crank down on the top of their foot because that's how you get PF. Couldn't we get rid of this slit, and raise the collar/gaiter a little bit higher like the SVT model and make it so we don't need to pair gaiters with the shoes at all? 2) They don't seem to drain well. Fine, I didn't cut open the drain hole--my fault, but the foam material of the insole is just way warmer/stickier/rubberier when wet than your more standard fuzzy shoe insole material. 3) The rubber sole actually started separating from the bottom of the shoe after 120 miles. 100 of that was in a rocky race, but I've gotten 600+ out of my earlier pair and was shocked the sole was just plain coming off that soon! The black color of the foam also started flaking off. That I care about less, but it seemed chintzy. 4) Is there no place to put the boas that won't dig into your foot when you step at a certain angle. Every time I land on a rock angled in/down towards the center of the trail, so my ankle bends slightly inward, the boas and/or the ankle cup dig into my foot a little bit. In a 100-miler that really adds up.