Road shoes work fine on dirt roads or easier off-road terrain (Mine Falls Park, for example), but when the going gets rocky, muddy and steep, purpose-built shoes are worth the cash.

My first pair of trail shoes were the Salomon XA Pro 3D. I bought them after trying on every trail running shoe that EMS had in stock, and running around the store in several different pairs. I was very deliberate, but I have to admit it's possible that I was influenced by the fact that Michelle, my trail running muse and companion, wore and recommended Salomons.

In any case, I never regretted my choice. They were comfortable from the first step, and they held up great.

They are extremely light (a claimed 1 lbs. 7 ounces each), and well ventilated. The lugs aren’t big, but the shoe grips extraordinarily well on most any surface… It reminds my of my favorite set of Michelin mountain bike tires, that way.

The most remarkable thing about the shoe, I find, was the way it swaddles my feet. In most running shoes, you feel as though you are running on top of the shoe’s cushioning. The Salomons cradle the foot. They feel very stable, and the shoe gives good protection all around.

I have heard people complain about the laces. I like the speed laces. I found it convenient, and they held up well. Some people have found they break, and they can’t easily be replaced.

I liked them so much, I got a Gore-Tex pair for winter, too. My one and only complaint was that the cushioning is a little thin under the forefront. It’s ample at the heel, but barely adequate under the ball of the foot. Otherwise, they’re perfect.

That one tiny flaw and a spirit of curiosity prompted me to try something different when I retired my first set of Salomons (the Muddy Moose was their last race).

Again, I tried on many types. I was especially taken with the Merrell Overdrive. They have the same speed lacing and many of the same features I like in the Salomons, and a very comfortable feel in the store, both light and solid. Alas, they were far too narrow for my feet. I also was suspicious about the unsecured strip of tread bridging the heal and forefoot tread… Would it fill up with mud? Snag on sticks? Wear out and tear away? Perhaps not, but what is the point of it, anyhow?

I settled on the Vasque Blur, in an understated gray and navy. They are very different from the Salomons. Though the claimed weight is the same, my home postage scale said the Blur were half an ounce heavier… probably not a significant difference, even if the scale is right.

The Blur felt more like standard running shoes, but a bit stiffer. The cushioning is terrific, from toe to heel, and like the Salomons the Vasque Blur has protective toe bumpers. While the shoe feels stable, it doesn’t give that low-ride feel of the Salomons. The lugs are deeper, and I think the Blur may bite into loose dirt a bit better. Otherwise, I didn’t notice any real difference in traction, except that the Salomons inspired more confidence.

The standard laces take a little more fussing to get right at the get go, but they stay put once tied, and there are all sorts of strategies you can use to make a more custom fit, with extra “locking loops.”

In the end, my biggest complaint with the Vasque Blur was that although they felt right for my feet, we just don’t seem to be right for each other. I keep getting blisters along the inside of each foot, at the metatarsal joint. At first I thought it was just from wet and muddy conditions, but I’ve felt the same friction on dry runs, too. It’s not the shoe’s fault, but they seem to rub me the wrong way.

My third pair of trail shoes, come up much sooner than I expected, are another pair of Salomon XA Pro 3D. If any local shop would carry the Inov-8 range of trail shoes, though, I look forward to trying them, too!

Meanwhile, I’m keeping my Vasques for casual wear. My physical therapist says that among my many problems, I’m wearing my shoes down too far, too long.