Surprisingly good
Bought these on a whim as I thought they looked good albeit gimmicky and my peregrine 8’s were pretty battered. My expectations were low but having tried them on in the shop and really enjoying the initial “feel” I decided to give them a go..........
Took them for a ten miler around a varied route involving grass common, muddy forest single track, rocky quarry with steep inclines and declines and some initial tarmac roads which gave me a good insight into how they would perform on multiple surfaces......
The shoes were surprisingly good on all accounts. The grip was excellent especially on damp rock which inspired confidence. The shoe is very nimble and didn’t feel bulky like my previous perigines, the response was also excellent and allowed for a fast turnover and good speed. Despite the multi lugged sole the shoe felt very stable and running over tree roots etc was easy and grippy.
The shoe is very well made and clearly worth the steep rrp. Attention to detail is good and little touches like the Swiss flag and lace detail are welcome if unnecessary. The laces are thin and because the tongue is pretty minimal when they are tied tight can dig into the ankle a little bit. It’s not a game changer but a little niggle. The shoe is wide enough to accommodate my wide foot but after 6 miles there was a little rubbing and the left foot near the little toe caused by the toe rand. Having read other reviews this seems fairly common but all previous reviewers have stated this went away as the shoe softened up so I’m hoping that will happen in my case as well. The only other negative is cleaning them is an epic. Because the lugs can trap mud they need rinsing after each run. In my case I needed to use a cotton bud to push the mud out of each lug individually as water pressure alone wasn’t enough. It’s a minor gripe but one worth pointing out.
All in all I was very pleased with the cloudventure. They were a delight to run in, secure yet nimble, grippy and comfortable. I would definitely recommend them for nearly all aspects of trail running in the U.K. other than extreme mud. A high quality shoe that looks good, fits well and puts a smile on your face. A definite step up from the perigrine and we’ll worth anyone’s consideration when buying new trail shoes.