Dynafit MS Feline Gore-Tex

Tread like a buzzsaw and tears up the trails.

I finally decided to get a new set of trail shoes since the old ones had been worn bald and were growing holy.

I had no idea that Dynafit made running shoes but I am aware of their excellent ski bindings so I decided to give a pair a try. 

Fit

The first thing I noticed when slipping into the Feline is the way the cut out tongue allows the laces to be tightened without creating pressure where they tie. For some reason this has been a problem for me with shoes so far. Also I noticed that the mid sole is in the Goldilocks zone for me as far as thickness goes, I feel the trail but my feet aren't hurt when I run over rocks. 

The toe box wraps my medium-width feet gently enough to feel comfortable but tight enough to keep them from sliding forward on the down-hill sections of trail. 

Performance

These shoes like the trail like YouTube likes cat videos. The extremely aggressive lugs on the soles grip rocks and shed dirt to allow efficient uphills but aren't so excessive that they snag and cause a hazard. I feel like I could run up trees with these shoes. The medium height of the heels give me a neutral foot strike that allows me to change from toe to heel strike running on a whim. The heels have a moderate amount of rebound which makes the little 2-4 mile loops I run very pleasant.

As I mentioned earlier the fore-foot area is thin enough for me to feel what is underfoot, keeping me agile and safe over rocky sections of the trail and has kept me from rolling my ankles on several occasions. The sole lugs not only grip well but shed dirt and mud well, I have not been able to get them to cake up with mud. 

Style

Though its a theoretically irrelevant category, I think these shoes are just as at home in town as they are on the trail though the soft rubber has no place on concrete. My girlfriend was envious that my shoes matched my shirt when we went on our hike together last weekend. 

Water Resistance

The GoreTex liner performed as expected in Leavenworth as we hiked in the rain and stood still in a downpour, keeping my toes dry, therefore warm.  The GoreTex let my feet breathe also so I never felt soggy. 

A very soggy day

Durability

Most shoes I wear do not have uppers which reach so far down to the soles like these do. I worry that this will be a failure point as they get abraded on rocks but so far my fears are unfounded. I like the rubber toe cap to protect that section from wear. The rubber used on the soles is very soft, which means awesome grip on the trails but promise a shorter life. 

Testing Conditions

I wear these on my trail runs (2-4 miles) on very poor, rocky trails as well as on hikes where I carry up to 40 pounds. My feet have had zero issues with hot spots or soreness despite hiking on very rocky terrain that had previously caused soreness when I was wearing hiking boots. 

A very very wet day. At least my martini was still dry!

These shoes are suited for:

Anyone who wants a moderately priced trail shoe that doubles as a light hiker with water-proofness.