Light, quick drying, and tough enough to last off-trail. I’m still looking for a shoe which will do all three. Yes, I know I beat the hell out of my shoes. Yes, I know trail runners are not made for what I do. I’m still going to keep asking for more, even if it is unreasonable.
Brand new Anakonda versus X Country with ~4 hard months in them. Former is 12 oz a foot, later was 9 when new. Both are size 45.
Above is my second pair of X Countrys. I said I wouldn’t buy another after the uppers on the first set gave out quickly, but Seam Grip allowed them to limp along until the tread was mostly dead, and then I found a pair of sale last fall when they were discontinued. And I really like how they hike. As can be seen above, I get two failure points: rips on the outside behind the toebox, and on the inside near the front of my instep right between the upper and the sole. The former only goes through the outer layer of fabric and is easy to fix. The second is more of a death sentence, as it’s a precursor of delamination.
The Anakonda has obviously been built to address these concerns, as the fit and sole are essentially unchanged. Hopefully those extra 3 oz will prove to be well spent.
Bedrock & Paradox 
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