For a couple of years I've seen the ads in running magazines for the Biom line of running shoes by Ecco, and from what I'd seen of them, they looked like the sort of shoe that I would like. They appeared to be on the light and low side, and the ads said that the design promoted a natural stride. When I had the opportunity to review a pair of Ecco trail running shoes for iRun Magazine, I jumped at the chance.
When the shoes arrived, my first impression upon trying them on was that they seemed quite stiff and heavy- more like a hiking boot than the lightweight & flexible trail shoes that I normally run in. The construction seems very solid- these seem to be very well put together, but they didn't strike me as a running shoe so much as a hiking shoe.
I took them to my regular trails, which are in a local conservation area. The trails have a great mix of hard packed dirt, mud, steep hills, roots, and rocks, so I was able to try the shoes over a variety of terrain. I found that once I started running, I didn't notice the stiffness nearly as much as I did when walking. The sturdy construction did seem a bit overkill on the tamer sections of the trail, but when I got to rough sections, I did appreciate how solid these shoes are. The best place to put that to the test was to let them really fly on a big downhill. I like going fast down hills, so when I got to a really rough downhill section, I let gravity take over and I flew, not worrying about the roots. These actually performed really well- they felt really stable, and I had no worries blowing through the roughest section of trails. The weight though is something that I never really got used to. I couldn't find any specs online about what these shoes weigh, but they definitely come quite a bit heavier than my usual trail shoes (Brooks Pure Grit). The only other complaint I had was that they were quite hot. The upper material is very solid- a densely woven cordura type of material, and there's a Gore-Tex waterproof liner- fine for cool weather, but in the middle of summer my feet were soaked with sweat.
In conclusion, I think this is a very solid shoe. It wouldn't be my first choice for trail running, but when I've been going out for hikes, I have been reaching for these instead of my hiking boots. If someone wants a sturdy shoe that can do double duty as a day hiker (I'd have no qualms even to use these for a weekend backpacking trip) and do some trail running as well, then these would be a good choice.
I took them to my regular trails, which are in a local conservation area. The trails have a great mix of hard packed dirt, mud, steep hills, roots, and rocks, so I was able to try the shoes over a variety of terrain. I found that once I started running, I didn't notice the stiffness nearly as much as I did when walking. The sturdy construction did seem a bit overkill on the tamer sections of the trail, but when I got to rough sections, I did appreciate how solid these shoes are. The best place to put that to the test was to let them really fly on a big downhill. I like going fast down hills, so when I got to a really rough downhill section, I let gravity take over and I flew, not worrying about the roots. These actually performed really well- they felt really stable, and I had no worries blowing through the roughest section of trails. The weight though is something that I never really got used to. I couldn't find any specs online about what these shoes weigh, but they definitely come quite a bit heavier than my usual trail shoes (Brooks Pure Grit). The only other complaint I had was that they were quite hot. The upper material is very solid- a densely woven cordura type of material, and there's a Gore-Tex waterproof liner- fine for cool weather, but in the middle of summer my feet were soaked with sweat.
In conclusion, I think this is a very solid shoe. It wouldn't be my first choice for trail running, but when I've been going out for hikes, I have been reaching for these instead of my hiking boots. If someone wants a sturdy shoe that can do double duty as a day hiker (I'd have no qualms even to use these for a weekend backpacking trip) and do some trail running as well, then these would be a good choice.