THEY SAY: “The K Swiss Blade-Max Trail weighs 375.80g. It is a fully loaded high mileage trail running shoe. Its midsole/outsole is very unique: A bed of Superfoam sits on top of high-impact Blade-Max technology, while a rock block protection plate protects the runner from bumps in the rocky road. It also has a very durable and supportive upper featuring Ion Mask(ion-mask by P2i) water resistance and seamfree technolgy.” – K Swiss USA.
WE SAY: The K Swiss Blade-Max Trail offers impressive cushioning and outstanding grip and traction, making it an ideal shoe to help you conquer trail endurance races.
Grip/Traction: 8/10 — When compared to the aggressive lugs on other trail shoes, those on the Blade-Max Trail look mild. But grip and traction over most terrain is outstanding, except when the shoe encounters sand. Even when conquering slopes, the outsole never loses its vice-like grip of the ground. Our only complaint: for the lugs to work down-slope, you will need to heel-strike. But this can be a challenge: heel striking downslope did not allow us to remain nimble. Running over obstacles thus became a chore.
Rock Armour: 8/10 – K Swiss’ rock block protection plate offers excellent protection against rocks and the sharp edges of gravel – we could barely feel them. Our pet peeve is that there is an indentation (where the protection plate is visible) at the arch area of the outer sole. During our run, smaller pieces of gravel were trapped inside the indentation – adding weight to the shoe and potentially interfering with the grip of the outsole.
Upper: 9/10 – The upper is plush and luxurious and offers just the right amount of ankle support. The tongue of the shoe is also attached to the upper: dirt and gravel will not be able to enter via the lacing system. The highlight of the upper is its ion-mask coating – a thin water-resistant coating which also wicks away perspiration from your feet. The upper delivered on both accounts – the upper refused to absorb puddle splashes, but continued to keep our feet cool and dry throughout our run.
Midsole: 8/10 – As mentioned in our preview of the shoe, the Blade-Max Trail is missing a midsole. Instead, the foot-bed is held up by blade-like rubber structures that are placed around the outsole: what K Swiss terms Blade-Max technology. When observing the shoe in action, we noticed that these blades collapsing on impact: As a result, cushioning was sublime over rough terrain and on tarmac. The shoe, however, felt a tad muted because of the lack of ground feel.
Fit/Comfort – 9/10: The shoe felt good out of the box, no doubt helped by the very plush upper, and by its glove-like fit. We did not even have to break it in before our trail run.
Weight – 8/10: At 376g, the Blade-Max Trail is built to provide all the support and cushioning the runner needs to complete endurance trail races like The North Face 100. That being said, the shoe felt slightly cumbersome on the stretches where trail gave way to tarmac.
Design/Aesthetics: 9/10 — A refreshing departure from the conventional trail shoe design: its smart looks and bold colours will help you to stand out from the competition on trail race day.
Overall: 8.4/10
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