Disclaimer: I received a pair of Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. To learn more about becoming a BibRavePro (ambassador), check out BibRave.com where you can also find and write race reviews!
I have been, for the majority of my running career, a runner of the paved variety. Roads, rail-trails, sidewalks, etc. The predominant exception to this rule was when I ran cross country in grade school. Once that was over, however, I “hung up” my trail experiences and haven’t really gone back. That is, until this year.
Back in February, I had the opportunity to opt-in and try out something “new”. This something new was really something I just hadn’t really sought out intentionally for more than a decade. Trails – proper dirt and mud trails. In typing that last statement, I suppose “proper” isn’t the right word. As a result of opting-in, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to test a pair of the Under Armour Horizon RTT trail shoes.
Unboxing
Like any package that arrives at my door, I’m thrilled to open it and get at what’s inside. This was no different and while I knew what it was before I opened the box, I was still incredibly excited. However, this subsided to a degree as I suddenly remembered how cumbersome trail shoes looked and felt. As far as looks go, this pair was par for the course (read: clunky), but the feeling of the shoes was much different. While they still felt stiff to me (as most new trail shoes would, I imagine), they felt significantly lighter than I remember trail shoes to feel. As far as the color scheme, I really didn’t care too much. I just wanted to get them out onto a trail!
Out on the Trails
I finally had an opportunity to put these shoes through their paces (pun intended) once I was able to get out to a local metro park with some decent trails / hills. Fortunately for me, it had been raining quite a bit in the days leading up to this particular run – and it was still going. My kind of day!
This particular run had it all – rain, snow, mud. IT WAS FANTASTIC. Did I get muddy? You’re damn right. Was I soaked? Hell yes. Through all of it though, these shoes held up and did NOT disappoint. There were a few points where I was sure I would lose my footing or even roll an ankle, but the stability I had thanks to these shoes was spot on. Mud seemed to roll off the upper. The mud that would collect in the lugs on the bottom was easily knocked off by kicking a nearby stump. While my feet did get quite wet, I never felt waterlogged or weighed down. All and all, these shoes felt like they belonged on this run.
Review
Full disclosure – I have taken these shoes out on other runs, but the most memorable to date was most certainly the run referenced above.
If I had to give the UA Horizon RTT’s a 1 to 5 star rating, I’d probably give them a 4. I’ve been out of trail shoes for a long time, but even then I expect all running related shoes to have a certain amount of give – especially after breaking them in. Aside from that, I really don’t have any major issues with them. I’d definitely recommend checking them out if you’re looking for a middle-of-the-road, stable, and durable trail shoe.
***
I am still a road runner and will continue to fall into that sliver of the running world. It’s where I’m comfortable. However, choosing to review these shoes has reminded me of a segment of running that got me started on this crazy journey in the first place. Time to get back to my roots to a degree and embrace the trails!
As always, keep striving.
The Under Armour Mountain Running Series is designed for runners of all skill levels. Races include a variety of distances with events taking place at Copper Mountain, CO (JULY); Killington, VT (AUGUST); and Mt. Bachelor, OR (SEPTEMBER). Whether you’re an experienced trail runner OR you just fancy a challenge, get signed up and use code “BIBRAVE20” to get 20% off your registration.
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Preston Ramsey 