Trail running is more popular than ever. By one account, the sport has grown by more than 230 per cent in the last ten years. Part of the wide appeal is probably its simplicity: all you need is a trail plus some decent garb and footwear. It’s a minimalist sport that demands minimalist gear—with lightness and adaptability to the fore.
Meeting that demand is Helly Hansen’s Trail Wizard (for women and men) with its responsive fit and “reverse lug” system to deliver stability and grip in uneven terrain.
The multidirectional lugs are large and nicely sticky, with the proprietary HH Max-Grip rubber compound. The swirling “reversing” design (with topo map relief detail on the outsole base) grips better over uneven terrain and avoids slippage. “I tested the grip on a damp day on the trail and found the performance matched my go-to New Balance runners (the Hierro V7),” said our tester Noa, “although without as much midsole. But in terms of agility, the Trail Wizards are unbeatable.”
Our tester found the fit to be slightly narrow. “If you don’t have wide feet, you’ll be fine,” she added. “But the arch brace fit the curvature of my foot perfectly and helped my control on twisty trails.” The ventilation of the upper was good if not excellent compared to an ultra-minimalist trail shoe like the Arc’teryx Norvan. And it should be noted that Helly Hansen used upwards of 70% recycled material in the upper.
Overall, the Trail Wizard is not a long-distance or competitive trail shoe, nor is it advertised as such. “I appreciated the fit and turnkey performance for my short bursts on uphills and rock gardens,” Noa added. “I particularly like how the heel reinforcement feels when I’m in between rocks. I feel steadier and less likely to twist or drag.”
Noa concludes: “For longer distances I would reach for something with a fatter midsole. But for runs under about 6 or 7 km, I found the Trail Wizard equal to a higher-priced shoe.”
Other features of note include a PFC-free, water-repellent treatment on the upper; an antimicrobial treatment that helps prevent odour in the shoe interior even after intense runs; non-marking rubber soles to ensure traction without leaving marks on indoor surfaces; and 100% RPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) reinforcement tape and collar reinforcement, contributing to their eco-friendly design.
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