Columbia Ravenous
Columbia’s first serious foray into the trail running market has resulted in
the very impressive Ravenous shoes (RRP: €110). These shoes performed
great. We were really delighted with the fit, especially around the ankle. Columbia has a really unique way of providing lots of ankle support. Instead of having the rigid ankle support inside the shoe, on the Ravenous it is wrapped around the outside of the heel, like an exoskeleton. This makes the shoes feel both very soft and supportive. The cushioning is good, scoring somewhere in the middle between Salomon and Inov-8.
Sprinting down steep greasy gullies gave the grip no challenges and it seemed to be very good on multi-directional manoeuvres, jumping up on rocks and dealing with the sides of grassy banks. Drainage and breathability were absolutely super. Within three strides after immersion in a stream, the shoes felt dry again. They might look pretty ordinary, but looks can be deceptive and these Ravenous shoes seem like a great new option for trail runners.
Available from 53 Degrees North, the Great Outdoors and Wheelworx , or contact distributor TJ Bradley, tel. 087- 2653-753.
Verdict:
Really great all rounder, good combination of minimalist feel, support, grip and cushioning.
