Product Testing - Patagonia Release Shoe and Drymax Trail Running Sock Updates

When I last reviewed the Patagonia Release trail shoe I didn’t get a chance to test them under wet conditions. That all changed during the wet and wild Vermont 50 in September and on a recent training run in Willowdale State Forest. The shoes’ Vibram soles performed well on wet rocks and roots and the mesh uppers drained very quickly. They also provide effective traction in typical mud but were as useless as slippers in the 6 inch mud of Vermont. That’s not a surprise, nothing worked on that day. The Patagonia Release should be given serious consideration for your shoe purchase.

I had mixed results when I last reviewed the Drymax Lite Trail Running sock. Although I thought the socks were well made and fit and felt great I got a minor blister on my longer runs. In the socks defense, I was using power in the socks which limits their effectiveness to remove moisture from the skin. Thanks to Bob at Drymax I was able to give Drymax another real world test.

This time I tried the Drymax Trail Running sock with great success. This time, no powder and no blisters on runs up to two and a half hours long. I also like the extra cushioning of this sock over the lite version. These sock work great with my Roclite 320s giving them some additional cushioning and comfort on long runs. These socks fit great, are well constructed and are very durable.

I’ll be testing other Drymax models in the coming weeks and months so stay tuned for the results.