For some reason as we move into the fall soon the winter months, we start talking a lot more about trail shoes. I think this is because historically trail shoes are designed for inclement weather whereas road shoes are inherently more vulnerable to the changes in climate. In this review, we are looking at a newcomer for us but in no way new to the trail market, Vasque. We are taking a look at their new Pendulum II trail shoe and before I start, I will admit to not being too familiar with any of the Vasque running line so I approach it with an open mind.
Historically, when you think of Vasque you think of hiking, so to some degree it makes logical sense that they’re competing in the trail shoe market as well. They know how to handle the varying conditions of the trail and build a top-notch footbed and sole system and hopefully, they understand durability as well.
At first glance, the Pendulum to looks like a lower profile and slightly sportier hiking shoe. It lacks a lot of the traditional running shoe styling that makes its way into “traditional” trail shoe line ups. I think this actually helps the shoe in a lot of ways, but may hurt it from a broader trail appeal perspective. I would offer this note of guidance not to make hasty judgments against the aesthetics because sometimes there’s a lot of value in looking past the exterior.
Design and Structure
As I mentioned, the Pendulum II takes a lot of its notes from the hiking world more than it does from the trail running world visually. However, that’s really only skin deep. When you get down into the design you find a very thoughtfully constructed shoe that hits all the high points of a reliable trail shoe.
First, it has a seamless upper that is mesh and highly breathable. Its not thin enough that trail junk can get in their, but enough to provide some airflow and keep your feet from overheating. It also means no hotspots, at least in my case.
The footbed is a slow rebound foam so as you run, it starts to adapt to your foot and molds itself into shape as you run. It’s compression molded so it cradles your foot really well. This can sometimes be a negative as well especially at distance as that rebounding you sometimes get from distance shoes actually helps your legs overcome exhaustion.
The sole is the standout and I should hope so given their trail heritage. It has a 6mm offset which definitely means these are good for both forefoot and heel strikers and as most trail runners are combo (forefoot on flat and ups and heels on down), this works out really well. They also segmented the rock plate which give you a ton of extra flexibility and the actually lugs are only 4mm, but demonstrate a remarkable amount of control.
Styling and Fit
I harped on the styling a little it at the beginning, and I’m not gonna back pedal just yet because it is fair to say the lines of this look like a hiker. However, the colorways and visual elements are really well done and the more I wore them the more I got used to the hiker style. In the model we tested, the subtle olive hues with slight red and light green accents really work well together and visually it’s a very easy to look at shoe.
On the fit side was where I found myself the most surprised. The upper is very soft and has a seamless feel given that much of the structure and stability on the exterior of the outsole. The footbed is nicely done and as a neutral runner I found it never left me feeling like I was lacking In any area of stability. The foot bed is more flexible than I expected, as they have implemented a segmented rock guard into the sole which protects and provides some movement. Any lack of flexibility is made up for it as these things eat up rocks. My immediate response was that these would be great on ultra distances where you have a lot of variation and there’s going to be some very slow climbs.
Running in the Pendulum IIs
I’ve had a chance to wear these on several decent size trail runs and I can honestly say they perform admirably. On the positive side, I found them to be light enough to be responsive and provide me a certain level of control that other trail shoes haven’t given me. I found the sole ate up most of what it was thrown at it and it also did a good job providing protection from very technical rocky environment. They didn’t necessarily feel fast, but they also didn’t slow me down as the upper feels quite light which is good because they actually weigh in well over 10oz.
On the negative side because the upper is so light, they actually felt a little loose at times on my feet and I fixed this by moving to thicker socks, but just as a note. The other odd thing was that they felt slightly narrow and I have a very neutral size foot. The toe box was fine but through the middle and into the heel it just seemed narrower than I would expect for a trail shoe. I put this as a negative, but for some people they might really enjoy this, especially depending on your foot. It never affected me in any way, but was definitely more of a mental thing. One other note, the shoe holds your foot really well and I never experienced any sort of heel slippage when I was running. The looseness that did exist is more in the mid to upper portion of the shoe and I think that is actually intentional as it provides ride control and enhanced feel, but it was a little too much for me. The thicker sock solved all of this.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the Vasque Pendulum IIs. There were some little nitpicks here and there especially around the thinner upper, but most were resolved as I got used to them or found workarounds. My overall gripe with them is actually more on the aesthetic side and that is a very personal thing more than it is a functional thing. Don’t get me wrong, the shoes perform very well, but what I like in a trail to is something that feels a little more aggressive. I would like to see something with a little faster look aesthetically and maybe some more adventurous colorways. That being said, there is more than enough room in the market for a shoe like the Vasque Pendulum II and there is a large community that doesn’t want flashy, but instead wants a shoe that’s durable and will take you as far as you want to go. This is definitely a step in the right direction and is probably their best in the lineup for me right now.
You can buy the Vasque Pendulum II for $119.99 at your local outdoor retailers.
