I received these Skye Trails – billed as a ‘multi-activity shoe’ – last summer. If you remember, it was rather a hot one. In my experience, for general use, sandals or lighter-weight shoes are a good fit for my day-to-day activities, with walking boots and ‘heavier’ trail shoes being reserved for the more challenging of conditions.
So with this in mind, testing began in earnest towards the end of the season, when temperatures were lower – and they’ve basically been my daily choice since.
Appearance and fit
When it comes to footwear, I think the colour black is a bit of a Marmite situation; you either embrace it or avoid it in favour of more subtle tones. Anatom’s choice here is a very dark black and, despite constant use in mucky environments (think low-tide shoreline, muddy woodland floors etc), I’ve found it’s barely lightened up.
This is by no means a complaint and, naturally, many will see this as a good thing – but it’s something to bear in mind if you are on the fence. As an aside, I personally think the complimentary green is great choice to go alongside this.
As for the fit… well, to say ‘like a glove’ would be no exaggeration! Almost like wearing a padded shoe, my feet have remained so comfy in their cocoon-like home.
In part, I think this is down to the wonderful webbing lace loops, which have always held the oval laces firmly – in turn, giving a great sense of reassurance when negotiating uneven ground. Not once have I felt my feet slipping inside, even on descents.
Additionally, the tongue is nicely cushioned, so I’ve never felt the laces dig in, even if I’ve overtightened them.
Round the back, a webbing loop above the heel is a welcome addition for putting the shoes on (or clipping them to your rucksack when not in use).
Performance
At 793g for the pair, the Skye Trails are hardly what you’d call heavy and I certainly haven’t found them in the slightest bit bulky, as can sometimes be the case with trail shoes.
The Vibram Sky Running sole has performed well in some pretty tricky conditions including, just recently, ice and snow. Whilst the tread isn’t exactly ‘deep set’, it certainly gives ample traction – just what I’ve needed when carrying rucksacks containing my photography and camping kit.
In the interests of science, I chose not to add any exterior protective weather proofing to the shoes (such as Nikwax) – rather, I wanted to see how they performed in their ‘natural’ state, straight out of the box. I haven’t been disappointed.
The tri.aria membrane has successfully kept water out, whilst allowing moisture to escape. As a result, my feet have remained dry for prolonged periods. I still maintain that these shoes would be rather warm on a hot sunny day working on location – but that’s just me… It could well be that your feet don’t get as hot as mine in a given scenario.
Even around the toe sections (protected by rubber bumpers), which often bare the brunt, scuffs have been kept to a minimum and there has been no sign of physical damage. In fact, there’s no sign of degradation across the shoes as a whole; the ballistic polyester and suede is tough stuff!
Final thoughts…
Outdoors folk often spend serious money on kitting themselves out for their adventures, with footwear frequently being something of an afterthought. But when you know you’ll be putting in serious mileage, over rough terrain and whilst carrying heavy loads on your back, it makes sense to think sensibly about investing in yourself.
The Anatom Skye Trail shoe is just such an investment. Simple in many ways, technical in others, it offers some great features that do exactly what you’d expect of them.
For further details, check out the Anatom website here.
