Roclite 285
So since I’ve done two races in these shoes, and I’ve not spoken out about them I figure I should say something. The Roclite 285 is really nothing special. It’s a very solid shoe. Just like every other Roclite I’ve ever warn I’ve liked. This shoe is 20 grams lighter than my normal ultra shoe (the Roclite 305).
Roclite-285
The 285 has a hard plastic toe cover which is great for when you kick a rock or a root. One draw back I do have about this shoe is it seems excessively pointy. That being said I kick more rocks and roots with this shoe than I have with any other shoe. Aside from that one complaint the shoe itself is solid.
This shoe is definitely made for those with narrow feet, and it is still snug. This narrow snug fit really helps the shoe to stay in place on your foot when navigating uneven terrain. When there are lots of rocks, roots, ruts (from bikes) and your foot ends up striking in lots of various positions you want to know that your shoe will stay on your foot and your foot will not slide around inside.
So far the longest distance I’ve run in these shoes is 32 miles, and they’ve held up to the demand. I’ve run both the WhiteRock 50k and the Sylamore 50k in these shoes. Whiterock was a dirt road the whole way, and really any shoe could have worked for this course. But Sylamore was a different story. With water crossings, wet rocks, roots, stone steps, gravel, sand and ice this trail was a test for this shoe. The upper does a pretty poor job of keeping out the sand and grit when the going gets wet. But as with any mesh upper shoe that’s going to be the case. The out sole is made using a sticky rubber which is great for grabbing hold of rocks and giving you a solid grip every time. The 285′s work great when they’re wet and dry. The rubber grips and holds what ever the terrain.
Anybody looking to add a solid shoe to their line up should look into the 285.
It’s not flashy, it’s not boring, it’s not fantastic and it doesn’t suck. But it sure as hell gets the job done with the minimal amount of fuss.
