Our verdict

Though I won’t be setting any FKTs (fastest known time) in this shoe, I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Montrail FKT by Columbia. It has flexibility where I need it, but it’s also stable in the heel and midfoot, so you I'm not slipping around in the shoe when going over uneven terrain.

Pros

  • Breathable
  • Wide toebox
  • Very comfortable
  • Responsive
  • Grippy outsole
  • Stable and secure
  • True to size
  • Durable
  • Columbia FKT summary

Cons

  • Feels flat
  • updated 16 Feb 2024

Audience verdict

87
Great!

This is a great versatile training shoe and if you are in the market, I highly recommend it

What is the most striking (pun intended) about this shoe is that the outsole is so grippy that I could take it over wet soggy grass and then onto the rocks without slipping around. It’s not a super cushioned shoe like a Hoka, How we test.

The insole is removable if you need to add your own for extra cushioning and comfort. Overall this has everything that you need in a trail shoe at a price that makes it a great value too.

Construction & design

Starting from the outsole, the 4mm lugs give you enough grip for most surfaces and I can attest to how well these work on a variety of surfaces.

I wasn’t able to test these in deep mud, so I can’t say how well that they would do in that situation, but in my experience, you would need much bigger lugs to do well in that type of situation.

Not only are the outsoles versatile, but they are also durable as well. There is solid protection along with grippiness on the outsole.  

The midsole is not stiff like a lot of trail shoes. The forefoot is quite flexible which allows you the agility that you need to manoeuvre over a variety of terrain.

The midsole is cushioned, but there isn’t a lot of it there so if you are looking for a Hoka shoe you have come to the wrong place.

Despite the lack of stack height, it is still comfortable enough to put a lot of miles on. I do wish that there was a bit more cushioning for those downhill rides.

The upper, what can I say about the upper other than it feels like a nice warm hug. The heel counter secures your foot so that it feels like it is moulded to your foot.

The ankle collar is padded all around, so you don’t feel any chafing or discomfort during your runs. The lacing system adds to that warm hug feel and wraps around your foot in a way that doesn’t create any hotspots around the top of your foot.

The dual-mesh upper is breathable in the forefoot, but all of the padding around the heel isn’t really breathable, so they balance each other out.

Fit/performance/durability

What do you get when you mix a warm hug with flexibility?  Hot yoga maybe, but you also get the Montrail FKT.  Which will get you outdoors in fresh air rather than the contained hot air that accompanies every hot yoga class.  

The shoe does well over grass, dirt, rocks, and man-made roads. I was not able to test this on every type of terrain, but our current environment allowed me to venture out from the mountain trails that I normally run on.

The shoe gave me the flexibility and room in the toe box that I need with the structure in the heel to make the ride quite comfortable.  

I was very pleased with the fit and ride of this shoe and I like that it is durable enough that it will still be in good shape to take on the mountain trails when those open up again.  

Conclusion

Columbia FKT summary.