I am not exactly sure when or why it happened, but at some point in the past few years, buying trail running shoes became a huge, huge thing. Step into any running specialty shop or mountaineering store these days and I can pretty much guarantee that you will eventually come to a wall that is completely packed with trail running shoes for sale. As you look around, you will notice that there are literally dozens of different options, colors, makes, and models to choose from offered by virtually every brand imaginable. If you are anything like me, it is pretty overwhelming and confusing. Compounding the issue is the fact that most of the people trying on these shoes look like they would get tired jogging up your local sledding hill – it is usually not a very reassuring peer group to get reviews from.  And that’s not even to mention the typical gear rep, who looks like he might get lost in your local greenbelt without the aid of map and compass. Read more…