Montrail has been a mainstay in the trail running world since the early 2000’s, when the brand sponsored many of the top ultra / trail runners in the sport. Now, as a sub-brand of Columbia, Montrail shoes continue to offer many of the features that made them so popular in years past. All Montrail shoes are now sold under the Columbia name.
Columbia Montrail shoes generally follow a more “traditional” model, with heel-to-toe drops of 5-8 mm, though their stack heights are starting to climb. While Columbia Montrail shoes don’t run particularly narrow, the forefoot of most of their shoes is a bit narrower and more pointed than shoes from brands like Altra or Topo, which have much wider toe boxes. One other perk of Columbia Montrail shoes is that many models often go on sale for $60-$80, making them a good option for runners looking for a more affordable shoe.
Columbia Montrail has kept their trail running shoe line to just four models in 2022, and each model has a fairly different intended purpose. In this breakdown, we’ll go through the features and intended purpose of each shoe in Columbia Montrail’s lineup. Shoes are organized from highest to lowest stack height.