I wouldn’t say the shoe made me feel especially fast — actually, I would describe the shoe as pretty clunky — but I did feel comfortable and confidently “armo(u)red” on my mid-distance runs involving punchy climbs and steep, smooth downhills. The tradeoff for this was a lack of agility and a numbed sense of ground feel. The Charged Bandit Trail 2, with its fairly stiff and bulky cushioning, often felt like an unstable ride.
After using this shoe in a variety of settings during my review period, I think in the future I’ll relegate it to my uninspired after-work jog — at the end of the day, the Charged Bandit Trail 2 is comfortable, it is versatile, it doesn’t nag at me to run faster, and it’s been durable so far.
Durability
I’ve traced what I’m about to say above, but I want to reiterate it here: the Charged Bandit Trail 2’s burliness is probably the most impressive aspect of the shoe. From the upper through the midsole and outsole, the Charged Bandit Trail 2 still looks and feels practically brand new — and though I’ve only put 70 rugged miles on it, I’m confident in saying the shoe will likely have no issues withstanding a good bit more.