Men's Pearl Izumi Peak XC Light Trail Running Shoe Review

I was privileged enough to receive a pair of Pearl Izumi's Peak XC Trail Running shoes this spring while living back in Michigan. I used them almost every time I ran, covering 5K distances right out of the box, comfortably. The first time I put them on, I could notice the incredible shock absorption and cushion, not just in the heel, but also on the balls of my feet. While my running schedule has been shot to pieces since taking my summer camp counselor job, I still love the shoes.

Pearl Izumi Peak XC on top of Cold Mtn, NC

The body of the shoe is made from extremely porous mesh of several layers. Even in a light rain, water easily splashes through to my socks from the smallest rain droplets. The mesh on my left shoe tore a little the other day as I was hiking the Cold Mountain Trail in NC and accidentally kicked a stick with the side of the shoe. The stick caught in the mesh material and tore a small hole in the outer layer. The hole has not widened or been a problem in any way, however.

The shoe has a lot of reflective material. Pearl Izumi made this shoe show up in the headlights, that's for sure. The PI logos show up pretty well in the light and a lot of the stitching and shoelace loop webbing is reflective. Even the fabric on the tongue of the shoe shines pretty brightly. Also the silver rubber piece that travels up the middle of the toe of the Peak XC shoe is reflective. There's a reflective PI on the heel of the shoe, as well.

My favorite part about the Pearl Izumi Peak XC Trail Runner? The tread on the shoe. The front half of the Peak XC has aggressive rear-facing teething that really bites into any surface. It makes these shoes great for running, trail running, or hiking. I use them for backpacking religiously down here in North Carolina. I can always rely on the Peak XC to grab whatever terrain I decide to plant my foot on.

One of the best parts about this shoe is that if (and when) it gets wet, you only need remove the insole and let dry. I have gotten this shoe soaked through from mountain biking, backpacking, and work. Every time I've removed the laces, opened up the shoe, removed the insole and let dry. It only takes 24 hours or less to be thoroughly air dried. Then I brush out whatever mud or dirt might be left dried in the shoe, lace it back up, and go. The Pearl Izumi Peak XC shoes are also very lightweight. Most of the time I don't even remember I've got them on. I love the lightweight mesh body because these shoes are still comfortable even on 90ºF mountain days when the humidity must be over 100%.

The Pearl Izumi Peak XC shoes receive a 5/5 stars from me. They are very supportive, lightweight, breathable, have great traction, comfortable, and look sweet. Look for a Pearl Izumi Iso Seek IV WRX review soon, also.

Happy Trails, friends!