The Cloudventure Peak was the lightest men’s trail running shoe in our recent magazine grouptest (297g, UK11), but that's not all they have going for them...
The ride
A new Speedboard comes with a split forefoot design and narrower midfoot to help increase torsion and improve agility while running off-road.
In practice it seems to work, too. Working with the shoe's low weight and 4mm drop, the Speedboard helps deliver a responsive and nimble ride.
The result is that when you want to pick up the pace it feels like the shoe is working with you, rather than against you.
It's certainly noticeable when compared against some other trail shoes on the market and it means this is a shoe that'll be a great companion for any speedwork or hill climbing sessions.
A neutral drop of 4mm also offered a planted feel, which is boosted by plenty of space for toe splay
Comfort
Comfort is high here, too, with the sock liner-style upper hugging the foot nicely. We haven't gone sockless in these yet but the Cloudventure Peak looks and feels like a shoe that would lend itself to that if you wanted it to.
Meanwhile, the upper is incredibly lightweight and breathes very well, yet uses a ripstop fabric in an attempt to deliver durability. That thin upper doesn't have a negative impact on comfort, either, with the tongue adequately padded to offer protection against the laces.
Speaking of which, we found these quite thin and fiddly, so they may not be the quickest to get on if you're in a race environment. That being said, we had no issues with them coming unstuck.
Off-road performance
Underfoot, a combo of aggressive lugs and the brand's trademark Clouds really excel on soft, muddy ground, biting into the dirt with a trusty efficiency.
They deliver on hard-packed trails, too, but there was less grip on offer on smooth, wet tarmac or rock.
A large rand runs around the shoe offering protection from bumps and scrapes, but there’s not a huge amount of cushioning right underfoot, which is worth considering if you plan to cover big miles.
We should also add that a black colourway is available if white (not our first pick for trail shoes!) isn't to your liking.
Verdict: Responsible, comfortable and great performance on gnarly trails
Score: 87%
