Pearl Izumi syncroFuel II Trail

It seems this is the year of the sequel at Pearl Izumi. They recently released the Streak II racing flat and their lightweight Peak II trail shoe. Now they have just launched the syncroFuel II Trail shoe. The syncroFuel, there is also a road version with an update coming soon, is Pearl's popular mid-weight line that offers good support with racing performance. The syncroFuel is the preferred shoe shoe of much of the Pearl Izumi Racing Team. Nick Clark wore the syncroFuel while placing 3rd at the Western States 100 and 3rd at the Hardrock 100 less than two weeks later.

Men's Pearl Izumi syncroFuel Trail II

Specifications

Weight:

Men: 10.9 ounces (size 10)

Women: 9.6 ounces (size 8)

Heel-Toe Offset:

10mm (23mm heel, 13mm forefoot)

Technology

• Seamless Upper
• 360ᐤ Lacing System
• 1:1 Energy Foam
• Gusseted Tongue
• Ortholoite® Sockliner

Fit and Feel

The seamless upper wraps around your foot uniformly providing an excellent fit. There is ample room in the toe box, but the fit of the shoe keeps your foot in place and well connected. Like the Peak II, the syncroFuel Trail II has a gusseted tongue the helps with the wrap around feel and keep dirt out. At first the seam at the top of the tongue pressed on my ankle a bit, but I forgot about it after a few minutes. There is more cushioning in the achilles that most shoes I've tried on. This was pretty comfortable though and seamed to help keep the heel snug in place. 

One complaint some people had with the original syncroFuel Trail was with the tread of the shoe. Pearl Izumi completely revamped the sole in the syncroFuel Trail II. The aggressive lugs and new pattern provided excellent traction on dirt and rocks. Although designed for trail, the syncroFuel Trail II performed well on asphalt. Many of our training runs, and even trail races, have road sections and some trail shoes are a disaster on pavement. While I wouldn't lace up these shoes for a local 5k, they will see you through any road sections you will encounter.

Pearl Izumi syncroFuel Trail II tread 

Testing

I have worn the syncroFuel Trail II on several runs out at Bootleg Canyon and Mt. Charleston. We got them in the week after I ran the Western States 100 and they were my go to shoe providing much needed comfort for my tender feet. The syncroFuel Trail II seemed to sit slightly lower to the ground than the orignal, but they have more E.V.A. and sit higher than most shoes. This is somewhat of a matter of preference. I normally prefer a shoe that sits lower; however, I didn't feel any rolling in my ankles that I normally feel in shoes of similar height. On the other hand, the extra cushioning made steamrolling over sharp rocks almost feel like cheating.

Although the syncroFuel Trail II looks like a bulky shoe, it is (10.9 ounces size 10) and feels lighter than it looks. While not quite as nimble as the Pearl Izumi Peak II; it is surprisingly only a little over an ounce heavier. Compared to other popular trail shoes it is actually quite light; Brooks Cascadia (12.2 ounces size 9) and Salomon Crossmax (12.3 ounces size 9). 

Pearl Izumi also improved the responsiveness in the syncroFuel Trail II. Despite the thickness of the E.V.A. I felt I had good feedback of the trail underfoot. Yet not even the most sinister rocks Bootleg Canyon has to offer even threatened to poke through. To me, this is one of the most impressive features of the syncroFuel Trail II. To provide heavy protection and comfort in a shoe that gives excellent feedback is something that not many companies have gotten right. Many shoes with good protection make your foot fall asleep and you have no feeling of the terrain.

Women's Pearl Izumi syncroFuel Trail II

If you are a runner that always seems to trip over rocks on trails I can attest the reinforced toe box did its job. I kicked the heck, not on purpose, of a rock that appeared out of nowhere. As I was stumbling and struggling to not go down I was thinking "I may fall, but at least my toe doesn't hurt." This was particularly significant for me because I managed to kick the rock directly on the toe that had taken the worst beaten the week before at Western States.

Overall, I really like the Pearl Izumi syncroFuel Trail II. It has a good fit, provides excellent protection in the sole and toe box, and manages to feel fairly light and nimble for all that comfort.