Scott Kinabalu Trail Shoes
The Scott Kinabalu Trail shoes are comfortable, lightweight trail runners good for moderate terrain and relatively smooth trails. Long-term comfort and durability on rugged, rocky trails is questionable.
Overview: Scott Kinabalu Trail Shoes
MSRP: $159.95
Weight (per shoe): 8.8 ounces
Stack Height: 37mm/29mm
Drop: 8 mm
Choices: Available in men’s and women’s GORE-TEX shoes.
About the Kinabalu Trail Shoes
The Scott Kinabalu Trail are comfortable shoes, with a high stack height and 8mm drop. The shoes feel good out of the box and the size 12 is a spot-on fit for my size 12 feet. The high drop and supportive arch cradle my flat feet and ensure I can hike miles on trail without sore arches. I can rock-hop with confidence of a good grip, but the cushion underfoot is soft.
Comfort
The Kinabalu are light at 8.8 ounces per shoe, and the shoes are comfortable on smooth trails.
But rugged and rocky uphill trails are not the Kinabalu’s strong point. The foam midsole is soft and I can definitely feel rocks and roots underfoot more than I would like.
The upper mesh is light and breathable, good for keeping my feet from getting too hot. But the mesh and the rest of the shoes’ uppers are thin, making me wonder about durability.
The tongue padding is comfortable but it doesn’t stretch across the entire tongue, perhaps another weight-saving measure.
On the good side, the roomy toe box has space for my toes to breathe.
And the high ankle and heel collar lock my feet in place so they’re not sliding around.
Overall the shoes are comfortable and perform well on smooth trails. I just wouldn’t recommend them for rugged trails.
Construction
The Kinabalu do not have a midsole rock plate but instead rely on what Scott calls Kinetic Fusion foam to absorb pounding on the trail. On clear trails the spongy foam is soft and provides a responsive lift for my feet, but it falls short on rocks and roots.
The shoes do have a toe plate that protects my toes if I strike a rock dead on, something I’m prone to do.
Good to Know
About Scott: The Swiss company was founded in 1958 with a focus on ski and cycling equipment. Scott entered the trail running market in 2006.
Returns: Information about Scott’s online return policy can be found here.
Scott Kinabalu Pros
Weight: Very lightweight for a mid-cut shoe.
Stack Height: 37mm/29mm. Moderate cushion, with a high drop that I need because of my flat feet.
Heel Collar: The high heel and ankle collar keeps my feet from sliding around inside the shoes.
Roomy Toe Box: Enough room to let my toes splay.
Scott Kinabalu Cons
More of a Running Shoe: The Kinabalu are comfortable shoes that are more at home on running trails or moderate hiking paths.
Soft Midsole: The foam is spongy, and while it’s comfortable on smooth trails, the midsole doesn’t stand up to rock pounding.
Overall Value
The Scott Kinabalu Trail are lower-priced shoes good for running or hiking on groomed or moderately difficult trails. The aren’t shoes I would take while backpacking on a challenging rocky and rooty trail.
Similar Hiking Shoes
New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9
MSRP: $159.99
Drop: 4mm
Weight: 10.9 ounces
This product was donated for purpose of review.