Amelia is one of our RE ambassadors for 2018/19. She is very active in the community and is one of the makers of the maps we all know and love, Cairn Cartography! As a frequent runner of the trails, we asked Amelia to review the new Summit Q.O.M from New Balance. Her thoughts are below. You can also follow her adventures on instagram @cairncarto, as well as on facebook.
Specs: 8mm drop, 28/20mm stack, 9.2 OZ, vibram mega-grip outsole
I received a pair of New Balance Summit QOM shoes to test. My favorite trail shoe of all time was probably the original New Balance Leadville, and I’ve run in several other New Balance shoes over the last few years so I was excited to try this new model. The Summit QOM replaced the 910 model and is designed to be an everyday do-it-all shoe for all types of runners.
I should start by saying that I’m super fussy about shoes. My feet are really wide, my arches are high, and I like the midfoot and heel of my running shoes to feel secure. I like a decent amount of cushioning but not too much, I want protection from rocks but I want to feel the trail underneath me, zero drop doesn’t work for me but I do like lower-drop shoes. I am always, always on the hunt for a shoe that fits my goldilocks standards. Shoes I’ve liked recently are the now-discontinued Pearl Izumi N2s, the original Brooks Calderas (but they fell apart too fast and this year’s version was too narrow), and the current Salomon Sense Ride, which I love, but I wish had a little more substance underfoot for long days.
So, with that qualifier (I’m picky!) here’s what I thought of the QOMs: Initially I wasn’t crazy about the understated grey color scheme but it’s grown on me, especially with the pop of yellow from the sole. The trail shoe market has gone a little crazy with super dark or really flashy designs lately, so these stand out for how understated they are.
How do they feel? These feel firm and burly! For the QOM New Balance took the same midsole as the 910, added a vibram mega-grip outsole and beefed up the toe bumper, and these babies feel ready for anything. I’ve worn them on a variety of Missoula trails and they feel grippy and secure going up and down on the steeps, even with late summer loose gravelly trails. The underfoot protection is so good 
I find myself looking around at the view more instead of carefully watching my feet because they eat up sharp rocks underfoot. On flatter smoother trails that extra protection does feel a little bit overkill and these are not my first choice for road-to-trail or mellower runs, but they do turn over surprisingly well for how stiff they feel. A few weeks ago I took these on a trip to the Tetons and they were great for scrambling and boulder hopping in big alpine terrain.
Some fit specifics: Like a lot of New Balance shoes, the toe box in these feels roomy and I didn’t even have to order a wide width (but I appreciate that they come in wide, other shoe companies take note, feet come in different widths!). They did take a while to break in, but once they formed to my feet and the thick padding on the tongue and collar packed down a tiny bit they felt super comfortable and secure. They feel like a higher drop shoe, so I was surprised to see them listed as only 8mm, and the higher stack height combined with the firm sole made me feel a little further from the ground than I prefer, but some days that kind of protection is good.
These would be great shoes for races like the Rut or Bridger Ridge Run, or for training in the kind of rugged terrain featured in those races. I think they will also be great for shoulder season runs in mud and snow when a stiffer shoe and a burly sole can really save the day. I also really appreciate how durable these feel, I’m hard on shoes and it’s not unusual for me to wear holes in the upper in less than 200 miles. These seem built to last, about 100 miles in the uppers look great and the soles barely show any wear. I would recommend these as a daily trainer for people who like a firm, protective shoe, or for people looking for a good option for snowy/muddy/rocky trails.
