I mainly run on the road but have started running the trails more often lately, so the FuelCell SC Trail has been on my radar since it was introduced at the Running Event late last year. When it finally launched in late-July with little fanfare or marketing blitz, I jumped on it with high expectations. After nearly 250 miles on multiple pairs I got over 5 weeks, I can say that the SC Trail has exceeded those expectations and then some.
The SC Trail is lightweight, nimble, and propulsive but also very comfortable with the dual compound FuelCell midsole and a stretchy but conforming upper. The Vibram Litebase outsole is much grippier than I expected and performs well even on technical trails. The unexpected bonus of the SC Trail is how well if performs on the road. It is comparable to some of the latest road "super daily trainers" in performance. Living in a very hilly neighborhood with dozens of trails and tarmac segments crisscrossing each other, I can now run both road and trail with virtually no compromise for either. Make no mistake, the SC Trail is first and foremost a trail show but I was very pleasantly surprised by how well if performed on pavement.
I got my first pair half-size up after reading a review saying that it's a little snug in the forefoot area and toe-box. Even half-size up, it did feel snug, so I stuffed the shoes with socks and left them overnight and that stretched out the upper enough for my toes to splay and provide more room side-to-side. After a few initial runs, I was so pleased that I got a second pair and then a third pair in TTS, which I again stretched out a bit with the socks-in-the-shoe-overnight trick and works fine with thinner socks.
Living in sunny and dry SoCal, I haven't had a chance to test the shoe in wet and muddy conditions. The SC Trail seems best suited for the West Coast with mostly smoothened and hard-packed dirt/gravel trails but I've run on steep rocky and wooded trails with lots of protruding roots and uneven terrains and it has performed exceptionally well. I do think that, for some heavier-set runners, the stretchy upper may be unstable with too much side-to-side movement. I think a little more reinforcement in the medial sides of the upper would be welcome for improved stability. I'm light (5'7, 125lbs) and fairly agile with strong ankles, so the SC Trail feels plenty stable to me but YMMV depending on your size and physique.
The ride and running experience of the SC Trail is quite unique amongst all the trail running shoes I've tried. It takes a little while to find the sweet spot for very cushy and comfortable landings in the mid-foot and heel and then rolling through to the aggressive forefoot for the toe-offs. Due to the carbon plate, it can feel quite firm depending on where and how you land. But when you find the sweet spot for the foot strikes, it feels amazingly soft and comfortable underfoot as you transition to the forefoot for propulsion. It really does feel like a road super shoe that's been tailored for the trail.
The Vibram Litebase outsole integrates extremely well with the midsole and upper for a very complete trail running experience. It is very light and you don't get that typical weight of the big rugged outsoles of most trail shoes dragging on your feet through the gait cycles. When I first looked at the outsole, it seemed rather minimalist and I wondered if it can really handle the twisting technical trails and steep hill descents that I encounter on some of the trails I like to run. But, after the first few runs, my concerns were unfounded as I was very surprised by how grippy it was on all types of terrains and how easily I was able to maneuver abrupt turns as well as maintain control during fast descents on steep rocky hills. The surprisingly excellent performance of the outsole capped it for me and I knew right then that this is now my main trail running shoe.
Going uphill or down, blazing through gnarly twisting mountain trails, or locking in a steady pace on long sections of smoothened straight-line dirt/gravel paths, the SC Trail handles them all with efficient speed, technical proficiency, and reliable stability. For me, the SC Trail is, at the moment, the undisputed 'Shoe of the Year' and I don't see any other shoe (road or trail) coming along before 2024 to change that perception. It does everything I need or want for the trail and then performs almost as well on tarmac for the ultimate road-to-trail running experience, making it the most versatile running shoe I've ever tried. I love it and am looking forward to some new colorways as at the current pace I'm using the SC Trail, I'll need more soon.
