www.hi-tec.com/uk | £64.99
Over the last few months I’ve been hitting the trails hard. I decided I needed to lose weight, I have a dog who needs a lot of exercise (he’s a husky) and I received a pair of Hi-Tec Nazka 5.0 trail running shoes in the post and thought it would be silly not to give them a go in the environment they were designed to be used in!
The Nazka 5.0s are a new offering from Hi-Tec and they’re designed to provide comfort, support and protection at a light weight while trail running. In the few months that I’ve been using them I must say that I’ve been impressed with them, they’re not the most aesthetic shoes I’ve ever worn, but when it comes to actual functionality they’re great.
The Nazka 5.0 is available in one colour set only, black and clementine. It’s not the best looking shoe I’ve seen by any means but the design grew on me after a while. One thing that particularly stands out on the shoe is the Vibram logo on the side of the sole, a reassuring sight as you can pretty much guarantee that it’s going to be a quality sole.
And it sure is. The Nazka features a Vibram Trail sole and it’s an excellent addition. The grip is superb on nearly all surfaces with minimal slips and slides even in the wettest and muddiest conditions. Durability is good and the sole will last you a long, long time, probably longer than the shoes.
A neat addition to the sole is the inclusion of a forefoot bruise plate, this is an area on the forefoot that has been reinforced to help protect your foot from rocks and other uneven surfaces. It does its job brilliantly.
The Nazka 5.0 features Hi-Tec’s V-Lite technology, essentially what this is is a build concept that minimises the weight of the product while retaining crucial elements like comfort, stability and durability. While it’s certainly not the lightest trail running shoe on the market, when you consider just how sturdy and supportive it is you begin to gain an appreciation of how low the weight is.
A nice rubber bumper on the front of the shoe protects from rock scuffs and the sole wraps over the back of the heel to make sure you’ve got adequate grip when running down hill.
The Nazka 5.0 excels when it comes to comfort and this is due to the decent amount of padding the shoe offers, the dual density mid-sole and the Ortholite footbed. All of these features work together to make the Nazka 5.0 not only superbly comfortable straight out of the box but comfortable to wear throughout the day and on long runs.
All in all I would highly recommend the Nazka 5.0 if you’re looking for a new trail running shoe. Its rugged sole provides excellent grip and stability on most surfaces, comfort is exceptional and at £64.99 you’re not going to be breaking the bank too much.
Hi-Tec Nazka 5.0 Verdict
Comfort, support, stability…everything you want from a trail running shoe