Scott Men’s Kinabalu Trail

Our View – Scott Men’s Kinabalu Trail:

The all new Kinabalu Trail has been designed to support your training while maintaining a fast, agile feel off-road. Although officially a replacement for the Scott Kinabalu 3, the new Kinabalu Trail shares very little with its predecessor in terms of technology, looks or feel. This years’ complete overhaul is no bad thing as the Kinabalu 3 was, to many, a bit on the heavy and firm side and a little old-fashioned in terms of style. The new Kinabalu Trail is perhaps the complete opposite light, responsive and good looking. Let’s check out the detail…

Cushioning & midsole

Featuring a newly developed Kinetic Fusion Foam midsole that provides a responsive, cushioned ride. The foam has been designed to provide the ultimate balance of lightness, responsiveness, and durability, which has been achieved by fusing EVA and PEBAX. What this means in reality is that shoes are an excellent choice for longer, less intense days of running, absorbing impacts brilliantly and returning your energy well for a fast, efficient feel without feeling overly soft or heavy.

The midsole also includes an Evolved Rocker2 (ER2) that builds on 10 years of continued Research & Development by Scott to create their most efficient running platform to date. Scott have implemented a deep understanding of running biomechanics to engage a more dynamic running technique by reducing heel strike impacts and encouraging more roll through with each footstep. Combined with a 6mm heel to toe drop what this means for you is increased running efficiency, you can run longer for less energy. What’s not to like!

Outsole Grip

The Kinabalu Trail features a brand-new lug layout known as Versatile Traction with 5mm lugs arranged in a multidirectional pattern that provides excellent traction on a wide range of surfaces from rocks to grass and even a smattering of tarmac when needed. But where it really excels is on harder packed, undulating trails. The design is such that it optimises ground contact points and propulsion giving confidence and performance on challenging terrain.

Upper & Fit

The Kinabalu Trail offers a pretty “standard” width, not overly wide, but not narrow either. What it provides is an excellent, snug, but not restrictive feel that is ideal for off-road running when you want to feel secure on the trails. This is achieved in part thanks to the excellent lacing system combined with a nicely secure heel that prevents any unwanted movement.

The Kinabalu Trail utilises the same honeycomb-patterned mesh as the Kinabalu 3, but the overlays have been removed meaning less weight, more breathability, less risk of pressure points and a sleeker look overall.

To maintain protection from rocks, roots and other trail debris the Kinabalu Trail features a fairly minimalist, but effective overlay that runs around the base of the midsole and around the toe cap.

Overall, the overhaul to the Scott Kinabalu Trail is one to be praised and we think this is a shoe that will bring Scott right back to the forefront of trail runners shoe choices. If you are looking for a reliable training partner that is comfortable and purposeful then it is well worth a look and should fit a wide range of foot shapes.

Specifications - Scott Men’s Kinabalu Trail:

• Range of use - Trail
• Composition - Upper: Polyester (PES)
• Upper Overlays: Thermoplastic Polyurethan (TPU) - Polyurethane (PU)
• Upper Tongue: Polyester Engineered Mesh
• Lining: Polyester (PES)
• Midsole: Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) - Polyether Block Amide (PEBA)
• Outsole: Rubber
• Footbed: Polyester (PES) - Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)
• Heel - 33mm
• Forefoot - 27mm
• Heel to forefoot drop - 6mm
• Ripstop Mesh Upper
• Light and durable foam
• Outsole for varied ground
• Approx. weight - 250g
• Fit - Regular
• Versatile Traction - With its fully redesigned lugs the outsole bites into the different levels of rocks, roots and trail features to optimize the ground contact and enhance traction. This outsole is ideal for hardpack rolling trails.
• Kinetic Fusion Foam - Kinetic Fusion is Scott’s latest proprietary foam technology, engineered in-house to deliver the ultimate balance of lightness, responsiveness, and durability. By fusing EVA and PEBAX, they’ve created a high-performance midsole that absorbs impact, returns energy, and maintains consistent feel in all temperatures. Designed for the trail but built for any run, it offers a smooth, propulsive ride that keeps you moving effortlessly, no matter the distance or conditions.
• Evolved Rocker2 - Evolved Rocker2 (ER2) builds on 10 years of continued R&D, creating Scott’s most efficient running platform yet. ER2 applies their advanced understanding of biomechanical principles to promote a more dynamic running position, reducing heel strike impacts and increasing running efficiency. Simply put, you can run faster for longer, with less energy.