When a new running shoe debuts, does your heart skip a beat? Do you dream about how you'll break the news to your current running shoes that they're about to be replaced or do you make excuses to friends when admitting you're adding yet another pair to your already-impressive collection? Welcome to our world—the Land of Women's Running Shoes, where every step we take is fashionable, trendy and supremely comfortable.

If you've heard that there's a new shoe in town, the gossip mill is doing its job. The Capra Sport shoe is eminently headline-worthy, attractive and practical, but it's the reputation you earn by finding and wearing shoes to train, compete and trail blaze that also make you look hot while protecting your feet from all sorts of trouble spots ahead that counts. Invest in a pair of Merrell Capra Sport shoes and you might even hype your reputation for being a super-smart consumer!

The Animal Behind the Shoe

Ever wonder how manufacturers arrive at the names and descriptors associated with a new shoe introduction? We did, which is how we found out that a Capra is a type of wild goat and the goat's family includes five different types of these agile mammals. You might already have guessed why Merrell adopted this moniker—unless you're so clever, you make the connection between your sun sign of Capricorn and this agile goat. But the name was picked because there are very few sure-footed, mountain-climbing creatures capable of matching the skills of Capras. They climb bare rocks. They're bright, clever and strong. These goats never met a terrain they couldn't conquer. Don't you want to wear a shoe that's an homage to these hardy, smart creatures?

Features and Benefits

Forgive us if we wax poetic about the Capra Sport athletic shoe, but this footwear has, excuse the pun, quite the pedigree! The synthetic leather/mesh upper keeps you on the move as you climb heights you've only dreamed about. The shoe features a durable, lightweight Stratafuse exoskeleton that fuses foot cage to mesh uppers. Off-road protection is assured thanks to the shoe's signature TrailProtect pad and the Unifly midsole balances your desire to connect to the trail with your need to protect your feet from injury. At just 652g for a sturdy trail shoe, the Capra Sport won't ever slow you down and thanks to Merrell air cushioning, you won't have to worry about shock or stability either.

How to Blaze Your Own Trail

If trails are your number one priority, you'll want to know what to expect of this shoe. After talking to women who aren't shy about expressing their opinions, we concluded that female athletes who have the most to gain from wearing Capra Sports are those requiring a sure-footed experience on edges, cushioning to handle problematic terrain, exceptional ground feel and a tapered forefoot so wearers don't literally run into surprises when encountering ground that can stop most runners in their tracks. One woman declared, "I think I could race a mountain goat in these!" It's important to add that you won't feel shabby if you don a pair of these fashionable athletic shoes that come in wardrobe-matching Black and Grey, Grey and Wild Dove or Royal Lilac and Adventurine.

Runner's Boon

• The fit is always perfect. Forget about avoiding the Internet because you never know if you'll wear half a size larger or smaller. These shoes are engineered to be size appropriate.
• Even if you encounter hills and valleys steeper and deeper than trail guides say, the Capra Sport fit will hug the ground like a child clinging to her mother.
• You'll avoid blisters, sore feet and other debilitating ailments that even the priciest athletic shoes cause because there's no such thing as bad cushioning and flimsy soles when Capra Sport shoes are manufactured.

Runner's Bane

• It can take a little more time than usual to break these in so take that into account.
• Some runners complain about rigidity and a somewhat unforgiving platform for stability, so prepare to get used to this over time.
• Wearers report problems with outsole edge traction grips. This area is wide, so if you have instep issues, you could find that the grips catch.
• You may not be happy with the colour choices – particularly if you're a fashionista and wouldn’t think of walking out the door unless your running shoes matched your wardrobe.

Conclusion

No running woman worth her salt should by-pass trying on a pair of these shoes at the very least, if trail running is a priority! The few downsides mentioned within this review are few; possibly because this Capra Sport shoe has just been introduced to the market and runners haven't had enough time to evaluate performance.

At S$189 retail, prices should drop once it's more available, but if you're the gal who must beat everyone to the newest fashion on the market, head for it now! Merrell Capra Sport shoes are available at Stadium at Takashimaya S.C. and selected Royal Sporting House stores.