Catamount 3 vs S/Lab Genesis 2

The Brooks Catamount 3 is a lightweight trail running shoe built to be raced, not just run. At 269g with a 6mm drop, it sits at the fast end of Brooks' trail range: a nimble, propulsive shoe for runners who want to hold a hard effort over technical ground. This is not a plush ultra cruiser and it is not a rugged tank. It is a trail racer, tuned for tempo efforts, short-to-medium trail races and fast days on rolling singletrack. You get an energetic, connected ride that rewards a quick cadence, with enough underfoot protection to keep the sharp stuff at bay without deadening the trail. It is a neutral shoe at a race-day price, so it asks something of your legs and your wallet. In our view the Catamount 3 earns its keep if you actually race trails or push the pace on them. If you mostly plod easy miles, a softer, cheaper daily trail shoe will serve you better. As a fast trail shoe, we rate it highly.

The S/Lab Genesis 2 is Salomon at its most race-focused: a lightweight trail running shoe built for short to mid distance racing, from a sharp 10k on the fells to a technical half or a fast 50k. At 249g it is genuinely light for a shoe with a 31.9mm heel, and the low 7.8mm drop keeps you connected to the ground so you can read the trail and react. There is no plate here, and that is deliberate. This is a shoe about precision, grip and control rather than pop off a carbon spring. You get a snug, locked-in Salomon fit and aggressive traction that bites on loose, wet and steep ground. In our view it sits at the premium racing end of the market, and the price reflects that. If you want a plated trail racer the Hoka Tecton X 3 is the obvious rival, but for pure connected feel and grip the Genesis 2 is hard to beat.