This is my second pair of this brand of trail running shoes. I bought the first pair at a local shop, and it was my first season of trail running ever. I started training with 0 miles of running experience and used those shoes in my first 5k, 5M, triathlon, 10k, 8M and countless miles of training that season. The next year, the local shop did not carry them and I got another brand. I started getting injuries and shin splints, so this year, I am going back to the reliable brand that I started with. So far so good!