SHOE REVIEW: Columbia Konos Trillium ATR
This new trail-running shoe from Columbia combines a high, cushy midsole with a protective upper and traditional lugged outsole, satisfying all your needs for long trail runs
Matt Stetson
Columbia entered the trail-running shoe space last year with the Konos Featherweight and Konos Swift–light, affordable, versatile shoes for running, hiking or walking on moderate trails. The brand’s latest entry is the Konos Trillium ATR, a highly-cushioned trail-running shoe designed for runners of all abilities, with more of a traditional lugged outsole typically found in trail shoes. In addition to its high-stack midsole, it has a protective upper and some interesting outsole technology, to ensure that all of your trail runs will be comfortable, safe and fun.
Shoe specs
Category: Trail
Men’s: 337 g (11.9 oz.)
Women’s: 278 g (9.8 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 35.5 mm/27.5 mm
Lug depth: 4 mm
C$160
The midsole
With its thick platform of soft cushioning, the Konos Trillium ATR rides like a road shoe, and it’s perfect for long, cruisy runs on moderate trails. The 8-mm drop is moderate, and will appeal to a wide range of abilities and experience levels, and especially to newer trail runners who are looking for an affordable shoe for occasional off-road adventures.
The upper
The shoe has a soft, breathable mesh upper, with a padded and gussetted tongue and some extra protection around the heel, toe and lacing system. The heel shape encourages easy on-and-off, and the lacing system has been thoughtfully designed to enable a secure lockdown. It feels soft and comfortable on step-in, and laces up comfortably to get you out the door and onto the trails without any fuss.
The outsole
The single, vertical flex groove in the outsole makes the shoe very flexible, and the softness of the cushioning allows good ground-feel, especially for such a high-stack shoe. The outsole delivers decently good traction, and while the closely-spaced lugs did trap a few small stones, we didn’t find it to be a problem. The fit is slightly long, while those with wider feet may find the toe box a little narrow.
The brand’s proprietary AdaptTrax tech (which has been used with great success in its hiking and walking shoes) has been applied to produce an outsole that responds well to each phase of the gait cycle, resulting in better grip and traction in all but the most extreme terrain and conditions.
The verdict
While the shoe is not unusually light, it manages to feel lighter than it is, thanks to the breathable, flexible upper. While you may opt for something lighter and swifter for your faster workouts, you can rely on the Konos Trillium ATR for all of your easy and long runs. It has the feel of a high-stack, plush road trainer, and works extremely well as an entry-level trail shoe, or for those transitioning from road to trail-running. (Moreover, the price is tough to beat.)
