I got the Anta Wilderness Pro for the purpose of review directly from Anta Sports EU. However, they have no control over this review and I will try to give my honest opinion on the shoe.
If you believe it or not, this is my first ever trail shoe. I mostly run marathons and half marathons on roads. But somehow this shoe was welcome to my rotation and I had the pleasure to enjoy some trails I wanted to run for a long time.
It took me a while to run a distance in this shoe, to give my honest thoughts about it. This winter was quite generous with snow in our area, so I could test the shoe in different conditions.
What does Anta say about the shoe
Anta Wilderness Pro trail shoes are designed for demanding terrain and long lasting comfort. They offer a stable, grippy outsole with deep traction, a lightweight yet durable upper, and reliable cushioning for secure footing on uneven surfaces. They’re ideal for hiking trails, trail running, and outdoor adventures in all conditions.
How I tested the Anta Wilderness Pro
I ran a bit more than 80 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run. Since this is a trail shoe I didn’t do any of my usual training runs in this shoe.
The longest run in this shoe was an 18 kilometer on trails around a lake, quite flat. Besides this run I tested the shoe also on some hilly trails with grass, gravel, mud and rocks. I even ran on snow and once on a snowy and icy gravel road.
Fit and upper of the shoe
The shoe fits me true to size. I found the toe box quite roomy, even with thicker socks. There are some reinforcements at the front of the shoe and the toe box has quite a bit of a structure. The midsole materials extends up and gives additional support in the midfoot area. The heel counter is reinforced and quite stiff.
The shoe has a quick lace system. Once you lace it, it stays and doesn’t move during runs. However, I would prefer traditional laces. My feet don’t have much volume but I had to loosen this quick lace system to the end and just made it into the shoe the first few times.
Once my feet where in the shoe it felt very comfortable. Comfortable enough to consider this a shoe for those long trail runs. I had no blisters, hotspots and no heel slippage during my runs.
Performance of the shoe
First a bit about the midsole and the outsole. The midsole of the Anta Wilderness Pro is a NITROEDGE injected into the sole material under high pressure. Light, elastic and durable. The outsole is made of VIBRAM and should offers a strong traction on rocky, wet, and uneven terrain.
My first run started on a cycle path and I was surprised. The shoes felt heavy and stiff. I know that trail shoes are different to road shoes but it was quite a difference. But this feeling changed as soon as I went on the trail I wanted to run. The underfoot feeling became softer and even the shoe felt lighter. I think that this stiff feeling on roads has more to do with the Vibram outsole than the midsole material.
For me the shoe performed best on grass, mud and rocky trails. While running on flat or uphill parts, I could feel a subtle propulsion from the midsole and once I locked into a comfortable pace, it felt easy holding the pace. And on the downhill parts this shoe provides good traction and it felt very stable. No slipping, not even on grass and mud covered rocks.
Onto snow covered roads and ice. Let’s just say, that ice is not a surface we want to run on, not even with trail shoes. Yes, it was more stable in the Anta Wilderness Pro than any other running shoe I have but I would still avoid ice.
Snow is different. My first run was during snowfall, with not much snow on the ground. The grip was great, but the ride still a bit stiff. However, it was different on runs on hard snow. Underfoot I had the same pleasant feeling as on trails. I felt very secure with great grip.
While running on gravel roads I’m still not sure if I prefer a trail shoe to a road shoe. It depends a bit on the surface. On hard gravel I had the same underfoot feeling as on roads. And it was the opposite on softer gravel roads..
How will I use the shoe
Since I don’t run much on trails, I will continue to use the Anta Wilderness Pro on all of my trail runs. I live in an area, where there are a lot of trails with different surfaces, that can even change during one run. And I think that for such trails this shoe is a good option.
Even if I would sign up for a trail race, I wouldn’t be looking for another trail shoe. This one is comfortable, stable and has good traction and grip. Everything I need from a running shoe I use on trails.
Would I recommend the Anta Wilderness Pro
That depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for a running shoe, that can be used on roads and some light trails like park paths, I would say no. If you are looking for such a shoe, there are many other options out there. Best to go for a road shoe with a more structured outsole.
If you are like me, mostly running on roads but you need one trail shoe in your rotation, the Anta Wilderness Pro might be just the shoe you are looking for. It can be used on different surfaces and I really think that you can’t go wrong if you decide for this shoe.
You could use the shoe even during hikes. It’s lighter than most of the running shoes and you get the same grip and stability. The only thing you need to consider is, if you are looking for a higher shoe with even more stability for your ankle.
Even if you live in a colder climate and you are looking for a shoe, you can run on snow covered paths, this could be the one for you.
If you are looking for Anta running shoes outside of China, you can find them at Anta Sports EU
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