THE SELL: A waterproof beast for technical trails. THE TEST: "This shoe is a tank!" said one tester. "It brushed off softball-size rocks." In its element—rough singletrack during mud season—the Mindbender's huge toe bumper, thick but not overly stiff midsole, toasty Gore-Tex liner, and armored upper shone. The understated lugs gripped better than expected on both dry gravel and slop. Just don't expect it to double as a fast every-day training shoe. Note: narrower-footed testers found the high-volume fit a bit sloshy. THE VERDICT: Tough enough for long mountain hauls; hefty enough to double as your light-hiking shoe. 14.4 oz; 10mm heel drop
Agility: 2
Protection: 5
