Review written December 2005 by Trey

This may not be a usual review to have on trail running site, but we are all other things besides trail runners and I am first of all a parent.  It is my love for my boys that often forces me to run the roads or park trails as opposed to the off-road trails we all love and for this I now have a BOB. Kind of an odd name for a stroller, BOB, but the name is the only odd thing about my BOB. 

I will admit to you, this is one impressive stroller.  My BOB came with 16” spoke wheels (not the mag wheels you usually see) and double drink holders for each boy.  A drink holder does not seem like a necessity for a stroller, but if a cup of goldfish keeps everyone happy for 15 extra minutes then my 4 just turned into 6.  In addition to the cup holders the BOB features shocks and extended handle for you long striders and the easiest fold up mechanism I have yet to see on a stroller. 

Pros – The folding process and weight make it easy to use
Cons – Even the shocks still don’t allow you to take it off road.  And the price, it was not cheap.

Review written December 2005 by Trey

This review should have been done 2 years ago with the birth of my first son, but I am happy to wait because I now have used 2 other strollers to compare.  The Baby Jogger single is a good stroller for pushing out of the garage to run, but try to avoid putting in the car.  The folding process is cumbersome and does little to reduce the size.  In fact, it easily takes up the back of my Chevy Tahoe making it difficult to take the dog.  I was willing to accept this fact, until I bought my first BOB (read the BOB review) which is smaller than my baby jogger even though it is a double.  The shocks on it are stiff, and do not have the range of motion you would expect from a jogging stroller.

Pros – Packing aside, this is a smooth riding stroller
Cons – Cumbersome to pack up and takes up a log of room.

Review written November 2005 by Trey

The AMP by Vasque appears to be the long awaited update to the Velocity.  As you have read on this site, both Tim and I are big Vasque fans; the credit for this mostly belongs to the Velocity.  I am happy to report the AMP has kept up the Velocity’s legacy.  As I first put on the AMP a few things quickly jumped out at me: Protection, Stability and Break-in time.

• Protection - After the Velocity I switched to the Lightspeed, a lighter but less protective shoe, and was looking to gain back some more protection from the trail with the AMP, which it delivered.  The good news is this protection did come at expense of the weigh as my size 14s are still relatively light.
• Stability – surrounded by an inch high (from the sole) additional layer of shoe, the AMP provides an excellent level of stability but not in an annoying or overbearing way.  The perfect balance between movement and support.
• Break-in time – Zero, which for me is amazing, I was comfortable on my first run, which does not usually happen for me.

Overall, Vasque wins again with the AMP, a quality shoe that perfectly balances protection, support and weight.  In fact, I liked it so much, I am on my second pair.

Pros – a great balance of all things needed on a run.
Cons – slightly shorter than other Vasque models, consider buying a half size up.

The review was written by Tim
October 2005

Well it was time for new shoes and I wanted to try something new.  So, I went with the Highlines.  While fitting them in the store I was impressed with the sock-like tongue.  It seemed to add a slight bit more cushion and comfort around the foot.  I had read many positive reviews of the Montrail trail running shoes and was eager to get them on the trail.  My first time out in them the fit was great and they weren't too warm in the Summer heat of Texas. The sock-like tongue was great; it didn't put any added pressure points on the foot and seemed to add a great deal of protection.  Most noticeable in this shoe was the feel of great cushioning in the forefoot and heel.  Protection from rocks intruding into the footbed was adequate in all areas except the arch.  The Highline also provided great protection on the outside of the toebox for that occasional toe stubbing exercise.  After this first trail run I was happy with the Highlines.  On my next run some weaknesses were exposed.  I found that the outsole did not provide a confident feel while running over slick rocks or running downhill on dry rocky(gravelly) terrain.

Pros: Sock-like tongue. Cushioning feel.

Cons: Outsole not aggressive enough.  Lack of protection in arch.

My Highlines are now nearing the end of their use on the trail and I can say they have been a solid performer.  They continued to provide good cushion on all of my runs and given a more aggressive outsole I would definitely look at them when shopping for new trail runners.