Scarpa Ribelle Run: A great choice for racing on technical trails!

Scarpa was founded in 1938 in Asolo, Italy, and since then it has been one of the leading companies in the production of shoes for mountaineering and hiking activities. A few years ago Scarpa has entered dynamically in the world of mountain running and especially skyrunning, with a milestone year in 2020, since in the spring of that year it brought in the legendary Marco De Gasperi as brand manager. Marco with his vast experience helped a lot in the design and production of the Ribelle Run, with which he broke the Sentiero Roma FKT (54Km, +4,500m). It is a shoe with excellent stability and precision, fast, with low drop, very good traction and some thoughtful details that bring it in the top of models for racing on difficult, technical trails and skyrunning situations. We tested it on the technical and rocky trails of Hydra island during the Hydra’s Trail Event race and on mountain Ziria, but also on milder trails and here is the verdict!

                                                                         Marco De Gasperi during the Sentiere Roma FKT!

Outer section

First of all, let's start with the appearance which is "aggressive", with a bright yellow color on the back that blends nicely with the black of the rest of the shoe.  We would say that as a design it refers, at first glance, to a shoe for skyrunning and fast technical runs, which of course is confirmed by its characteristics and our tests.

The composition of the outer section is relatively complex. The upper part of the toe box and the whole part around and low on the foot is made of thin, breathable and elastic Mesh fabric, which is complemented by a thicker and also elastic lycra fabric on the upper and around the ankle, with no tongue at all but a sock-like fit on the foot, something we noticed also in the Golden Gate ATR, which we presented recently. The fit of the collar is excellent, adding points for stability and making the shoe more relaxed, while the protection from incoming dust, gravel etc. is in top level.

Lateral reinforcement is achieved on the sides with thin film overlays that wrap the foot, in combination with breathable and elastic Mesh fabric that tighten around the foot with a speedlace lacing system. A very nice and useful detail is the lace keeper around the middle of their area, and also the loop at the top, in order to secure them. The system works flawlessly, the laces don't come loose at any time during the run and the thickness of the lycra fabric doesn't let them irritate the foot if tightened more than usual. Finally, since there is simply no tongue, irritation is avoided as well since if the tongue is separate it may be moved occasionally to the sides.

A special feature of the Ribelle Run's design is that the film overlays zone covers most (forefoot) of the midsole on the sides. This has two advantages: First, it helps minimizing the abrasion on the EVA foam of the midsole, which is no longer exposed to lateral contact, and second, it prevents to some extent the foam from "spreading" laterally when the foot is pressured to the ground, enhancing the shoe's responsiveness. It is a very clever detail. But it's also the most subject to wear point of the Ribelle Run.

With the Ribelle Run someone may need a slightly smaller size. I’m actually wearing the 11 ½ US, compared to the 12 US I wear on most models. The toe room is roomy, although it is not as important for a short-medium distance shoe, compared to the ultra-races where the foot swells quite a bit.

The toe protection is excellent with thick/hard plastic, something that it is expected for a model for running on technical trails where kicking rocks and branches is usual.

The heel area is also reinforced with hard plastic, which in combination with the other features of the design makes the Ribelle Run very stable and secure on technical terrain. Our tests on the technical and hard trails of the Hydra’s Trail Event, as well as on mountain Ziria, proved its top class in terms of stability, safety and comfort. In the breathability aspect - mainly due to the lycra fabric and side reinforcements - we wanted something more, but in any case, let's not forget that this is a short to medium distance model.

 

Midsole

The design of the system midsole / outsole from 2020 onwards is exclusive to the Italian company and comes under the Presa® code name. In the midsole there is EVA foam, with a different density in the heel (softer) than the forefoot (harder). This design gain points for responsiveness when lifting the sole off the ground, enhances cushioning in the heel area, while not adding weight to the shoe.

 

 

Cushioning is in a very good level, the low drop (4 mm) contributes to fast running, while the not particularly high profile (heel 24.5 mm - toe 20.5 mm) - which more and more companies use recently - provides with better ground feel. Our tests had as a result a very good ground feel almost on every kind of trail, while it's a bit stiff on tarmac roads.

Finally, it's Neutral, which means that those with severe pronation might want to consider adding an insole.

 

Outsole

The outsole (PRESA® TPN-01) uses a rubber compound the company calls Supergum, which is an attempt to make something that will last a long time and have top traction at the same time, since the Ribelle Run is a shoe for technical trails.

In the range of rubbers Scarpa makes, the TPN-01 runs in the softer range (as opposed to the TPN-02 which uses the Golden Gate ATR) and provides excellent grip on all kinds of technical terrain, rocks, dirt, meadows, dry or wet, except for very muddy grounds where the not very tall 4mm lags will have difficulties.

If you're looking for a racing shoe for short to medium distances, technical terrain or skyrunning, the Ribelle Run will give you the stability, precise footing and traction you need. It's fast, adaptable to any kind of terrain, durable and with lots of details that make it special. Another step forward for Scarpa!

 

Technical characteristics

 Outer: Ripstop, elastic Mesh (Lycra), Film

 Midsole: EVA foam of different densities, PRESA®

 Outsole: PRESA® TPN-01, Supergum outsole, 4mm lugs

 Drop: 4 mm (heel 24,5 mm - toe 20,5 mm)

 Weight: 280 gr (Size 42)

 Support: Neutral

 Laces: Speedlace System

Type of trails: Technical trails, dirt roads, hard-packed trails

Indicative Retail Price: 149,00€ 

 

SCARPA products are exclusively represented in Greece by the POLO Company. Check for more outdoor products in the online shop https://www.polocenter.gr/ and in the full catalogue https://www.polo.gr/outdoor/

 

Dimitrios Troupis

Δημήτρης Τρουπής

Κατάγεται από το Ξυλόκαστρο Κορινθίας και ζει μόνιμα στην Πάτρα. Συμμετείχε στην συντακτική ομάδα του Adventure Zone από το 2009, ενώ μαζί με τον Τάκη Τσογκαράκη ίδρυσαν και "τρέχουν" το Advendure.  Το τρέξιμο στα μονοπάτια των βουνών και η μεταφορά εικόνων και συναισθημάτων μέσα από τα άρθρα του αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι της ζωής του. Παθιάζεται με τους αγώνες ορεινού τρεξίματος, υπεραντοχής και  περιπέτειας. Έχει πολλές συμμετοχές και διακρίσεις σε αγώνες ορεινού τρεξίματος όλων των αποστάσεων, με έμφαση στους αγώνες ultra trail.  Θεωρεί ότι το τρέξιμο και η πεζοπορία στη φύση είναι μια εσωτερική ανάγκη του ανθρώπου, μας φέρνει πιο κοντά σε αυτήν και μας κάνει να αγαπήσουμε περισσότερο το περιβάλλον.

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