REVIEW FACTS
Outsole
Treksta used a Hypergrip HGL 2-part construction for the Mega Wave’s outsole. This design results in a more subdued tread pattern that works well on roads and well-worn trails. Unfortunately, the lack of significant treading causes these shoes to provide a poorer grip on sand or other loose terrains. Exposed portions of hard foam around the midsole is packed with rubber in order to emphasize key impact zones of the sole while maintaining comfort and cushion. As a result, these shoes are excellent on low-intensity surfaces, adequate on mid intensity surfaces, and mediocre in high-intensity environments.
Midsole
Hyper form dual density material was used for the construction of the Treksta Mega Wave’s midsole. This particular design provides a modular, adaptable density that encourages high energy efficiency and impact absorption. The midsole is quite possibly the most impressive feature of these shoes, their entire design is sculpted to the runner’s foot in order to facilitate an even run. Even more impressive is the innovative midsole vents, allowing sweat to escape and providing additional airflow. Something like that simply can’t be found in many other shoes, if they can be found at all.
Upper
The stitchless and highly breathable mesh design of this upper happens to be visually appealing while still allowing decent protection and plenty of airflows. With such a lightweight and seamless construction, customers have remarked that it feels almost as though they are wearing nothing at all. This isn’t to say that it provides no protection from the elements, runners are protected from debris or dirt and additional reinforcement has been placed around the toe box to prevent stubbing. Speaking of the toe box, the Mega Wave features a symmetrical design for this portion of the upper, providing a satisfying amount of room even for runners with wider feet. One unfortunate criticism runners have expressed about the upper of this Treksta shoe is that the speed lacing system is needlessly complicated.
Breathability
In addition to its exceptional comfort, the breathability offered by these shoes makes them perfect for long distance road and trail runners. The upper’s predominantly mesh construction allows for terrific airflow without any troublesome seams or stitches. Furthermore, a vented midsole and insole allows for the easy irrigation of sweat or moisture without any issues. Thanks to these impressive features, runners can easily undergo running sessions of six miles or more without any discomfort from overheating or moisture accumulation.
Comfort
Treksta designed this shoe from the onset with comfort and support in mind and succeeded as a result. The contoured footbed conforms to the arches of a runner’s feet and allows them to remain in a natural position, reducing excessive movement during their run. Ample toe box room prevents the common running shoe complaint of toe pinching, ensuring a near-perfect fit for just about any foot without impeding circulation or motion. The Mega Wave is a bit on the long side so runners may have to go a half size down in order to ensure a tight fit. One customer mentioned developing hotspots on the balls of their feet, but this appears to be an isolated incident and shouldn’t be a major concern. For the most part, comfort is one aspect of the Treksta Mega Wave’s design that will please everyone.
Style
When ordering through Treksta’s website, the Mega Wave is only available in a black design with blue trim. It’s a neutral look that isn’t bad but feels uninspired. Fortunately, some online retailers such as Amazon offer different color choices, but the total amount of stylistic options still feels limited. The speed lacing system is a stylistic choice that distinguishes the Mega Wave from other trail shoes and running shoes that ends up being very polarizing. Many runners have dismissed this feature as a shallow gimmick but others have praised its ability to prevent the laces from coming undone. Those who dislike the speed lacing system say that any time saved is negated by the unnecessary length of the laces taking more time to prepare. Ultimately, the Treksta Mega Wave’s style is passable but not incredible.
Durability
The high durability of these Treksta trail shoes makes them ideal for long-running sessions. The estimated lifespan of the Wave Star is around 250 miles, which is the standard for most running shoes. While they are designed to function well on both roads and trails, the lifespan may vary depending on what kind of terrain runners use them on. These shoes are best equipped to handle running in dry conditions, but some runners have found them to work well in wet and muddy environments as well.
Protection
The Mega Wave features very strong foot protection. Part of its impenetrable defenses can be attributed to the stitchless upper that eliminates the potential for damage from abrasion, particularly around the big toe with a reinforced and symmetrical toe box. The midsole features excellent protective capabilities as well, modular density prevents excessive shock from ground impact to reverberate and cause pain in the joints and the extra side vents prevent moisture accumulation. Finally, the outsole provides terrific protection from all manner of terrain, even if it isn’t as strong as some heavier trail shoes and hiking boots. The key takeaway here is that these Treksta trail shoes won’t have any issues protecting runners’ feet during their daily exercise.
Responsiveness
The Treksta Mega Wave is one of the stiffer running shoes on the market. However, the level of stiffness felt in these is standard to most other trail shoes. This makes them great for longer runs, as the stability allows runners to save energy. However, the lack of flexibility in the Mega Wave means that it’s not ideal for runners interested in speed work. The lack of adequate responsiveness makes it difficult for runners to achieve a good push needed to build and maintain speed. It manages to be a smooth ride regardless, but some runners accustomed to speed work will want to find something with less rigidity.
Support
The support offered by these trail shoes may be the best on the market. Multiple layers of dense and absorbent cushioning evoke feelings of memory foam mattresses instead of the hard, unforgiving trails beneath a runner’s feet. The Hyperfoam dual density sole provides amazing arch support and insane shock absorption. Runners have stated that the Mega Wave feels springy thanks to the excellent energy diffused from the midsole and outsole. A higher heel profile ensures maximum protection for heel strikers while maintaining an elevation subtle enough to accommodate trail runners, thanks to Treksta’s NestFit technology.
Terrain
These shoes are designed to be used mostly on roads and trails, it performs exceptionally on any hard surfaces of this kind for long periods of time. The way the Mega Wave handles on different types of terrain has polarized some runners. Some say that they handle muddy trails well, while others have complained that the lack of significant treading leads to less traction on loose and soft surfaces. One unfortunate weak point of these Treksta trail shoes is that they don’t handle inclines very well, making them perhaps the only trail shoes that can’t handle mountain running.
Price
The Treksta Mega Wave is priced slightly above the average for most road shoes, but below average for trail shoes and running shoes. This translates into a terrific value, considering its exceptional cushioning and admirable performance on multiple forms of terrain. Unlike many other running shoes, it can be difficult to hunt down a pair of these on alternate online retailers such as Amazon, so it will take some serious searching to find a discount.
Drop
The heel to toe drop of these trail shoes is around 6mm. This isn’t quite a neutral level of elevation commonly found in trail shoes, nor is it the significant difference found in most running shoes. This will probably result in some awkwardness and initial discomfort for runners coming from both styles of footwear. However, after this adjustment period, this design choice works out well for the Mega Wave’s intended purpose as an all-terrain shoe.
Stability
While the Treksta Mega Wave is disappointing in terms of flexibility, it features an exceptional degree of stability. Thanks to a tight-fitting upper and extremely thick midsole, runners can run with confidence knowing that their feet won’t slide around in these shoes or lose footing on certain running surfaces.
Flexibility
Every form of footwear, from running shoes to road shoes to barefoot shoes to trail shoes to sneakers, has to find the perfect balance between flexibility and stability. Many go too far in terms of flexibility, resulting in a less stable shoe. Others veer too far in the other direction, offering a shoe that is stable but excessively rigid. The Treksta Mega Wave, unfortunately, falls into the latter category. Thanks to a sizeable midsole and several layers of protective cushion, runners are going to have a very tough time bending these shoes. This translates well for trail running, but road and track runners will experience diminished responsiveness as a consequence.
Traction
Something that is bound to disappoint the majority of trail shoe enthusiasts is the lack of significant treading on the Treksta Mega Wave’s outsole. This results in a diminished capability for these shoes to provide adequate traction in many common trail running environments, such as steep mountain inclines. In the pursuit of designing an all-terrain shoe, Treksta ran into the unfortunate consequence of featuring common drawbacks of trail shoes, such as a heavier weight, without the benefits.
Bottom Line
The Treksta Mega Wave is ideal for runners looking for a durable and comfortable all-terrain shoe. It’s well-designed and conforms beautifully to each runner’s foot. Despite being billed as both a trail shoe and a road shoe, the majority of design decisions makes them feel closer to the latter than the former. The lack of style options and inferior speed work capability will certainly turn off some roadrunners, but there’s still a lot to love in this package.
Key Features
• Hyperfoam dual density EVA midsole• NestFit construction reduces foot pressure by 23% and muscle fatigue by 31%• Speed lacing system with lacing garage• Hypergrip HGL 2-part outsole• IST SOLE Technology• Treksta Heel Control• Stitchless and seamless upper
