rabbit High Country Review
By David Salas
rabbit High CountryPrice: $180 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 11.1 oz, 314g (men's size 9), 9.4 oz, 266g (women's size 7)
Stack Height: 38 mm heel / 33 mm forefoot (5mm insole height on top of stack)
Drop: 5 mm
Shoe Purpose: Trail Running, Maximum Cushion
Pros: Great traction, smooth forefoot for easy and long trail miles
Cons: Upper is thick and can dig into the ankle a little, heel could be rounded more
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The rabbit High Country is a trail running shoe that is aimed at maximum cushioning and long trail efforts. The shoe delivers a rockered ride with "Carbon Trax" that line the midfoot for some additional guidance. The shoe uses 4mm lugs that grip the ground well in all situations. The shoe does carry some weight to it, but for the right person will feel like a nice easy day trail shoe or even hiking shoe.
SIMILAR SHOES: Brooks Cascadia 19, New Balance Hierro v9
PAST MODEL: new model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The rabbit High Country fits true to size in my men's 9.5. The general feeling throughout the foot is snug through the heel, normal through the midfoot, and wider in the forefoot. The tongue is gusseted and the volume feels pretty low through that region. The lockdown is snug and feels trustworthy. The upper material itself is on the thicker end. It is very reliable for the trails, but does not feel as comfortable as some of the other meshes out there. The heel counter is pretty rigid and did not give me much problems outside of one specific situation. When I was cornering in sharper turns, the shoe held just fine, but the heel collar dug into my lateral ankle some. Because of that I did shift my weight to be a little more anterior when going into sharper turns. There is a textured insole by Blumaka in this shoe. The goal is to create some internal traction to prevent foot slippage during steep decents, while providing good cushioning. I do think it did its job. I was nervous about getting hot spots, but I never did. I am conflicted on this upper, because it works pretty well, but I think it could just be more comfortable both at the mesh and the heel. The lockdown is really good and the general performance was pretty good.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Not very flexible
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not very flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Average
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Potentially if the insole is removed, given the height
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: The rabbit High Country is an interesting shoe. Prior to launch they tested the shoe on Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon with a group of trail runners. Everyone completed the run without any issues. The goal of the shoe is to perform well for long outings such as that. I found that most things rang pretty true, but I do see room for improvement. Before I get into that though I want to talk about the general experience.
The rabbit High Country does have a rockered ride with a touch of guidance from the Carbon Trax that line the medial and lateral side of the midfoot. The forefoot is very rounded, while the heel has a more mild bevel. The foam has a good amount of cushioning to it without feeling overly compliant. There is a slight bounce to it, but it really relies on the cushioning and geometry of the shoe for smooth transitions. The 4mm lugs provide really good traction that I have been able to stop on a dime surprisingly well. The weight of the shoe is on the heavier side, but it seems to be ok if you are out doing easy/long miles or hiking. The shoe feels trustworthy in the trail situations I threw at it, but the heel counter did dig into my ankle a little bit on sharper turns.
I do think that the heel could be rounded a little bit more. The rocker profile feels pretty smooth throughout, but I do find myself slapping into the midfoot a little more than I would like coming off of the heel. For some it will be just fine, but a larger bevel could make for an even smoother transition through the rearfoot. For me, this is a decent option for easy and long trail efforts like a Rim to Rim type of run would be. I did not feel that it was the most responsive when I pushed it, so I would not choose it for a race, unless it was more of a completion type of effort. I actually really like the forefoot transition through toe off and I do feel rhythmic when chipping away at the trail. rabbit did a pretty good job for their first crack at a trail shoe.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The rabbit High Country does feel pretty stable underfoot when out on the trails. Even though I would like for the upper to be a little more comfortable, I found it to be reliable. I did not have any excessive foot translation or heel slippage in any situations. The outsole traction held itself very well. The general molding of the shoe does include some gentle sole flaring throughout the platform. I am not sure I noticed the Carbon Trax too much, but I don't think they hurt the ride here. I did feel like the rabbit High Country was a secure trail shoe.
Thoughts as a DPT: Security on the Trail
By David Salas
A lot can happen when you are out on the trails. The footing is ever changing and there is always something that you have to accommodate. This is why security of the shoe is important. I do feel that the security of the rabbit High Country did come through. They tackled this in a few ways.
Despite my comfort feelings on the upper, it locks you down. It does its job of keeping your foot on the platform. The rabbit High Country also has a wide underfoot base that feels reliable and trustworthy. The outsole traction is good and I had no issues with it. They also invested in a different kind of insole from Blumaka that creates some traction from within to prevent slippage. I was worried about hot spots, but it did okay. I felt like my foot was dialed into the shoe in a noticeable way. Especially for those that are not the most steady on their feet, they will appreciate designs like this. I can easily see the rabbit High Country being a trail runner/ hiker for a decent subset population of people.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: Generally speaking I did enjoy my time in the rabbit High Country, but I do see some room for improvement. The first would be cleaning up the heel. The heel fits snug, and the heel counter would dig into my lateral heel on sharper turns at times. Thankfully it was only in those situations. I would like to see them play with upper materials too. Other companies have secure uppers that just feel a little softer and comfortable on the foot. The rabbit upper is not uncomfortable per se, but not quite in line with other shoes, especially at that price point. I like the underfoot feel, but I think the heel bevel could be increased some as well. I found the transition to be a little slappy through the rearfoot and midfoot, but still within an acceptable range for it not to be a deal breaker.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The rabbit High Country is a trail running shoe for those looking to have a max cushion and large forefoot rocker trail running experience. The shoe feels rhythmic at daily paces and efforts, but loses some pizazz when pushed. For steady efforts and long efforts, this shoe will be able to tackle those just fine. The upper is also snug through the heel with lower volume for those that like that. The shoe will also double well as a hiker, for those that like to use their trail runners for some hiking activities as well.
GRADES
David
Fit: B- (Good lockdown and secure, heel counter can dig into the ankle some, material itself could be more comfortable)
Performance: B (Transitions are smooth in the midfoot and forefoot, heel could be cleaned up, shoe does carry some weight)
Stability: A (It is sturdy. I did not have any issues there.)
Value: B- (At $180 I find it tough to compete with others out there. I see this competing with the Cascadia (150), Speedgoat (155) and Hierro (155). But the shoe should hold up and perform well enough for those that like the design.)
Personal: B (I do like the shoe. I just wish the upper was a little more comfortable, and that the heel was rounded a little bit more.)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORrabbit High CountryPrice: $180 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
Altra's update to their cushioned model.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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