need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails review

Who should buy the need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails

This generously cushioned shoe screams long distance:

• The shoe ranks pretty high in the stability department
• updated Nov 10, 2023
• are after a max-cushioned beast to tackle long distances

Who should NOT buy the shoe

If the 1.7 mm lug depth of the Fuga YAO doesn't cut it for your trails, we encourage you to consider the Heel counter stiffness (3.4 mm) or the Hoka Tecton X (3.5 mm). Both shoes offer the same advantages as a max-cushioned and carbon-plated shoe. The only caveat is their higher price point ($200 retail price).

Runners with wider feet might as well stay away from this Kailas shoe. The abovementioned Endorpin Edge is a better alternative for wide-footers.

Summer-ready trail shoe

The need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails scores high on our breathability tests. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the most breathable, we rated the shoe at 4. This measurement is based on how much smoke is able to pass through the shoe's upper material and how fast it does so compared to other shoes.

need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails (left), Adidas Runfalcon (right)

You can also see how transparent (=breathable) the mesh fabric is when put against a source of bright light.

One of the most cushioned trail shoes out there!

This generously cushioned shoe screams long distance.

We measured the heel stack of the need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails at 38.6 mm! This is 5.7 mm thicker than the average and is in the top 1% of trail shoes with the biggest stack height.

Meanwhile, in the forefoot, our caliper measurement shows 27.9 mm. This is 3.5 mm thicker than the average.

The insole in the Fuga YAO measures 4.6 mm in the heel. This is exactly the average for running shoe insoles.

The difference between the heel and forefoot stack gives us a 10.7 mm drop. This is higher than the average 8.5 mm and is more conducive for heel strikers.

need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails keeps it lighter than average!

According to the brand's product page for the Fuga YAO, it weighs 10 oz (285 g) in a men's US 8.5.

This is a very impressive weight for such a heavily cushioned sole. For reference, trail shoes with a heel stack of 35 mm and more weigh 10.6 oz (300 g) on average.

Plush cush

The need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails welcomes the foot with a soft hug.

Measuring the shoe's foam softness with a durometer, we found it to be 26% softer than the average.

A small caveat for those planning to take the Fuga YAO out on a cold day. The shoe's sole tends to get firmer and stiffer when exposed to low temperatures and needs a little breaking in to restore its original softness.

After sitting in the freezer for 20 minutes and going through the tests again, the shoe got 67.7% firmer and 69.4% stiffer (less flexible).

Carbon plate and rocker help your need for speed 

Speaking of flexibility. Given that there is an almost full-length carbon plate embedded into the shoe, it stiffens up the sole just enough to propel you forward, kind of like a springboard.

Meanwhile, the curved rocker shape of the sole contributes to a faster turnover from heels to toes. 

You can see the carbon plate in the photo below - it is the black streak between the white and red foams.

A plate of such length reflects in the minimized pliability of the Fuga YAO. Measuring its resistance to flexing, we found that it is 34% stiffer than average. It is similar to that of the Heel counter stiffness.

Even when simply bending and twisting the shoe with our hands, the shoe's stiffness clearly stands out. On a scale from 1 to 5 where 5 is the stiffest, we rated its longitudinal flexibility as 5 and its torsional flex as 4.

As subjoined by the brand, the presence of a carbon plate "prevents twisting," making the shoe feel more stable.

Stable cornering in the need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails

The shoe ranks pretty high in the stability department.

Despite the fact that the shoe's primary cushioning is soft, it is cradled inside a firmer foam (the red one) to create a steady platform. And with the stiff plate placed in between the two foams, it gets even more stable. Ankle twisting is not experienced in this shoe.

Another contributing factor is the sole width.

We measured the shoe's heel width at 95.2 mm which is significantly wider than average - by 6.1 mm!

In the forefoot, it is not as impressive. At 111.6 mm, it is within the average range for running shoes (112.1 mm).

Seamless transition from road to trail

Midsole width - heel.

Even though it is obvious even to the untrained eye, the treads on this Kailas shoe are only 1.7 mm deep, based on our measurements. This is significantly thinner than the average 3.3 mm for trail shoes.

This puts the shoe in the hybrid category meaning that it is best for moderate, hard-packed trails, parks, and paved roads.

Perfect fit for narrow-to-average feet

The need a door-to-trail shoe that feels at home on paved roads and hard-packed trails has a form-fitting upper with a solid lockdown. It fit close to the foot in the heel and midfoot but opens up a little in the toebox.

However, it is by no means a roomy toebox and is likely to be restricting for wider feet. We measured its widest part to be 98 mm which is right at the average among running shoes.

On the bright side, no heel slippage is expected from its clutching heel counter. We assessed its stiffness as 4 out of 5, where 5 is the stiffest.

Kailas sizing might differ from your normal US size

Here is the best way to know your size in Kailas:

1. Find out the MM measurement of our current running shoe. It is often found on the inner side of the tongue (a three-digit number like 260 or 26.0); or, Difference in midsole softness in cold, if you have time.

2. Check Kailas' official shoe size chart to find what US size your MM measurement corresponds to. Because the brand makes its shoes in the EU sizing scheme, some of the US sizes can be missing for the Fuga YAO. Like, the men's US 8 and 9, for example.

Heel padding durability true to size (based on Kailas' chart).

Speed lacing for quick on-off

Bungee laces are often a very welcome feature in trail running shoes. It takes seconds to pull up the toggle and adjust the fit on the go. A handy lace pocket is added on top of the tongue too to let you hide the excess shoestrings.

There is also an open lace hook, similar to those found on hiking boots if you have time.