This has been a great trail runner and multipurpose sneaker for the past three months I've been using it. Previously I mostly used the trail-glove series (with the 4 being the most recent I've worn.) Those are also great shoes but don't offer sufficient protection when running on trails with lots of exposed roots and sharp rocks. I learned this the hard way when moving from the relatively cushy headlands trails on the west coast to leaf covered forest trails of New England. After a couple weeks of using the trail gloves in these conditions my feet were protesting loudly so it was time to try something different.With the Novas I have yet to feel the impact of rocks, etc on the trails. You do give up some of the 'feel' of the trail with the extra cushion and none-zero drop but in my case it wasn't a big deal to get used to and well worth it to save my feet.