I bought two pairs of these shoes since I do a lot of ultras and previous commenters noted that they run wide. The first pair has worked out quite well, I am a EE and they run around an E to EE width. I have run about 130 miles in them so far, including a couple of tough 50 kilometer trail runs in them, and they are holding up better than any of my previous shoes, give good trail feel, have good traction on a wide variety of terrain ranging from snow and mud to steep and technical ups and downs, and the rock guard offers enough protection that my feet do not get beat up. Temperatures for my runs have ranged from freezing with snow to dry and in the high 80's and the shoes have been reasonably comfortable throughout. When wet they dry adequately, but are not so porous that they let in a lot of dirt and grit. Now for the down side. I was so happy with the first pair that I bought a second. The first time I wore them, I went to tighten the laces and one of the lacing loops ripped out, so quality control may be an issue. That said, I will replace the defective ones with another pair and hope they are as stout as the first pair. If the second pair had not ripped out I would have rated them a 5 out of 5.
Update I have two pairs of the Sparks and now have several hundred miles on each pair of them, including running the 2012 Western States 100. After Western States, my feet were still in good shape, with no black toenails, and only three minor blisters that I didn't discover until after finishing the race. Also, no bruising of the soles of my feet. I am still very happy with them, and they are wearing better than other shoes I have used. I do agree with another reviewer that the lacing loops could be improved, but they are holding up so far. on these two pairs.
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The combination of firm cushioning, 'medium' heel-toe drop, and a wide toe box with a low arch make this shoe nearly perfect for me. I ran in the New Balance MT101 for a few years, and really liked that shoe but found it to be a bit too minimal for longer runs. The Spark has a similar last and a very similar outsole (very grippy, but not very big lugs), but has better foot protection and more support. The shoe is quite light, while feeling solidly built with a well cushioned tongue and heel. I have about 120 miles on them so far, including two 20+ mile runs, and they look brand new apart from slight wear on the forefoot lugs. A+.
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I'm a little over 70 miles into these shoes, including my first 50k. I've run extremely dry/dusty trails, rocky logging roads, and just recently through some wet and slick sections. So far no complaints, I was looking for a shoe with less than the typical 10-12mm drop, and at 6mm these seemed a good step in that direction. I was little worried about not getting my feet accustomed to them before my race, but after about 35 miles I felt like they were part of me. No break in period that I could feel.
I came from a pair of (slightly too small) Montrail Mountain Masochists and realized I needed something better fitting for the 50k. If I'd had all the time in the world, I would probably have gone with the NB MT110's, or Altra Lone Peaks, but I didn't want to try going from 10mm drop to 4 or 0 so quickly. I'm glad I went with the Sparks. I have what I like to call "ogre foot," wherein the middle section of my foot bulges out way more than my toe toes, and it's tricky to find shoes that accommodate that well. I tried on a lot of trail runners, including the Brooks PureGrit 2s, NB MT110s, Brooks Cascadias, and Saucony Xodus 4.0s. The Cascadias and MT 110s felt pretty good width wise, but the former was too much shoe, and the latter was too little. PureGrit2s were too snug in the mid, and the Saucony's were 4mm drop AND felt a little overbuilt.
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The Scarpa Spark Trail shoe is the best trail racing shoe I've worn in the past eight years. These shoes command the frontier between serious minimalism and super-lightweight protective shoes. I ran a great 50km race on 95% single track, and while I posted a PR, I'd say that was about as far as I's like to run in them at race speed in one day. They provide great balance and support but not a whole lot of shock absorption.
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I have 300 + miles on my Sparks now they have held up extremely well, including the sole. I have raced 50K Ultra's with them, and cannot imagine running in another shoe. The comfort they provide and the light feel are perfect. At first I thought they were a bit wide, but I simply laced up a bit tighter and problem solved. The shoe has held up the best to wear and tear better than any other trail shoe I have owned after 300+ miles. My only one complaint would be the laces want to come untied, thus I double knot no big deal. But those laces that come with some shoes that are thick and thin to keep from untieing would be the only improvement I can think of. I was leary that a light shoe would not have enough cushion, as I run on rough rocky dry terrain typically but they again have performed perfectly. Scarpa absolutely hit a home run with these. My prior shoes were Mountain Massochist's those seem like a tank compared to these, and those wore out much quicker then these. The other reviewers who posted saying they have had problems, I have not experienced. And if someone runs 10 miles in them and then posts a review can't really give a valid review in my opinion. Not saying other reviewers here have done that, but I always get a chuckle when someone reviews a running shoe yet has ran in them once!
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