I’ve been testing out the recently released (official UK release date 15^th February 2025), 361 Futura 2 for about 8 weeks now and have been impressed with their performance so far. After testing out the Lynx model from 361° previously and absolutely loving them, I expected a lot from the Futura 2.

The Futura 2 are an everyday trail running shoe and can be used as a commuter shoe also and suitable on compact trails and even tarmac. They are softly cushioned and have been designed to provide traction on both wet and dry terrain whilst also having the comfort of an everyday shoe. The plush cushioning makes these a great choice as a commuter (road to trail) option.

The 5mm lugs are perfect for the soft ground, providing great traction and gave me the confidence to push the pace a little when needed, yet they are enough to maintain suitable and stable contact with solid surfaces, providing good grip on firmer terrain.

The outsole is made from the quality Vibram® MegaGrip, delivering impressive traction and performance in muddy conditions and both wet and dry surfaces. You can even feel and hear the stickiness in some conditions.

The midsole is made from the 361° ENGAGE midsole is a one full length (N-TPU) foam platform that delivers excellent underfoot cushioning. It has high resiliency, a great bounce, structural integrity and is eco-friendly. Even coupled with the big lugs, you still get a smooth ride, and you can’t feel the lugs through the midsole like you might expect. When running on the tarmac I actually forgot I was running in a trail shoe and even found them to be a little responsive and give a bit back when I needed them to.

Another positive is the removable ORTHOLITE X-40 insoles. Which provide lasting comfort, a high level of breathability and excellent moisture management.

Moving on to the upper design, it is constructed with recycled and breathable knit fabric which ensures great ventilation for those longer miles. They are constructed with 50% recycled yarn, this soft engineered mesh fabric delivers protection and utilises a ventilated hole pattern that also assists in the smooth movement from heel to toe ensuring breathability during natural motion. Coupled with the last shape toe box, which adds the perfect amount of volume in the forefoot, allowing for natural toe splay and wider feet.

The new Gaitor clips are a welcome addition to the shoe, allowing easy attachment of gaiters to stop lose gravel and debris getting into the shoe.

The Morphit lacing system is present again on the medial and lateral upper, which helps to harness the foot to the platform for the perfect lock-down during a run. And the lace garage is also retained which keeps the laces tucked down and secure.

The stack height is 36mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot with a 6mm drop, both in the men’s shoes and women’s shoes. I found that the 6mm heel-to-forefoot drop helped me land midfoot, giving me confidence in stability, even with the soft midsole’s noticeable compression upon landing.

The weight comes in at 320g in the men’s shoe, for a UK11. Fit wise, I usually wear a UK10 but went a size up due to the longer distance I would be running in these. I found them to fit perfectly with little to no foot movement within the shoe and a comfortable, secure fit. They are available in 2 different colourways in both the men’s and women’s options and available in 2 width options.

Conclusion

After extensive testing across various terrains and distances, the 361° Futura 2 has proven to be a versatile and reliable trail shoe. I have used the 361 Futura 2 mainly for easy Zone 2 runs of about an hour or so on various types of surfaces. The comfort was enough to make the easy runs feel easy. I’ve used them for some tempo sessions on light trails where they performed well and even giving me some notable response when asked for. And I’ve also used them for a handful of longer runs where I found them very comfortable. To summarise, the 361 Futura 2 is a stylish, well cushioned, supportive, slightly responsive, road to trail, every day running shoe that provides suitable grip on both soft and packed trails, wet or dry.