1) Peal XC - replaced by the Peak II (aka Peak 2)

Look of the Peak XC's:
I love how pretty the XC's are (both the pink and the coffee). I feel good when I wear them.

Feel of the Peak XC's
I am a big fan of the Peak XC runners. I have used them for years and have purchased at least 5 pairs of the XC's for my own use. The Peak XC are my favorite trail running shoe. The XC also feels great to walk around in when they are too old to run in. They are a little narrow in the toes for me, but they were the best trail shoe that I have ever worn.

I currently wear a size 11 and I have even given a few people the Peak XC as gifts because I liked them so much.

I can't get Pearl Izumi where I live, so I have to always order them a a few weeks in advance, and drive a few hours away to get them (and a few hours back). This shows my dedication to the shoe and the brand.

Look of the Peak 2's:
I was not as fond of the look of the new orange women's 2's as they look very masculine.

Feel of the Peak 2's:
1) the Peak 2's are a half size smaller than the Peak XC's. I did my homework before ordering. Reviews had rated the 2's a half size smaller than other shoes but were not specific in terms of XC's compared to the 2's. So, I asked the about the sizing of the Peak 2's before ordering. I was told that the XC's also run a half size smaller, so I should be good with the same size in the 2's as the XC's. However, the XC 's and 2's were not the same size for me, so the shoes I ordered were too small. Luckily, they had the men's version for me to try on.

2) Both the men's size and the female size feel great under the feet, and I love the extra toe room (sideways), and I love the feel of the ground underfoot (low rise) in a neutral position. I also love that the shoe does not force me to have any sort of strike.

However, I can't wear either of the men's or women's new Peak 2's because 3) the material/edge (over the big toe on the big knuckle of the foot where the toe joins the foot) scratches my foot and presses in as soon as I put it on and causes pain in the joint and the skin right away. I tried the street version and found the same problem.

This is a problem since, 95 percent of my runs are on trails 1) because I like trails best, 2) trails are better for me than road running, 3) I also run with my dogs.

Look of the ISO Transition triathlon running shoes:
I love the look of the new ISO transition triathlon runners. I even wore them to a dance, and hey I think it looks cool to wear them with a skirt and funky compression socks. I may buy a pair just to hang out in. I know that most other's would shun this look, but I happen to like the look of the ISO Transition's.

Feel of the new ISO Transition triathlon running shoes:
Awesomeness 1)
All of my runners are currently worn out. Since the ISO's felt so good, I purchased the new ISO Transition triathlon running shoes. I chose the ISO Transition's as I am preparing for an off road half Ironman. I do love how the ISO Transition running shoes feel. The ISO's were comfy the moment I put them on, and they are comfy to run in on the road and sidewalk. I can run pretty quickly in the ISO's. However, I am not yet sure how the ISO's will feel for 10+ km’s as the most I have run in them is 10 km’s. I have worn the ISO's for multiple runs a week and have not yet had any issues.

Awesomeness 2)
I love the lock laces.

Issue 1)
On occasion the tongue pushes into the top of my foot. When this happens, I get shin splints. Reason: if the top of the lace area is tight, it causes me to have shin splints. However, the tongue does not always push into the top of my foot where it joins my leg with this shoe so this is not always an issue. But when this happens, I have to unlock the laces completely. This issue may be due to the fact that these are men's ISO Transition's that I am running in as the store did not have any women's ISO Transition's in my size.

Issue 2)
With the Peak 2's, I cannot do any serious trail runs or even half serious trail runs. I know the ISO's were not made for trail runs as they do not provide toe banging protection, sharp rocks are felt as sharp rocks through the bottom of the shoe, and the ISO's are too flat on the bottom of the shoe and offer no grip for running over steep rocks and steep ledges. However, I can't find any running shoes to wear for trail running and the ISO transition shoes are currently the ONLY runners that I can find that fit my feet properly.

Issue 3)
The ISO's are not ideal in the rain, as your feet will be soaking wet very quickly from underneath. However, they also let the rain out, if it is raining enough to have soaking wet feet.

 Also, I will have to wait for your 11.5 women's version to come out, as the 11's are too small. I hear the 11.5 are really hard to get in women's sizing. And the men's version (which I bought in the triathlon runner) are big clown like shoes on my feet: my heal does not go all the way to the back of the men's ISO's and 2's, so I need to buy the men's size a half size larger than my foot. The shape of the men's heal is another reason it is hard for me to wear the men's version ISO's and 2's.

I have also used Pearl Izumi triathlon cycling shoes for 7 years as well as other Pearl Izumi running shoes. I also like how my old Peal Izumi cycling shoes look and feel.