If you're planning to run off road then the best trail running shoes are a vital piece of kit. With reinforced foot plates and sticky treads you'll be able to tackle treacherous frost, squelchy mud, and debris-strewn ground, sometimes in the space of a single outing.
With this in mind, it's worth really delving into the specs when choosing a new pair to make sure they suit the needs of the terrain, particularly where the outsole is concerned. If you've spent time sliding around all over the place when the going gets muddy, you might be surprised at the difference deeper lugs can make to your runs.
As well as traction, the best trail running shoes provide breathability, protection and a certain amount of cushioning, which differs from shoe to shoe. More cushioning equals a bouncy ride, which some find more comfortable, while others prefer the trail feel of a more minimal pair.
All the trail shoes featured have been thoroughly put through their paces in the backcountry by our testers in a wide variety of conditions.
The quick list
This is our quick list, a brief overview of the best trail running shoes available today. To find out more about each product, see our more detailed write ups further down the page in this guide.
The Saucony Endorphin Edge is built for speed on tricky terrain. We love the fast, fun ride it gives, thanks to its full-length carbon plate
This shoe strikes a nice balance between cushioning and a decent trail feel. We'd choose them for handling technical terrain and mixed conditions with confidence
We're here for the long-haul comfort from soft cushioning, rugged durability, grippy traction and energy propulsion. It also doesn’t have the unyieldingly firm sensation many new trail shoes do
We appreciated the generous amount of FloatPro Foam in the midsole. When testing, these had plenty of cushioning and positive rebound, although the high, bouncy stack came at the expense of all trail feel
These shoes help you move quickly over rough ground and offer good protection and stability with their excellent foot lockdown, but we think they take some breaking in
We'd recommend this shoe for running on forest tracks and lower level trails, as well as some asphalt, rather than technical, muddy and rocky hill paths and mountain slopes
The lack of protection against hard rocks on the uppers mean that, while there's plenty of cushion underfoot, we'd save these for long, easy runs, rather than rugged technical trails
Ultralight, breathable shoes with superior grip, these trail runners are your best companion for days when you want to move fast
The Genesis have a large stack and a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, which we found perfect for trail running on varied terrain, offering an ideal balance between supplying protection and maintaining a low centre of gravity
Extremely protective for a trail shoe, the Scarpa Ribelle Run Kalibra G isn't a shoe for park runs or easy trails but mountain goats will enjoy it, particularly those who venture out in winter.
Breathable and roomy, with a great level of comfort, the Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 is perfect for those summer runs, on multiple types of terrain
While there may not be anything specifically unique about these shoes, we think they'll be a good all-rounder for ultra running and will eat up any terrain you throw at them
The best trail running shoes
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The best overall
The first thing we noticed when we pulled the Saucony Endorphin Edge out of its box was its light weight and stiff build. Both of these can be attributed to a full-length carbon plate embedded in the midsole, which is springy and fun even on difficult terrain, offering plenty of control. This is reinforced by a full-length rockplate to protect the midsole EVA foam from stones and roots.
The upper is closely woven with a thinly cushioned, gusseted tongue to prevent ingress of dirt, grit, and water. The toe is reinforced with a generously sized rubberized area, and there's a firm plastic heel counter round the back. Saucony has also built in a heel loop to make the Edge easier to pull on swiftly when it's time to hit the trails. The outsole is equipped with chevron-shaped lugs, which are quite widely spaced. We found they prevented the accumulation of excess mud.
The Saucony Endorphin Edge is built for speed on tricky terrain, and gives a fast, fun ride thanks to its full-length carbon plate. The foam midsole strikes the perfect balance, offering enough cushioning to absorb shock (particularly on downhills) without compromising stability. If your wallet can take the hit, it's easily one of the best trail running shoes you can buy today.
Read our full Saucony Endorphin Edge review
The best for slick terrain
These trail runners are lightweight for when we wanted to go fast and far and with an internal bootie that pulls on like a sock, we got an instant locked-in fit without having to retie our laces. Easy to pull on, the snug fit around the cuff is balanced with a roominess around the toe box which adds to the light, airy feel of these shoes.
Breathable mesh uppers with a TPU overlay manage to be durable and keep feet cool when out in hot weather, plus they’re quick drying for when we were splashing through puddles. Once we hit uneven, rocky terrain, we really appreciated the stability provided by the low 4mm drop combined with 5mm lugs on the MegaGrip soles, which hold up even in slick conditions. They’re not waterproof, but with gaiter attachments we could easily protect our feet in any deluge.
The FloatPro Foam midsole strikes a nice balance between cushioning and a decent trail feel. These aren’t big and bouncy for super long runs, nor are they barefoot and minimal – they’re great for handling technical terrain and mixed conditions with confidence.
Read our full Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 trail running shoes review
The best for durability
In April 2021, inov-8 unveiled the Trailfly Ultra G 300 Max, featuring the world’s first graphene-enhanced midsole compound (called G-fly foam). Combined with the extreme durability of the brand's graphene-enhanced rubber outsole, this shoe is taking trail running footwear into a whole new realm. Graphene has been reported to be the world’s strongest material, but as a nanotechnology it is also one of the thinnest. When inov-8 included the two-dimensional honeycomb lattice carbon allotrope (say that 10 times fast while running over rocks!) into a proprietary foam compound it resulted in 25% more energy return and vastly enhance durability compared to other midsole
As trail runners, we want long-haul comfort from soft cushioning, rugged durability, grippy traction and energy propulsion that puts a spring in our steps, and the TrailFly Ultra G 300 Max offers all of that and more. It doesn’t have the unyieldingly firm sensation as many new trail shoes do, with carbon-fiber propulsion plates embedded in their midsoles – instead, with these there’s a soft, flexible and resilient sensation that will pay dividends deep into a long training run or a 50K or 100-mile trail running race. On the downside, if you’re a tactile runner and you like a bit of trail feel, you’re not going to get any of that with these shoes, which have a chunky, almost maximalist midsole with a rocker, which performs well in terms of transference of energy, but completely cuts out any feedback from the terrain below your feet.
Read our full inov-8 Trailfly Ultra G 300 Max review
The best for heel strikers
For the new iteration of their popular and high-performing Agility Peak trail running shoe, Merrell have increased the roll in the rocker, shaved a few grams from the overall weight and improved the heel cup, so it supplies more support and increases runner confidence on tricky trails.
Despite the reverse camber shape of the sole, designed to assist with forward momentum (especially for heel-strikers), there is a 6mm heel-to-toe drop in these shoes, which is modest enough to suit most trail runners. The amount of FloatPro Foam in the midsole is generous, and when testing, these shoes supplied us with plenty of cushioning and positive rebound, although this high, bouncy stack comes at the expense of all trail feel.
Feedback from the terrain would be limited anyway, because a protective rockpate runs along the length of the Agility 5, preventing sharp rocks and sticks from puncturing your poor feet, and supplying a decent degree of torsional rigidity that comes in handy when you’re negotiating rocky scrambly sections of a high-flying route. Lower down, in amongst the mud, the nicely spaced 5mm lugs on the excellent Vibram MegaGrip outsole provide the traction and braking control required to tackle slippery ascents and descents, without collecting too much muck.
Find out how the shoes performed when one of our expert gear testers put them on to tackle the technical trails in the tough, rough and rocky terrain of the Alps around Chamonix.
Read our full Merrell Agility Peak 5 review
The best for foot lockdown
These great shoes are built for people who don’t want to slow down just because they’re crossing uneven terrain. The Saucony Peregrine 14 trail running shoe gives an excellent lockdown fit as soon as you tie the laces, while a tacky outsole gives you excellent grip on steep descents, mud, grass, rocks and even wet boardwalks, helping to propel you forward with every step. The lockdown is helped by a tighter fit than other similar shoes, and while this ensures stability in the long run, sizing up may be advised.
The lack of a carbon plate doesn't affect things too much, with excellent heel sturdiness and the addition of some great flex to the shoe, something missing with the current trend towards plates. There's also enough padding for rocky trails, allowing the wearer to adapt to changes in terrain with every step.
While the shoes have excellent breathability, heel stiffness can be a problem initially, with some heel rub affecting the overall comfort All in all, these trail running shoes help you move quickly over rough ground and offer good protection and stability, but aren’t quite tough enough for muddy trails and steep, ultra technical terrain.
Read our full Saucony Peregrine 14 trail running shoes review
The best cushioning
Hoka Tecton X trail running shoes are designed for speed on the trails, while also offering plenty of comfort.
The upper is single-layer jacquard engineered mesh that hugs the foot. Hoka has added a non-molded EVA sockliner to aid support inside the shoe. Polyester laces with (undefined) recycled content fit into a ghillie lacing system to make it easy to lace them up to the required tension. Underfoot there is a a ProFlyX midsole, which combines a lightweight and responsive foam base with an ultra-soft foam in-sole lining.
The outsole is Hoka’s own design of Vibram Megagrip with Litebase construction. The lugs are 4mm depth and with “zonal rubber placement” to offer grip where needed. This is a shoe for running on forest tracks and lower level trails, as well as some asphalt, rather than technical, muddy and rocky hill paths and mountain slopes.
Read our full Hoka Texton X review
The best for long runs
The Asics GEL-Trabuco 11 are built for long days on the trail, when you want to prioritize comfort. The plush feeling of these shoes is delivered by a well-cushioned midsole and 8mm drop, making these ideal for heel strikers looking for a bouncy ride with plenty of protection along the way. while any runner will benefit from the secure lacing system that locks your foot in place.
Not only are these shoes lightweight, the uppers of these shoes are constructed using breathable mesh and at least 50% recycled materials, meaning they’re lighter on the planet as well as on your feet – at just 250 grams per shoe, we’ve bounded along mud, grass and gravel trails in these with great toe-off. If you are hitting the trail in them, you’ll benefit from the grippy soles on slick terrain, but be aware that the uppers won’t provide as much protection for your feet against sharp rocks than more rugged technical trail shoes. Save these for long days on mellow trails.
These stylish, ultra comfortable shoes provide plenty of cushion underfoot, though the uppers lack protection against hard rocks, so save them for long, easy runs.
Read our full Asics GEL-Trabuco 11 review
The best lightweight shoe
The Merrell Skyfire 2 is a trail shoe built specifically for tackling shorter distances, with an ultralight design and supreme grip to keep things light and fun.
The whole shoe is designed with speed in mind, with light, breathable uppers to help with warmer days and grippy soles with deep lugs that look almost like a track cleat. This is complemented with carbon plate sandwiched into the midsole which provides a noticeably responsive ride.
At 160g per shoe, these are seriously light trail running shoes, which feel great for long runs and trails that aren't too rocky, as the lack of weight comes with a lack of protection too. The Merrell Skyfire 2 is mostly suitable for grass, mud and steep descents, and it is here that it excels.
The 5mm lugs are deeper than some, propelliing you forward with each step. Merrell really doesn't want you slipping when things start to get technical. The mesh upper is well made, and stop your feet from overheating while drying quicky. Unfortunately, the shoes are not waterproof, something you'll need to consider before a purchase.
Overall, this is a fun, nimble feeling shoe that feels made for speed thanks to its light weight and flexibility. It also feels good on roads if you're heading out for a training run from your front door, or tackling a mixed terrain 10k.There's not much rubber near the midsole meaning they may wear out quicker than most, but for speedy, light runs, there's not much better.
Read our full Merrell Skyfire 2 review
The best for technical trails
Unlike many of Salomon’s more high-end performance-focused shoes – such as the more elite S-lab Genesis shoes, which these are based on – the new Genesis trail runners have a much more comfortable fit and feel, with more space around the ball of the foot, which make them a whole lot more comfortable for a lot of people.
Despite this, the hard-wearing woven Matryx upper still supplies excellent foot support, and the Quicklace system enables you to fasten the shoes as tight as you could possibly want them. The Energy Foam in the midsole brings some bounce to the party, and absorbs plenty of impact too.
When all this is combined with an Active Chassis system (which cradles your heel), these shoes really inspire confidence on technical trails, a feeling enhanced by the grip, traction and braking control provided by the Contragrip outsole, with its smartly positioned 4.5mm lugs, arranged in a two-part pattern.
The Genesis have a large stack and a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, which we find perfect for trail running on a wide range of terrain, offering the ideal balance between supplying protection and maintaining a low centre of gravity on more technical trails. Salomon say the Genesis have been designed to excel on rough and rocky terrain, but there doesn’t appear to be a rockplate in these shoes to protect feet from bruising and potential puncture wounds from sharp stones and sticks.
The best for winter conditions
Scarpa describe the Ribelle Run Kalibra G winter trail running shoe as an ‘all-weather, all-terrain juggernaut,’ and they're correct, with the Ribelle Run perfectly capable of tackling harsher conditions, built to cope with snow, scree and summits.
Although they are heavy at 370g per shoe, it is soon apparent that the extra weight is needed when dealing with the wintry conditions, and a sock-like fit with no laces presents a level of comfort to offset the weight. Boa’s lacing technology is integrated here, allowing the user to tighten or loosed the shoe using a dial, perfect for quick adjustments made when wearing gloves.
There is other tech integration here too: Polartec’s Windbloc, a polyurethane membrane, provides a water repellant windshield, while WinTherm active insulation aids warmth and breathability. The result is a hardy shoe that will absolutely keep you protected and stable in harsh conditions, but it's also a very pricey shoe due to the aforementioned tech additions.
The best for summer
With a breathable mesh upper, excellent grip on firmer ground, and a roomy toe box, the Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 excels for runs and hikes in the summer months. It's a comfortable shoe too, featuring PWRRUN PB foam providing excellent cushioning for running long distances. A rock plate protects the wearer from sharp rocks, and aside from the most muddy conditions, the 4.5mm lugs are extremely grippy on all types of terrain.
The additional eyelets are a welcome addition, allowing you to customise the tightness somewhat, but the laces themselves are quite slippery, so triple knotting them is advised. While the padding is quite firm to begin with, it soon loosens, and gradually feels more like part of your foot after just a few hours.
The Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 is a versatile and durable shoe overall, a great all rounder, but is very well suited to summer runs. If you're looking for something breathable, but can also hold its own no matter where you run, this shoe may be worth checking out.