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The best trail running shoes have more grip and support than standard running shoes for when you want to escape the city sidewalks and explore the trails instead. This improved grip helps as you make your way over uneven terrain, whether it’s rocks, gravel or grass you’re running on.
This extra grip and support sets them apart from many of the best running shoes, as those are generally designed with road and sidewalk runs in mind and focus more on packing in foam to cushion the impact of running. Trail shoes often have increased ankle protection and debris resistance too.
The trail shoe that’s best for you will depend a lot on the type of off-road terrain you’re running on — some are built for hard ground and some for soft. There are also all-terrain trail running shoes designed to work well on a wide range of terrain and some built to be comfortable on both road and trails, if you split your runs between the two.
If you’re not sure what trail shoe will suit you best, my overall top pick, the Hoka Speedgoat 7, is a safe choice because of its impressive versatility. It grips well on a wide variety of terrains and is comfortable and supportive for runs of any distance. If you’re looking for something more specialized, I’ve picked out several other exceptional trail shoes below, including some racing options and a great value shoe in the Merrell Morphlite.
The best trail running shoes available right now
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Best trail running shoes overall
If you're looking for a trail-running shoe that provides reliable support and grip no matter what speed or distance you're going, look no further than the Hoka Speedgoat 7.
Its midsole is made from supercritical EVA foam rather than the compression-moulded EVA foam used on past models of the shoe, which is overall lighter and livelier. It isn't very soft or springy, but it does feel stable and supportive even when running on uneven ground.
The Hoka Speedgoat 7's Vibran Megagrip outsole has 5mm lugs, which have enough bite to dig into softer trails, but are also broad enough to provide grip and a smooth ride feel on harder, flatter trails and roads.
In testing, the Speedgoat 7's grip was flawless across both wet and dry conditions, across a variety of trails, including well-groomed paths, mud, rocky tracks, and rooty single-track trails. The only trails I wouldn't use this shoe for are deep, muddy trails, and that's because I would use a specialist studded trail shoe for those.
Overall, the Hoka Speedgoat 7 is a great all-rounder that copes well in almost all conditions. It offers a comfortable ride for long, easy runs, but also is light and responsive enough for when you want to pick up the pace.
- Read our full Hoka Speedgoat 7 review
Best value trail running shoes
There aren’t many great trail shoes available for $100 and the Morphlite certainly stands out as an excellent option for those seeking a cheaper option. It is a comfortable shoe that’s built for light trails, with the 2-3mm lugs on the outsole not really offering enough grip if you hit mud or technical trails but providing more traction than road shoes for off-road runs on well-groomed paths.
I was impressed by the feel of the FloatPro Foam in the midsole, which is soft without being squishy or unstable, which wouldn’t be welcome on uneven ground. There’s some bounce to the foam too, and the Morphlite is a good budget trail-racing option, as well as a comfortable shoe for general runs.
There is not a full rubber outsole on the shoe, with some exposed foam in the midfoot, and I noticed that the shallow, broad lugs also seem to be wearing down a little quicker than others, so if you regularly run on gravel tracks, in particular, durability might be a concern with the Morphlite. However, that’s not enough to undermine its appeal as a cheap option for tamer trails, and it’s a good road-to-trail shoe as well.
Best all terrain trail running shoes
The Peregrine 14 is one of the most versatile trail running shoes available with regards to the terrains you can tackle in it, with the 5mm lugs on the PWRTRAC outsole providing reliable grip on almost every surface. I’ve been using the Peregrine for many years and each generation of the shoe has offered that all-terrain grip as a key feature, and I’ve run on hard and soft ground, road, mud and snow in the shoe without it coming unstuck.
It’s also a versatile shoe in terms of the distance and pace you can run in it. The Peregrine 14 is cushioned enough for long runs — though I’d prefer a bit more cushioning for ultramarathon distances myself — and it’s light enough to speed through short, fast runs as well. There’s also a GTX version of the shoe with a waterproof Gore-Tex upper, which is handy when running in cold and wet conditions.
The biggest problem with the Peregrine 14 is how similar it is to the Peregrine 13, with Saucony’s updates to the newer shoe being so minor that I didn’t notice a considerable difference on the run. That means that looking for a deal on the older shoe would be a smart bit of shopping while stocks of the 13 last.
Best road to trail running shoes
The New Balance Hierro v9 is a shoe that's equally at home on the road and the trails, with a comfortable design that provides enough cushioning for road running and an outsole that offers reliable grip on a wide variety of surfaces.
Key to its comfort is the high stack of Fresh Foam X cushioning in the midsole. A softer top later delivers a comfortable ride, while a firmer bottom layer helps ensure the Hierro v9 is stable on uneven trails. It's still not the best shoe for technical trails where I'd prefer to be in a nimbler, lower-stack shoe myself, but on more runnable paths and roads it excels.
The outsole has 4.5mm lugs and uses Vibram MegaGrip rubber, and I found it delivered reliable grip on both the road and light trails in all conditions. The lugs are quite broad so as to be comfortable on the road and harder trails, but have enough bite for softer trails as well, and I ran on grass, mud paths, gravel and even icy sidewalks happily in the shoe.
- Read our full New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 review
Best waterproof trail running shoes
It doesn’t come cheap, but the Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 is worth every cent if you do a lot of long runs in wet and cold conditions. It kept my feet dry and warm on long runs on icy hills in Scotland, even when breaking through ice into freezing puddles — just make sure you don’t run through anything deep enough for the water to get over the collar and inside the shoe, because then the Gore-Tex works against you in blocking drainage.
The InFuse midsole on the shoe is durable and comfortable, and has a little bounce that’s noticeable when you hit flatter, harder trails. The Vibram Megagrip outsole uses 4mm lugs for grip on a variety of trails, including some snowy descents, and aside from when running through deep mud and on icy roads, I had no traction concerns when using the shoe.
If you don’t need the waterproof upper the standard version of the Norvan LD is $35 cheaper and also a great option for long runs on varied trails. It will also be more breathable for runs in hot conditions without the Gore-Tex liner you get on the Norvan LD 3 GTX.
Best trail running shoes for races
The Tecton X3 is the third carbon plate trail-racing shoe Hoka has released, and its best to date by far. That’s down to the new midsole design, which has two layers of the springy PEBA foam found in road racers like the Hoka Cielo X1. This creates a fast and bouncy ride that’s also very protective — I used the Tecton X3 for hilly runs on several days in a row that would usually leave my quads aching and my muscles felt fine.
This protective and fast ride is ideal for ultramarathons in particular, with the Tecton X3 built to keep you moving over exceptionally long distances — Jim Walmsley used a prototype of the shoe to win UTMB in 2023. The 4mm lugs on the outsole also grip well on a variety of terrain, including the road, which is vital in ultramarathons where you might have to move from mountain tops to valley floors.
Running through the midsole are twin carbon plates, which run in parallel down the length of the shoe. By virtue of not having a full plate the Tecton X3 is more flexible and comfortable on uneven terrain, and it still delivers some of the propulsive punch you expect from a plated shoe.
The plates also have winglets on the side to add more stability to the shoe, which is needed with a high midsole stack of quite soft foam. I did find at times that the shoe felt a little wobbly underfoot, especially when tired at the end of long runs, but there’s enough stability there that if you’re careful it shouldn’t be a problem.
At the top of the heel collar is a built-in gaiter that stops debris from getting into the shoe. I found the gaiter comfortable and it felt like it added some extra support through the way it hugged the leg, but some might find it cloying and unnecessary if you’re not on terrain like sand or gravel where the extra protection is useful.
- Read our full Hoka Tecton X3 review
Best trail running shoes for gravel
The Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL is built for all terrains, with a substantial outsole and trail-ready upper. It's a gravel specialist shoe, but it's also one of the best cushioned running shoes available for road and light trails.
The Aero Glide 4 GRVL's mesh upper has added protection for off-road runs, thanks to its overlays and reinforced toe bumper.
It uses OptiFoam Squared supercritical TPU foam in the midsole, giving it a lively feel. It might not be the squishiest foam out there, but it's quite responsive and comfortable for long runs. In testing, it felt light and nimble, despite the large amount of cushioning in the midsole.
The Aero Glide 4 GRVL has quite wide 2.5mm chevron-shaped lugs in the Gravel Contragrip rubber used on its outsole. In testing, this helped to grip on light trails while still delivering a smooth ride on the road. It also performed very well on wet roads.
Overall, the Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL is a very versatile shoe. It's a capable option for on-and-off-road runs, and feels great on wet and dry roads. It's perfect for light trails like park or woodland paths (and gravel roads, of course), although you'll likely want a different shoe for technical, mountain tracks.
- Read our full Salomon Aero Glide 4 GRVL
How to choose the best trail running shoes
The best trail running shoe for you is the one that fits you best, so it’s always a good idea to head to your local running shop to try a couple of different brands before you buy. Another thing to consider before investing in a pair of trail running shoes are the surfaces you plan on running on. If you’re just planning on exploring your local woodlands, you’ll be fine in a shoe with a less dramatic outsole. However, if you’re off on technical trails, you’ll need extra grip to avoid accidents.
You also need to think about are how long you plan on running. If you’re heading to the Marathon des Sables or the UTMB, you’ll want a trail running shoe with a good amount of responsive cushioning to keep you comfortable. On the other hand, if you’re heading from your front door to the trails, you’ll want a shoe that is comfortable on the concrete, as well as off-road.
How we test the best trail running shoes
I test trail running shoes by running in them. All of the shoes on this list have been put through their paces with several runs on a variety of terrains and in all weathers. I’ve run at least 35 miles in each shoe, either in my local forest, which tends to get very muddy for most of the year, or on trips to more dramatic and mountainous terrain.
FAQs
Which brand is best for trail-running shoes?
Every major running brand has trail-running shoes in its line-up, and while some tend to specialize more in off-road shoes, like Salomon and Merrell, there's no one brand that stands out as the best overall as you can see from the variety of companies that have made it into the picks above.
What are the best running shoes for road and trail?
You have two options if you want one running shoe to tackle both road and off-road runs. You can get one of the best running shoes for the road that has a particularly thick and grippy outsole, like the Puma Velocity Nitro 3, or you can get a dedicated road-to-trail shoe.
These are a type of trail-running shoe that has broader, flatter lugs on its outsole to ensure it grips well and is comfortable on flat roads while offering a bit more grip on the trails. Our top pick in this area right now is the Hoka Challenger 7, which is comfortable on both road and trail.
Just be aware that road-to-trail shoes are generally designed for less technical trails, so they wouldn't be our choice for running in deep mud or up and down mountains, when you will want a more specialized trail shoe.
Is it OK to wear trail running shoes on the road?
Yes, there's no reason why you can't wear your trail running shoes on the road. That said, keep in mind trail running shoes aren't designed to be worn on concrete, so might not have as much midsole foam to protect you from the harder surface. The outsole will also be designed for gripping onto mud or light trails, so might actually have less grip on the pavements than road running shoes.
Can you wear trail running shoes for hiking?
Trail running shoes have less support than hiking shoes or boots, but they are still comfortable for walking and hiking, especially if you're planning to move fast even if you're not running. Many trail shoes are used for long stretches of walking during ultramarathons, especially on uphills, so they are designed to be able to handle that.
The best trail running shoes for hiking will avoid a pronounced rocker shape and will ideally have added structure and support around the heel. If you're planning to use them for hiking then broader, shallower lugs will usually be best, because the very long studs you get on trail running shoes for the mud aren't comfortable for walking on harder surfaces.
