Trail-Running Shoes
Archive
A cadre of talented new hikers are ready for the trail and beyond.
The best thing going in this year's crop of shoes? Diversity.
Spring's best off-road shoes strike a balance between speed and comfort
Gear to help you focus on your surroundings, not your blisters
Forget the forecast. This gear will keep you moving through the toughest season.
Gone are the days of "shrink it and pink it." This equipment鈥攎uch of it designed by women, for women鈥攔ocks.
Top shoe brands are racing to enter the super-cushioned fray. We review 2014鈥檚 corpulent shoe crop.
鈥楾is the season for car camping and barbequing, which means grilled burgers, sunny days, and (hopefully) cold beer. But to keep your beverage of choice chilled, you鈥檒l need a cooler that can withstand the heat. We reviewed four mini coolers鈥攅ach 10 liters or smaller and each packed with a six-pack鈥攖o…
For years, I used to test how far I could go on day trips without eating. I don’t know if it was some unexplainable machismo or just laziness, but that mindset changed about six months ago. I鈥檇 gone on a four-hour run with an empty stomach and no food in…
It鈥檚 tough to tell how trustworthy a piece of gear is going to be when you first buy it. In fact, the only way to actually test your equipment鈥檚 longevity is to, well, test it. Thoroughly. So instead of having you, dear reader, put your gear through the ringer in…
Forget about rubbing two sticks together. Without matches, your only hope of getting a fire started in the wild is to take advantage of other tools at your disposal. Mykel Hawke鈥攁 former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and founder of survival school Spec Ops鈥攔ecommends two easy,…
Yes, I write about gear for a living, I have access to the most sophisticated toys and tools in the outdoor world, and I鈥檓 constantly geeking out over tech details. But I鈥檓 keenly aware of the fact that the gear does not make the athlete. I was a much better…
Next week at Outdoor Retailer, Black Diamond will unveil jackets with a revolutionary cord management system that shrinks, hides, and embeds the technology needed to tighten hoods and hems. It鈥檚 called Cohaesive, and I鈥檓 excited about it for a few reasons. Cohaesive simplifies cord…
Over the past few decades, humans have developed some pretty high-tech synthetic fabrics, including membranes with nine billion pores per square inch and bi-layer wicking polyester. 聽聽 But in spite of our best efforts, the most advanced technical fibers still come from Mother Nature. Take merino wool, which is hard…
This is always a tricky question. There鈥檚 plenty of room for debate when it comes to choosing the 鈥渞ight鈥 ski length, and a useful answer should entail a lot of research. 聽 聽 Take the rocker revolution, which had people arguing about how the effective edge鈥攐r the length of metal…
The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, a tech orgy that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year, wrapped up Friday in Las Vegas. And as usual, there was some pretty weird technology on the floor.聽 Sensoria Fitness Sock A tattoo that measures your pH. A glove…
Exercise caution when you look for an inexpensive mountaineering pack. Remember, a well-built pack is going to last a lot longer than a cheap one, and you want to make sure it won鈥檛 fail at a crucial moment. But that doesn鈥檛 mean there aren鈥檛 good options out there that cost…
国产吃瓜黑料聽staff members are always busy testing gear鈥攚e reviewed more than 600 items for the summer and winter聽Buyer鈥檚 Guides alone. We can鈥檛 cover everything in the magazine, so we asked 11 国产吃瓜黑料rs to name their favorite piece of gear from 2013. And because our staff ranges from elk hunters to ultramarathoners,…
I ran my first ultra, The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-Mile on December 7. Save two missing toenails and a pinky toe that looks like it belongs on a cadaver, I think I am far enough away from the pain to write about the gear that helped…
You'll never forget the suffering of your first ultra gone awry鈥攗ntil you do.
An endorsement鈥攁nd a eulogy鈥攆or the Saucony Xodus 4.0.
It鈥檚 been years since we picked a thickly padded road runner as our top shoe. But the 1260v3 demanded the recognition. Yes, it goes overboard on the comfort, with a pillowy tongue and heel collar and spongy mesh in the upper. Yet it鈥檚 still efficient, so it was a welcome partner on long hauls.
I鈥檓 looking for a minimalist shoe for running on trails with a lot of rocks and brush. What do you recommend?
From minimalist speedsters to winter-ready mountain scramblers, we鈥檝e got you covered.
It鈥檚 summer, and time to run. What are some good trail runners for warm summer days?
Kicks designed specifically for the female foot, including The North Face Single Track Hayasa, best for mixed road and trail runs; the Salomon XR Mission, best for long trail runs in rough terrain; the New Balance 890V2, best for a cushy on up-tempo runs; and the Pearl Izumi Kissaki, best for high-mileage marathon training and racing.
There was a time when shoe companies took their bestselling road models, slapped some dark colors on them, toughened up their outsoles, made them uncomfortably stiff, and marketed them as trail shoes. And guess what. Hardly anyone bought 鈥檈m. Thank goodness that those days have finally come to an end.
It鈥檚 鈥渢he perfect fourteener shoe,鈥 one Colorado-based tester proclaimed, which is perhaps the best compliment a running-hiking hybrid like the PeakFreak can receive.
What are the best trail running shoes for handling spring mud and rain?
国产吃瓜黑料 picks the essentials for March, including the Salomon XR Mission.
国产吃瓜黑料 picks the essentials for March, including the New Balance Minimus Trail Zero.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Saucony ProGrid Outlaw.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Columbia Hoodster boots.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2012 Winter Buyer's Guide, including the Saucony PowerGrid Cortana running shoe.
After competing in more than two dozen adventure races, Stephen Regenold breaks down his go-to outdoor gear
Best Foot Forward: From marathon trainers to minimalist trail runners, we've got the right shoe for you, including the Montrail Rogue Racer trail running shoe.
Best Foot Forward: From marathon trainers to minimalist trail runners, we've got the right shoe for you, including the Brooks Cascadia 6 trail running shoe.
Best Foot Forward: From marathon trainers to minimalist trail runners, we've got the right shoe for you, including the Salomon XR Crossmax Neutral trail running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Adidas Adistar Raven running shoes.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Asics GT 2160 running shoes.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including The North Face Double Track running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Hi-Tec V-Lite Infiniti HPI running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the La Sportiva Quantum running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Montrail Fairhaven running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Saucony Progrid Peregrine running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Brooks Trailblade running shoe.
国产吃瓜黑料 reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the New Balance Minimus Trail running shoe.
I am going on a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim day hike in several weeks. I have done a lot of hiking mainly in light boots but I am wondering about using trail runners for this one. Any suggestions? Mark Henderson, NV
What is the best trail running shoe for someone with flatish feet, that is 195 pounds, and runs between 7-10 miles a day on rocky trails? My shoes often wear on the outside first.ScottCamp Lejeune, NC
What are the best shoes for winter running? The Editors Santa Fe, NM
I run on trails in the Virgin Islands because it's the only safe place to run, but I don't have trail running shoes. I have been tearing through shoes because they can't handle the rough terrain. What is the best warm-weather trail running shoes? Imagine a rocky gravel trail that gets muddy due to frequent tropical downpours. 鈥擥reg
Why They’re CoolThe treads—made of softer tacky carbon and resembling mini-cleats—behave like knobbies, plowing through gunk instead of caking up, while a perimeter ring of harder carbon-rubber lugs gives good grip. 禄 After a stretch of riverbed mudflats, I sprinted up an embankment, yet didn’t end up falling on my…
ALL-WEATHER, ALL-TERRAIN Finally, a forecast-be-damned trail shoe that doesn’t make your feet feel like they’re in a sauna. The Trail Sensor’s water-resistant, breathable upper—a synthetic fabric with Nano-Tech treatment—kept our feet warm and dry even on sloppy fall runs in Boulder, while the fully gusseted tongue kept out grit and…
STABILITY IN MOTION Ever watch a caterpillar crawl over your knuckles? The weather-resistant, soft-shell Shadow Dragon takes a page from the little bugs: the outsole’s 12 protruding lugs, which gave us a noticeable boost in stability on the small rocks, roots, and other obstacles of Boulder’s Mesa Trail. 11.5 oz;…
SPEEDY BUT GRIPPY Fact: The Italians make great shoes. Lesser known fact: They dominate competitive mountain running. That combined mastery is evident in the Crosslite, which is all about getting through the rough stuff as quickly as possible. A race-ready shoe with a minimalist design, the knobby-lugged Crosslite combines the…
STORM CHASER Messy technical trails and foul weather are no longer deterrents for this major update. The new seam-sealed Gore-Tex upper kept testers’ feet warm and dry in cold slop (but it’s muggier in warm temps than its soft-shell counterparts), while the grippy outsole, underfoot protection, and torsional stiffness added…
Good for Trails If you run both roads and mellow trails, be good to your budget: Buy one shoe that can handle both. The Boulder Canyon has the guts of a neutral road shoe—a single-density EVA foam provides ample cushioning on pavement. But it also has grippy,…
If you’re determined not to let icy trails get in the way of your workout, consider the Attla. Its spiked lugs are almost imperceptible, but they dig into hardpack like tractor tread. For even more bite, slip the included carbide-studded rubber “webs” over the toe and heel, between the…
Why They’re CoolThey’re anti-gearhead shoes—the sort you’d see on the feet of a humble Kiwi adventure racer with a resting heart rate of 32. They’re hip yet unimposing, functional without being encumbered by newfangled compounds. 禄 Actually, we take that back. Teva uses an abrasion-resistant fabric impregnated with rubber in…
BEST FOR ADVENTURE RACING You run where others walk? Then this is the shoe for you. After cruising up Colorado’s wickedly steep Mount Sanitas Trail, one tester gave the Active Trail Pro props for its reinforced sides, protective toe cap, and branch-busting undercarriage. Plus the Vibram sole adhered to everything…
SPEED AND SOUND The Pegasus is like your favorite pair of jeans—soft, comfortable, and versatile enough to wear just about anywhere. And by anywhere, we mean both pavement and slushy trails. Like a true road shoe, its narrow shape and flexy construction inspire speed, especially on flat trails, dirt roads,…
CAN TAKE THE HEAT The 874 is built like an elite road racer: a slender torso atop a powerful lower body. A weird physique for a shoe? Perhaps, but the combination of an almost lacy, two-layer mesh upper wedded to a thick midsole and luggy tread works extremely well on…
1. Fire roads. Technical trails. Even races and runs with short stretches of pavement. Regardless of what they were doing, testers reached for the Mountain Masochist more than any other shoe. And although it weighs less than 11 ounces and feels light and agile overall, it has just enough…
Vasque’s lightweight (11.4-ounce) but firm Transistor FS shoes have a low chassis that keeps you in touch with the trail. vasque.com…
Trail The Cabrakan is low and responsive and offers good feel for the trail. The flexy forefoot runs smoothly on gravel roads, the aggressive tread stuck to everything, and the water-resistant upper kept our feet reasonably dry in the muck. 9.1 oz. TAGS: all-terrain, moderate stability…
Why They’re CoolWith their mainly mesh uppers, the Lightspeeds excel on smoothish trails in hotter climes. On a warm day in southern Minnesota, I ran in a pair of conventionally vented shoes, then switched to the Vasques—and instantly blissed out with the sensory equivalent of propping my feet up in…
BUILT FOR SPEED Last year’s X-1 was like a thoroughbred—fast, but hard to handle. So Teva tamed it just a little. The result, the still respectably light X-1 Control, is a versatile, high-energy trail shoe that’s just as comfortable grinding up switchbacks as it is opening it up on fifth-gear…
BACKCOUNTRY VOYAGERS The Mercury rolled over everything in our path: Its sturdy construction includes a nearly punctureproof upper reinforced with PU nubuck and abrasion-resistant toe and heel bumpers. And during soggy runs in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Gore-Tex XCR liner kept our feet dry. 14.5 oz; vasque.com Bonus:…
FASTER THAN IT LOOKS “Much livelier than I was expecting” is how one tester described the Manifesto Beater. Sure, this beast features a firm, no-roll heel and rocks-be-damned protection, but it also boasts relatively soft forefoot flexibility, a generously padded tongue, and a responsive fit. “It feels very light given…
Packed Trail Everything about the pared-down X-1 is made for speed. Midsole foam is kept to a minimum, forefoot flexibility is maxed, and a snug-fitting heel and arch promote agility. Not surprisingly, this sub-ten-ounce racer is at its best on smooth or rolling terrain like fire roads.