22 replies to this topic

[Socrates]

Best Trail Running Shoes?

Recommendations?

I've done road runing for the past 2 years and normally wear ASICS as it seems to be the best fit for me and wider for my feet.

Looking to do more trails this year and would like you know what you guys all use?

[wj04]

Socrates,
Way to Go,
Trails are heaps of fun and at least you have got the right mind set. Personally I have
1) a pair of Brooks Trail Blades which are really the bottom of the line trail shoe for Brooks; the under sole rubber grip starting to fall off after 300km of very hard work.
2) a pair of Salomon XD Ultra XD also cheap for the prices but just so comfortable and secure (has a special lace up system).

Like everything else in this world, you get what you pay for, but for what my 2 cents is worth, I would check Salomon's range, which are usually a lot heavier than your normal running shoe.

Everyone' s different so you are best taking the time and money to find your own preference.

You might also like to check out a pair of gaters to keep your lower legs from getting shreaded. Good luck, merry shopping and Enjoy your runs. wj

[johnnyboyrun]

Sounds obvious, but ones that are most comfortable...I dont use trail shoes i use my normal shoes... Have done 6ft and TNF100 and several other races with no problems....

[jdunc]

Really depends on the individual, just like road shoes. What 9 people love may not fit the 10th. Best bet is to try on a few different ones.

If Asics work well for you, a good starting point would be their Trabuco. I had a pair of those a couple of years ago and they served me well; pretty durable as well, they're still my gardening shoes, get pretty rough treatment and are still in one piece. I suppose one nice thing about them is that they're ok on road also which makes them more versatile (if not as 'high performance') than some more trail-specific shoes.

As well as what fits you, also have a think about what kind of trails you're likely to spend time on. If it's well maintained fire trail you certainly don't 'need' a trail shoe, but if you want to go explore lots of technical trails then something with grip and more protection could come in handy.

My advice would be not to go out and blow $$ straight away. Just use your road shoes for a bit (maybe an older pair if you're worried about beating them up). Then see what it is you think you want out of a trail shoe: grip, cushion (or less cushion so you feel closer to the trail and more responsive), protection like a toe bumper or not, something that drains well, etc...
Some of the more protective shoes can be pretty stiff and heavy, gotta find a balance that works for you.

I'm currently running in Inov8 Roclite 295s and loving them. Better fit for me than Salomons. Liked the Wings I had before, but they were too wide for my narrow midfoot and a stitched seam rubbed on the front of the arch.

[sunburnt]

Salomon XD Ultra XD. These are my regular shoes (we don't have bitumen round here) really comfy and almost indestructible, I use them as walking shoes when their running life has finished.

[MarkO]

Wouldn't touch Asics trail shoes, they are terrible - IMHO

Brooks Cascades are great - otherwise just run in your normal shoes and be careful in the mud - I run in five finger shoes and watch out for the sharper stones

[Mick]

If you like something a bit minimal then Inov8 are great imo.

190s are great for shorter distances (say up to 20km)

If going longer then try the 212 or 285.

I just got a pair of the 190s from FastGear delivered for $105.

[hillclimb]

The Hoka One One Mafate is a great shoe for the longer distances over 20k. It is not so good on the technical single tracks but the goal here is to protect your feet from getting beat up after several hours of running. I found the toe box in the Mafate is wider than my Asics Trail Attack and it fits true to size, unlike its sibbling the Bondi B which runs a full size smaller.

[Kato]

The soles of the Asics Trabucos have become their failing, with a two layer rubber sole - the outer layer of which tears off at the first sign of wear.  That and the uppers, which seem to tear along the flexing part of the forefoot.  They're not the shoes they were.

I'm quite impressed with Nike Pegasus Trails.  The soles seem hardwearing and grippy, the uppers drain well and are breathable, and they're in lairy colours. Nike are available in extra wide fittings too, so they're good for paddlefoots like me.

[Ultra168]

Enough Said http://ultra168.com/...salomon-sense/

[Safari]

Gotta agree, only 150km in on my first pair and Salomon Sense grip the slippery stuff and fly down the trails, I'm sold...finally have a trail shoe with a lightweight, neutral makeup and snug fit, not too mention the all important (for me anyway) low heel drop.

Edited by Safari, 20 June 2012 - 11:15 PM.

[run2work]

Have been running in Mizuno Wave Ascends for the last few years, and I have had had no reason to change; light, comfortable and supportive. Not a minimalist shoe, good for those that think they still need a little 'motion control'.

[jdunc]

Kato, on 20 June 2012 - 06:39 AM, said:

The soles of the Asics Trabucos have become their failing, with a two layer rubber sole - the outer layer of which tears off at the first sign of wear.  That and the uppers, which seem to tear along the flexing part of the forefoot.  They're not the shoes they were.

Sounds like they certainly aren't. It's a shame when a a shoe company keeps tweaking a design till they kill it. They were never super-technical shoes, but solidly built and good for road/trail crossover or straightforward hard-packed fire trail. If I remember right, photos of Andrew Lee winning 6ft in 2011 showed him wearing a pair. But sounds like successive models have gone downhill.

[Socrates]

Anyone know in Melbourne where they sell Salomon shoes?

[runningphysio]

I'd have to say that trail running is all about adapting to the trail. With that said, the more responsive the shoes, the better the shoes....therefore Vibram FiveFingers Bikila are the way to go! Depends on the individual of course as i know not everyone is pro barefoot but for those that are or willing to experiment with a more natural running gait, FiveFingers are the way to go!

[BarefootBj]

BornToRunFree, on 21 June 2012 - 04:31 PM, said:

I'd have to say that trail running is all about adapting to the trail. With that said, the more responsive the shoes, the better the shoes....therefore Vibram FiveFingers Bikila are the way to go! Depends on the individual of course as i know not everyone is pro barefoot but for those that are or willing to experiment with a more natural running gait, FiveFingers are the way to go!

I second that! No chance of twisting your ankle when it's 5 mm off the ground! I can thoroughly recommend the Vibram Spyridon for the gnarly stuff. Just finished TNF100 in them with no blisters or issues whatsoever

[CharlieB]

I would love to be able to run trails in VFF but my PF doesn't hold up. I love Salomon XT Wings S Lab, I started with regular XT Wings and have found the S lab so much lighter. I hear good reviews from Brooks Cascadia's also. Cheap Salomons online at Wiggle and Chain Reaction

[MarkNorthcott]

I have a pair of VFF Spyridon's for trails, definitely can't complain with them, great feel under foot, and great grip.

[mreddy78]

I love the feel and grip of the spyridons, but the upper is so stiff they cut into my feet, even after multiple 15k+ trail runs. bikilas work well but get very very dirty (which is a good thing overall).

[doddsy]

I recently got out of the Five fingers and into the Merrel Trail gloves, And am loving them. Interesting thread as I am just about to buy a new pair of shoes and will probably buy another pair of merrels but good to know what others think. It such a shame it takes a good 100km to know wether your purchase was a good one or not, can't really take them back and say actually i like to try these instead thanks.

[BobZule]

I've used Brooks Adrenalin road shoes & their trail shoes for a while & so far so good

[nursenicky]

BobZule - I bought the Brooks Adrenalin trail shoes yesterday and love them, although I've only done 10km in them so far! So comfortable and not rigid. I think the road versions will be top of my list when I replace my current Sauconys'.

[Fitnhealthy]

Does anyone know where I can buy the women's spyridon shoes? I've contacted a couple of local stores, who don't stock them and barefoot inc, won't have any for a few months. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated