Trail runners are not just for running the trails anymore. With modern trends of all gear getting lighter footwear is no exception. Trail running shoes have been adopted by many day hikers, backpackers and even thru-hikers. They really do have the best of both worlds. Light on the foot to not wear down your legs on long days, durable outsole to still provide protection and most important good tread to keep footing even in slick mud.
Even with the wide capability of trail runners we love nothing more than using them for exactly what they were designed for, running the trails. Below are our favorite trail running shoes to bomb down hill or just wear out on an easy day hike.
Altra Lone Peak 9
The zero drop of the Lone Peak may not be for everyone but for who like zero drop it is amazing. Not all that changed from previous models and that’s good many shoes end up ruining a good thing by attempting to update. The foot shape toe box is good to give the toes more space than more traditional shoe shapes. The tread is deep enough to keep a sure footing on wet trails while also being uncomfortable on harder surfaces for those road sections.
Topo Athletic Ultraventure 4
Topo Athletic is still not that well known of a footwear brand but they are growing rapidly. Just like Altra, Topo prides themselves with having a foot shaped toe box. The Ultraventure has some drop at 5 mm with a well cushioned sole to protect feet from any rocks or roots on the trail. The Vibram outsole works well even on trail but the tread is not all that deep for mud or softer trail. The Ultraventure works best on easier trail or gravel running than real technical trail.
HOKA Speedgoat 6
Need a little more cushion in your multipurpose trail shoe? The HOKA Speedgoat 6 is is a good all round trail shoe. The midsole is light and has been changed slightly to improve durability. The Vibram outsole features a new pattern and more shallow channels that should hold less mud. The midfoot an toe box is more narrow and may need to be sized up for long runs or ultra marathons when the feet will swell. The Speedgoat is best for gravel or hard packed trails.
Altra Olympus 6
Want all the cushion but don’t want to give up having a foot shaped shoe with extra room for the toes to splay. The Altra Olympus 6 fits the bill. Just like most Altras the Olympus is zero drop to promote a more natural running form. Just because the shoe is zero drop doesn’t mean the shoe lacks cushion with 35mm of midsole foam. The outsole is Vibram but there is a lot of outsole cutouts with exposed foam. This hurts the Olympus in terms of protection. Landing on a rock or stick in that exposed foam is not a comfortable experience.
HOKA Challenger 7
Do you need a shoe that can go from door to trailhead and beyond? With the HOKA Challenger there’s no need to get in the car. The Challenger is comfortable enough to pavement to get you to the trailhead. The tread lungs are on the shorter side which makes the Challenger less capable on the trail. But that’s the case with most hybrid capable trail shoes. The midsole is comfortable and well cushioned for that road to trail running where the Challenger works best.