The Best Trail-Running Shoes

Best Trail-Running Shoes: Jump Menu

Close-up of shoes of trail runner

(Image credit: SrdjanPav / Getty Images)

1. The Quick List ↴
2. Best all-rounder: Saucony Xodus Ultra 2
3. Best waterproof shoe: Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 GTX
4. Best for the mud: Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed
5. Best for road-to-trail: Inov-8 Parkclaw G 280
6. Best value: Evadict MT Cushion 2
7. Best for racing: Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra
8. Best for ultra-marathons: Hoka Speedgoat 5
9. Buying advice

Trail running is an appealing proposition for most runners, especially those who have to dodge hordes of people on polluted city streets. 

It’s a chance to get away from it all, forget about your split times and enjoy being surrounded by nature. Taking to the trails opens up a different side of running compared with pounding city pavements.

However, to really enjoy these runs, you need the right kind of footwear. All the fun of trail running disappears when you’re slipping on mud or you turn your ankle several miles from your car.

Below are great options to suit every kind of trail runner, and advice on things to think about to make sure you get the right shoes for you. If you’re an old hand looking for new kicks, use the quick links to jump straight into my recommendations of the best trail-running shoes.

How I Test

You can trust Coach We give honest reviews and recommendations based on in-depth knowledge and real-world experience. Find out more about how we review and recommend products.

Nick Harris-Fry
Nick Harris-Fry

I am Coach’s main trail-running shoe tester and write almost all the running shoe reviews on the site. I run 70-110km a week and have PRs of 15min 30sec for 5K and 2hr 28min for the marathon.

Although I primarily target road events, I do a lot of trail running during my training. For the most part I run on well-kept but muddy forest trails, but I also spend many winter weekends plowing through mud for cross-country events. Trips to see family in Scotland and the Forest of Bowland occasionally allow for more intense trail shoe testing on fells and (small) mountains, but living in the south of England it’s hard to recreate the mountain tracks some trail shoes are designed for. 

While all the shoes in this round-up have been tested extensively, some don’t have my own photos or a standalone review. Coach now publishes full reviews of trail-running shoes, so in time all our featured recommendations will have more detail about my experience with them. I aim to run at least 50km in each shoe I review, and test trail-running shoes on a range of terrains on runs of varied lengths to see how the grip holds up and how comfortable the shoe is.

The Quick List

In the full list below you’ll find multiple recommendations for different terrains and types of trail-running, but first here are my top picks in various categories. Click through to get more details on each shoe.

The Best Trail-Running Shoes

Best All-Rounder

Saucony Xodus Ultra 2

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fru Future)
Best all-rounder

Specifications

RRP: $150 / £145
Weight: 10.5oz / 298g (UK 9)
Stack: 32.5mm heel, 26.5mm forefoot
Drop: 6mm

Reasons to buy

+
Bouncy, comfortable midsole
+
All-terrain grip
+
Light for this level of cushioning

Reasons to avoid

-
Lighter, speedier options available
-
Not the best in thick mud

The Xodus Ultra 2 uses a mix of Saucony’s foams in its midsole to create a stable but lively ride that’s comfortable for long-distance cruising on the trails while still bouncy and speedy enough for faster runs. A firmer PWRRUN foam frame surrounds a springy PWRRUN PB core to create the versatile ride of this shoe that protects the legs well without being bulky.

While the outsole can lose traction if running in deep mud, the shoe has handled every other terrain I’ve tested it on well, and it’s not uncomfortable or prone to slipping when on the road. The shoe also has a secure fit that means you can tackle trickier trails confidently without your foot moving about, and a debris shield that runs around the shoe keeps dust and small rocks at bay.

Read more in my Saucony Xodus Ultra 2 review


Best for racing

Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)
Best for racing

Specifications

RRP: $220 / £200
Weight: 9.7oz / 274g (UK 9)
Stack: 42mm heel, 34mm forefoot
Drop: 8mm

Reasons to buy

+
Fast, rockered ride
+
Comfortable and breathable
+
Reliable grip

Reasons to avoid

-
Narrow midfoot and heel
-
Not as stable as other shoes

Many brands have now attempted to bring the foams and technology from the best carbon plate running shoes for the road to the trails, but none have done so as successfully as Adidas has with the Agravic Speed Ultra. It’s a shoe that delivers the bouncy, propulsive feel I expect from a super-shoe thanks to the large stack of Lightstrike Pro foam and the plastic EnergyRods in the midsole, and the pronounced rocker shape also aids fast running.

Aside from the Continental rubber outsole, which grips well on hard trails but is not so well-suited to the mud, the Agravic Speed Ultra makes few concessions to the extra demands of trail running compared with road running. It’s not the most stable trail shoe, with a narrow midfoot, which might be a concern for some on uneven ground. However, I loved cruising long-distances in the shoe—with my longest run in it being 30 miles—as well as speeding through shorter runs, and it has a faster feel than other trail super-shoes because of its aggressive design.

Read more in my Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra review

Best Waterproof Trail Shoe

Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 GTX

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 GTX

A waterproof shoe for long-distance runs

Specifications

RRP: $200 / £180
Weight: 10.5oz / 297g (UK 9)
Stack: 29mm heel, 23mm forefoot
Drop: 6mm

Reasons to buy

+
Waterproof upper
+
Comfortable midsole foam
+
Outsole grips well on most trails

Reasons to avoid

-
Cheaper options available
-
Heavy for faster runs

The regular Norvan LD 3 is a great trail-running shoe, providing a comfortable ride for cruising through long runs, but this waterproof version was brilliant during my winter trail-running, keeping my feet warm and dry on long runs in freezing conditions. It’s expensive, and the Saucony Peregrine 14 GTX is a better-value pick for those seeking a waterproof trail shoe, but the Norvan LD 3 GTX is more comfortable than the Saucony for long distances. While the Vibram Megagrip outsole doesn’t grip well on deep mud, I’ve not had problems on any other kind of terrain—and I’ve used the shoe on grassy and rocky trails with steep climbs and descents, as well as long stints on the road, where it’s still comfortable.

Read more in my Arc’teryx Norvan LD 3 GTX review

Best Trail-Running Shoe For The Mud

Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed running shoes on grass

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)
Best for the mud

Specifications

RRP: $140 / £130
Weight: 9oz / 257g (UK 9) Stack: 26mm heel, 22mm forefoot
Drop: 4mm

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent grip on soft ground
+
Light design that drains well
+
Sheds mud well

Reasons to avoid

-
Not that comfortable on hard ground
-
Other shoes are more versatile

The Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed combines features from two of the brand’s other lines—the lightweight X-Talon and the more protective Mudclaw—to create a shoe that’s nimble and quick for fast running on soft ground, but which has enough cushioning underfoot for spells on harder trails and longer runs. 

I loved using it for a hilly five-mile XC race on a mix of mud and frozen grass. I’ve also enjoyed using it for longer easy training runs on soft ground, which I wouldn’t do with the lighter X-Talon shoe because of its lack of cushioning underfoot. The Mudtalon Speed is a versatile soft ground option, even if it’s not an all-rounder shoe since it’s not that comfortable for long spells on harder tracks.

Read more in my Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed review


Adidas Terrex Speed SG Pro

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

Adidas Terrex Speed SG

A lightweight option for soft ground

Specifications

RRP: £140 (UK only)
Weight: 8.1oz / 231g (UK 9)
Stack: Not given
Drop: 4mm

Reasons to buy

+
Lightweight
+
Upper drains rapidly
+
Great grip on mud and fells

Reasons to avoid

-
Firm ride on harder ground

The SG in the name of these shoes stands for soft ground, and the 7mm chevron-shaped lugs provide exceptional grip on muddy terrain as well as on steep, slick hills. The shoe also lives up to the Speed in its name thanks to its low weight, and I’ve found it a great option for the XC season, tackling 8km and 16km races in it.

While the midsole cushioning is thin, and firmer than you’ll find elsewhere, the Terrex Speed SG is not uncomfortable over long distances—as long as you’re sticking to mostly soft ground overall. I did a 27km run in the Pentlands in Scotland that contained plenty of harder sections and the shoe protected my legs well, while gripping like a champ on both muddy hills and icy paths. 


Best For Road To Trail

Yellow Inov-8 Parkclaw G 280 trail-running shoe on grass

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

Inov-8 Parkclaw G 280

Best for road to trail

Specifications

RRP: $180 / £160
Weight: 10.9oz / 309g (UK 9)
Stack: 18mm heel, 10mm forefoot
Drop: 8mm

Reasons to buy

+
Comfortable on the road
+
Better grip than other road-to-trail shoes

Reasons to avoid

-
More expensive than alternatives

The Parkclaw G 280 does not look like a typical road-to-trail shoe: it doesn’t have a huge stack of cushioning and the 4mm lugs look like they’d offer great grip off-road but be uncomfortable on it. However, looks can be deceiving, and I found the Parkclaw comfortable for long stretches of road running and the graphene material used for the outsole is hard-wearing, so you need have no fears about the lugs grinding down.

Inov-8 is renowned for shoes that grip well on all kinds of terrain and even though the Parkclaw is a road-to-trail shoe it offers better grip than many full trail shoes. The lugs bite into soft ground and I had no problems with traction on wet or uneven trails. Given the terrain it can handle, the Parkclaw is one of the most versatile shoes available.


Best Value Trail-Running Shoe

Evadict MT Cushion 2

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)
Best-value trail-running shoe

Specifications

RRP: £89.99
Weight: 10.8oz / 307g (UK 9)
Stack: 22mm heel, 18mm forefoot
Drop: 4mm

Reasons to buy

+
Good value
+
All-terrain grip
+
Durable

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as cushioned as others
-
Not currently available in the US 

The Evadict MT Cushion 2 is a versatile trail-running shoe at a great price. While the Kalensole midsole material is not the softest or most exciting foam in the world, it provides a stable and comfortable base for your trail runs, and the outsole grips well across most terrains with the exception of particularly deep mud.

The MT Cushion 2 is not as cushioned as some of the other top picks on this list, but I found it comfortable enough for my trail runs, especially when mainly on soft ground. If you have ultramarathons on hard ground in mind a more cushioned shoe will offer better protection, but the MT Cushion 2 will cover many people’s trail-running needs at an appealing price.

Read more in my Evadict MT Cushion 2 review

Best value racing shoe

Asics Fujispeed 2

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)
Best value racing shoe

Specifications

RRP: £160
Weight: 9oz / 257g (US 10)
Stack: Not given
Drop: 5mm

Reasons to buy

+
Light, agile design
+
Versatile grip

Reasons to avoid

-
Firmer ride than others
-
Less stable than others

The Fujispeed 2 is not only great value compared with other carbon plate trail shoes, it’s also faster than most—at least when running on flatter, less technical trails. The rocker and plate combine to provide a fast and smooth ride with a good amount of punch, and the light and nimble design helps you to keep turning your legs over deep into hard runs. The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra delivers a faster, more propulsive ride, but if you consider the rocker and soft foam on the Adidas shoe to be risky for off-road running, the Fujispeed 2 is a great alternative.

It’s firmer and less comfortable than other plated trail shoes, however, which means I don’t rate the Fujispeed 2 as highly for those lining up an ultra-marathon, when the added comfort and stability of the Saucony Endorphin Edge, Nike Ultrafly or Hoka Tecton X2 will be welcome. It’s also narrow, which will reduce its appeal for those who need a wide fit, or anyone who likes a roomy toe box for when their feet swell during long events.

Read more in my Asics Fujispeed 2 review


Best Trail-Running Shoe For Ultra-Marathons

Hoka Speedgoat 5

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)
Best ultra-marathon shoe

Specifications

RRP: $155 / £130
Weight: 10.5oz / 299g (UK 9)
Stack: 33mm heel, 27mm forefoot (M), 31mm heel, 27mm forefoot (W)
Drop: 4mm

Reasons to buy

+
Smooth and comfortable ride
+
Grips on almost any terrain

Reasons to avoid

-
Lighter options from other brands
-
Better options for all-out speed
-
Toe box is narrow

The Hoka Speedgoat 5 is a long-distance racing shoe named after ultramarathon legend Karl “Speedgoat” Meltzer. It could be a top pick in almost any of my trail-running shoe categories—perhaps with the exception of shoes for the mud since it’s mainly built for harder terrain and I found it a bit slippy on boggy ground.

Hoka redesigned almost every aspect of the Speedgoat with the 5. The new shoe has a lighter upper and a springier midsole than the Speedgoat 4, plus 5mm stepped lugs that offer reliable grip on technical terrain and a comfortable ride when on the road or hard, flat trails.

The shoe has a comfortable and smooth ride that I found enjoyable for runs of any distance, so even if you’re not planning an ultramarathon any time soon the Speedgoat 5 merits your attention.

Read more in my Hoka Speedgoat 5 review


Best Trail-Running Shoes For Hard Trails

Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra

Comfortable and lightweight racer

Specifications

RRP: $160 / £160
Weight: 9.2oz / 260g (UK 8.5)
Stack: 26mm heel, 18mm forefoot
Drop: 8mm

Reasons to buy

+
Versatile short- and long-distance racer
+
Comfortable but light

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks protection from rocks
-
Expensive

Adidas garnered input from ultra-marathoner Tom Evans when building this very-long-distance racer, but we found it a versatile shoe that anyone who regularly hits hard trails will enjoy using. The midsole has a layer of Boost foam on the bottom to cushion your landings, while the layer of Lightstrike foam above it keeps the weight down and increases the ride’s responsiveness. The shallow chevron lugs on the outsole are closely spaced to increase the comfort and grip of the shoe when on harder trails, and the spacious toe box can accommodate the inevitable swelling of your feet during long runs.

The expense might put off anyone who isn’t planning to fly through epic events, but it’s a fast and durable option that works beautifully for runs on harder ground, short or long, slow or fast.


Best Trail-Running Shoe For Cross-Country And Obstacle Course Racing

Inov-8 X-Talon G 210 V2

(Image credit: Inov-8)

Inov-8 X-Talon G 210 V2

Best For Cross-Country And Obstacle Course Racing

Specifications

RRP: $180 / £135
Weight: 8.2oz / 233g (UK 9)
Stack: 9mm heel, 6mm forefoot
Drop: 3mm

Reasons to buy

+
Upper drains quickly
+
Reliable grip on muddy ground
+
Light design for racing

Reasons to avoid

-
Uncomfortable on hard ground

Some people will never be persuaded to use anything other than spikes for cross-country, but if there’s one shoe that I reckon could convince almost any runner to switch to studs, it’s the Talon G 210 V2. It’s very light and has 8mm lugs that provide superb grip in all conditions. I took on the notoriously boggy course on Hampstead Heath, north London, in the previous version of the shoe and didn’t slip once, despite the sometimes knee-high mud.

This second version has the same outsole as the original, with the huge studs made of a highly durable graphene material that does a decent job of finding grip on hard surfaces, so you won’t slip on the short paved sections that occasionally crop up in cross-country races. The upper has been changed to Inov-8’s Cordura mesh material, which drains well and should be more hardy than the upper on the original X-Talon 210, which I found did develop small holes during the long XC season.

How To Buy The Best Trail-Running Shoes For You

For all the info you need to help select the perfect trail shoes for you, we spoke to Simon Callaway of Saucony UK.

How do trail-running shoes differ from road shoes?

“The main differences are the traction on the sole—trail-running shoes have more and deeper lugs for a bigger surface area, which is designed to increase traction,” says Callaway. “The uppers tend to be knit meshes, so less debris can get into the shoe itself, and trail shoes generally have a lower offset—the heel height to the toe height is lower so the shoe is relatively flatter, giving a more stable platform to run on.

“In terms of cushioning they are generally about as cushioned as the road running shoes.”

What lug depth should you look for on a trail shoe?

One key measure of a trail shoe is the depth of the lugs on the sole, as that will determine which terrain it’s best suited to.

“At Saucony, a 3mm lug is designed for road-to-trail,” says Callaway. “It’s for the person who wants to run around the park but also has a bit of road running to do as well. The slightly shallower lug works on wet Tarmac as well as it does on light trail.”

“Then we’ve got the 5mm tread, designed for traditional trail running. Then 7mm lugs, almost like a studded lug, are designed for really muddy conditions. It’s not the best shoe for road-to-trail but if you go directly to the trail to run—with a change of shoes for the drive there and back—that depth is useful.”

What type of lug should you go for if you’re a fell runner who is constantly tackling steep gradients?

“Generally fell runners will be in deep-lug shoes,” says Callaway. “If you’re running downhill flat out, you want to make sure the heel is gripping as soon as it lands. Similarly on uphills, when you’re at steeper angle you get water run-off and patches where it’s particularly muddy.”

What is a rock plate and why do many trail shoes have one?

“A rock plate or rock counter is basically a flexible piece of plastic that sits across the forefoot where you’re pushing off from,” says Callaway.

“If you’re on rocky ground then stones can push up into the foot. That, repeated over several hundreds or thousands of steps, can cause irritation to the foot. It’s a little bit of extra protection where the shoe absorbs more of the impact and disperses it over a greater area.”

Why are trail shoes generally not waterproof?

If you’re heading for the hills for a hike, the first feature you might look for in walking boots is waterproofing, but most trail shoes are at most water-resistant.

“There is waterproofing available but the issue is that to make the shoe waterproof you have to wrap the upper under the whole of the midsole and then glue it down to create a complete seal,” says Callaway.

“This makes the shoe heavier and less flexible. It’s a trade-off. A lot of brands refer to their uppers as water-resistant, which means the material is probably waterproof but they haven’t wrapped it right underneath the foot and glued it to the sole. So it can only be called water-resistant as opposed to waterproof.

“Also waterproofing means a shoe is not particularly breathable so your foot gets very hot and sweaty. It’s a comfort thing. People will accept if they’re running off-road they're going to get wet feet, in which case what’s really important is making sure you have good-quality running sock that you can get wet and sweaty in and not blister.”

Is it OK to run on the road in trail-running shoes?

Some trail-running shoes are designed to handle road running too. These are generally called road-to-trail or all-terrain shoes, and will have outsoles with flatter, smoother lugs that grip well on asphalt. They may also use tougher rubber on the outsole than pure trail shoes to avoid it wearing down during prolonged stretches of running on roads.

Dedicated off-road shoes are usually fine for short spells of running on the road, but there are things to be aware of when using trail shoes on asphalt. One is grip; if you’re using a soft ground trail shoe with long lugs, it might be a bit skittery on hard roads, especially if the surface is wet or icy. Another issue is durability: trail outsoles designed to grip on softer off-road surfaces may get worn down quickly if you run on the road a lot.