7 Best Trail Running Shoes For Any Off-Road Run

1. HOKA Tecton X3 – Best for Longer Trail Races and Training

One of the most advanced and feature-packed shoes on the market right now, the Tecton X3 combines the best technologies into a shoe that can go anywhere.

Its Matryx textile upper is strong, abrasion-resistant, breathable and lightweight. It forms the main part of the upper that wraps around the foot for general support.

The Dynamic upper vamp creates more space in the toe box area of the upper; this has a stretch quality to it. It allows the foot to splay naturally and makes for a more comfortable fit, especially after long days on the trails.

The Dual Density PEBA midsole has a top layer that is a softer PEBA foam and provides a soft and springy feel directly under the foot. The bottom layer is a little firmer and aids stability.

Parallel carbon Fiber plates with winglets are sandwiched by the twin layers of PEBA and run the length of the shoe. This allows them to provide a propulsive effect but, at the same time, allows the foot and shoe to adapt more easily to the contours of the terrain.

The winglets are small sections of the plates that are exposed on the medial and lateral sides of the midsole and wrap up around the foam. This creates a more stable ride.

A Vibram Metagrip Litebase provides great traction thanks to the 4mm deep lugs, yet it is light and flexible.

The Speed-centric metarocker refers to the specific geometry or shape of the midsole. In this case, a speed-centric design has a more aggressive or obvious roll to it to help create a smoother and faster forward motion.

The Tecton X3 is ideal for those who want the benefits of a carbon-plated road racing shoe in an off-road model that’s capable of covering longer trail runs. It offers protection and comfort with an energised ride.

I found the combination of the responsive foams and carbon plate great when transitioning from roads to paths to more severe trails. The upper fit is great and keeps any debris out of the shoes.

The shoes feel like a sock around my feet and although you need to pull them on like socks rather than shoes, once on, they are comfortable and wrap around the feet well. My experiences running in the Tecton X3 were all very positive and I’ll be returning to it more throughout the winter months for my weekly off-road runs.

2. Merrell Agility Peak 5 Gore-Tex – Best for Wet or Muddy Conditions

I’ve worn the Agility Peak for the last three versions and always felt it’s a little less well-known as an undiscovered gem. Its stand-out features are the nicely balanced ride, fantastic grip and, of course, the Gore-Tex upper.

I’m a fan of Gore-Tex uppers and in this shoe, it’s light and comfortable and keeps the feet dry. Now, I don’t venture through rivers or streams, but on wet grass and across muddy stretches, it does a great job and in the winter months, allows me to keep to my favourite paths without getting my feet wet!

There are several key features of the shoes that make them a great option in the wet.

A rock plate provides protection from sharp rocks and stones and is embedded under the outsole of the shoe.

The FloatPro foam offers a good balance of comfort and is lightweight and flexible. It’s firm enough for soft ground and soft enough for firmer ground. It’s perfectly balanced.

The Vibram MetaGrip sole has deep, aggressive studs (5mm deep) and a pattern that makes them highly effective. They don’t trap mud and give confidence to every step.

The Merrell Agility Peak 5 Gore-Tex is a great option for wet trail conditions where you require extra grip.

3. Saucony Ride TR 2 – Best for Running from Home to the Trails

For those runs when you want to go with the flow but are not 100% sure where you might venture, the Ride Trail 2 is a great option. Essentially, the shoe is the Saucony Ride 17 with an off-road outsole stuck to the bottom!

The PWRRUN+ means excellent comfort and a light, responsive feel, so on dryer trails, these are just so runnable.

The cushioning has a good stack height, too, so this isn’t a technical trail model, but for runs that will cover both road and trail sections, they are a great choice.

3.5mm deep lugs provide traction, but being spread evenly across the entire outsole surface, they can cope with roads with ease and never feel out of place. This PWRTRAC rubber is a great all-round outsole option.

Elsewhere, the shoe is pretty much identical to its road-specific relative, albeit with toughened fabrics for added protection and durability. The fit and feel are nearly identical and ultimately, users of the Ride 17 road shoe could step straight into this version and take to the trails.

4. ALTRA Olympus 6 – Best for those Wanting a Zero-Drop Trail Shoe

For fans of zero-drop shoes, the Olympus 6 offers that ride with a deep 33mm stack of cushioning. The traction is great thanks to the aggressive outsole pattern, which combines with the brand’s foot-shaped design to maximise grip.

The Altra Original Footshape last creates a broader space in the forefoot. This allows the foot and toes to splay naturally. The foot spreading like this creates natural stability to balance itself and, on the trails, helps to create a good connection with the uneven terrain.

A Gaiter Trap hook and loop tab allows a gaiter attachment to be easily fitted to the shoe. This is particularly useful on those trails with lots of loose debris and prevents it from entering the shoe.

The Zero-drop balanced ride refers to the height of the cushioning stack of a shoe being the same under the heel as it is under the ball of the foot. Here, the Olympus 6 features a 33mm stack of cushioning in a zero-drop midsole. (33mm in the heel, 33mm in the forefoot)

Vibram Metagrip is the number one choice for the majority of trail running brands and offers a great ‘sticky rubber’ feel on both wet and dry surfaces.

The studs on the Olympus 6 are quite aggressive and together with the pattern, which follows the metatarsals of the foot, they work exceptionally well and give you confidence in staying upright on even the gnarliest terrain.

For runners wanting a zero-drop off-road shoe, the Altra Olympus 6 is a great choice.

5. HOKA Speedgoat 6 – Best for Max Cushioning, Mid-Drop, Multi-Terrain Conditions

The Speedgoat is now a very well-established off-road model and this, the sixth version, retains the tried and tested features with minor updates to keep loyal fans happy.

A new lighter, more responsive foam is used in the midsole. It’s still max stacked with 40mm under the rearfoot and a 5mm drop and it’s still a CM-EVA based foam, but it does feel a little lighter and a touch more responsive.

I guess HOKA have given us PEBA-based foams in the Tecton x3 so we might have to wait another season for a supercritical midsole in the Speedgoat!

A newly designed lug pattern increases the traction and I found it excellent. The lugs ‘bit’ into the trail and gave me confidence on loose gravel and some pretty muddy descents.

The dynamic vamp has a stretch toe box, which allows for a nice degree of movement and adapts to various foot widths. The gusseted tongue helps create a snug-fitting upper and being nicely padded adds to the overall well-fitting experience.

Being a 5mm drop now places the Speedgoat in the ‘mid-drop’ part of the market and therefore, a good option for those that are perhaps transitioning towards zero drop or simply want to feel a little lower to the ground without being flat.

6. Brooks Caldera 7 – Best for Long Off-Road Running

When Brooks gave the Caldera DNA Loft v3 cushioning, nitrogen-injected foam, it changed the landscape of trail shoes. Previously, they had often been firm riding shoes, hoping that some cushioning would be provided by the softer ground of the trail.

The Caldera has a large, soft stack of DNA Loft v3, the same foam as found on the brand’s range-topping road shoe, the Glycerin. Its soft, pillowy ride has a great feel of energy return and above all is very durable. In a shoe like the Caldera, which is tailored a little towards longer and ultra-distance trail runners, these features make it a great choice.

The upper of the Caldera is a little roomier (although still a regular width fit) than other models from the brand and this extra ‘wiggle’ room is to accommodate any foot swelling should you be tackling ultra-distance events.

This doesn’t detract from the overall fit and I still went for my usual size in Brooks.

The upper construction is, as always excellent, and there are breathable sections combined with reinforced overlays to add durability and protection.

The shoe is very stable and its broad footprint and raised sidewalls both contribute to this. There are no GuideRails like the GTS shoes, but the sidewalls extend a little to provide a similar result.

Overall, the Caldera is simply a great off-road shoe that is versatile and can go anywhere. Fit and feel are excellent and long-term comfort is great. If you are considering longer days on the trails, the Caldera is a great choice.

7. ASICS MetaFuji Trail – Best for Trail Races on Firm, Dry Ground

The MetaFuji Trail takes its inspiration from the brand’s Metaspeed road racing models. The FF foam and a carbon plate are essentially an off-road version of the Metaspeed Sky.

The FF Turbo midsole is combined with FF Blast Plus foam. The FF Turbo is light and highly responsive and gives that familiar, energised, high-energy return feeling.

The bottom layer of FF Blast Plus foam is still very light but helps balance things out and create a little stability that’s nicely balanced for off-road running.

A trail-specific carbon plate works in the same manner as those featured on road running models. The trail specificity of this plate adds additional stability and helps when both ascending and descending hills.

The ASICSGRIP outsole is aimed at providing traction on firmer trails, gravel paths and fire roads.

The MetaFuji Trail is very much a trail cross-over version of a road racing shoe. It’s by no means designed for wet or harsh trail conditions, but on firmer trails, it is great. The level of energy-return is great and the shoe simply wants to go faster!

When I do hit the trails, I tend to prefer smoother and slightly firmer surfaces. I guess this is the old road runner in me! The ASICS excels on this type of surface. The outsole lugs provide enough bite to give confidence on gravel paths and forest trails and mean you can push the pace with excellent traction.

They do feel very much like a trail version of the Metaspeed Sky and Edge, and that’s no bad thing as they have been two of my favourite road racing shoes this year, running half and full marathons in them. For fast-paced off-road runs, the MetaFuji trail is a go-to option.