How and what? With trail runners and their inherently more robust construction (my perception anyway), do you still have neutral and stability types?
I’m currently in Asics Kayanos for road running. Any recommendations given those that I should seek out?
I run in Newtons and Brooks Adreniline trail shoes, Brooks makes the same shoe in a road trainer as well. As I understand it, the stay is the same and the sole and uppers are modified for trail running. The tread is more aggressive and the upper is a little more substantial. I would prefer to run in Newtons, however, the uppers on those allow a great amount of debris to enter the shoe. I communicated with Newton about their AW shoe and it may be an option, but they warned me that the shoe is really desinged for cold weather and may be a little warm. Newton did mention that a trail version will be available next year.
My local running store has a really good selection of trail shoes. My suggestion is to go to the nearest running store and have them show you some options. Good luck.
you might want to try out some Innov8 shoes, they are made in the UK i find mine pretty good for fell running through to woodland trails:
i use montrail shoes for trail running… totally different shoe than my saucony’s i wear on the road as far as construction goes… i love the support i get from them, but they do rub my middle toe for some reason.
i have heard good things about salomon’s trail shoes fwiw.
If the trails are city park type trails, smooth and even, then just stay in road shoes. For more rooty, rocky and ‘technical trails’ stability and pronation control don’t matter as much. What matters is keeping your foot low to the ground to prevent rolling an ankle.
Trail shoes :
real rubber sole without softspots or hollows to pick up mud and rocks.
drain well
decent traction
low heel and minimal midsole for better trail feel.
most shoes have some sort of thin plastic plate in the forefoot to protect from stone bruises.
I like the asics trail attack and Inov8 295’s. I’ve run several ultras in the Asics with no problems and just ordered my 4th pair. The inov8’s have little or no foot protection which is great for trail feel but will be a little brutal if your trails are covered in sharp rocks.
I have a couple of friends who are sponsored by inov8 and swear by the 295, 320 and 212. (inov8 model numbers are the weight of the shoe in grams)
I used to run in Brooks Cascadia which is still popular but I found the new ones too stiff.
I found most of the Montrail shoes too stiff and heavy though I hear they are coming out with some new lighter models.
La Sportiva makes some great light trail shoes but I found the forefoot too narrow.
I would suggest starting with the various Asics trail shoes if you are happy with your present shoes.
I run on the road with Saucony Grid Stabils. I used them on the trail as well but just switched to Asics 2140 TRs. I am pretty happy with the new Asics. I am thinking I may try the road version of the same shoe soon.
David K
One thing I’ve noticed is the crossover between running shoe companies (e.g., nike, asics) beefing up into trail shoes vs hiking companies (e.g. montrail, vasque) ‘stepping down’ into running models. I’ve had both, and I guess my answer would depend on the kinds of trails you plan to do… My experience has been pretty much exactly what you’d expect from the biases of each approach: the ‘running’ trail runners are a bit lighter and more cushioned, whereas the ‘hiking’ trail runners are a bit stiffer and heavier, even though they’re generally similar. The hard stay/plate on my Vasques offers better support/protection against roots & rocks on a really rough trail, while the airsole on my nikes is much more comfy on a fairly smooth trail, especially the urban jogging trails that mix in a few sections of pavement.
If the trails are city park type trails, smooth and even, then just stay in road shoes. For more rooty, rocky and ‘technical trails’ stability and pronation control don’t matter as much. What matters is keeping your foot low to the ground to prevent rolling an ankle.
Trail shoes :
real rubber sole without softspots or hollows to pick up mud and rocks.
drain well
decent traction
low heel and minimal midsole for better trail feel.
most shoes have some sort of thin plastic plate in the forefoot to protect from stone bruises.
I like the asics trail attack and Inov8 295’s. I’ve run several ultras in the Asics with no problems and just ordered my 4th pair. The inov8’s have little or no foot protection which is great for trail feel but will be a little brutal if your trails are covered in sharp rocks.
I have a couple of friends who are sponsored by inov8 and swear by the 295, 320 and 212. (inov8 model numbers are the weight of the shoe in grams)
I used to run in Brooks Cascadia which is still popular but I found the new ones too stiff.
I found most of the Montrail shoes too stiff and heavy though I hear they are coming out with some new lighter models.
La Sportiva makes some great light trail shoes but I found the forefoot too narrow.
Good response. Thank you. I am looking to do some XTerras, so it’ll be more than city park trails. I am not even sure what kind of “trails” I have 10-15mins locally.
One thing I’ve noticed is the crossover between running shoe companies (e.g., nike, asics) beefing up into trail shoes vs hiking companies (e.g. montrail, vasque) ‘stepping down’ into running models. … the ‘running’ trail runners are a bit lighter and more cushioned, whereas the ‘hiking’ trail runners are a bit stiffer and heavier, even though they’re generally similar.
Good thing to keep in mind when I look at the different brands. Thanks.
Really depends, as others have mentioned, on what “trail” running you are doing. Most people can get by with their regular road shoes on most trails.
I also love the Inov-8 shoes for true off road shoe. Almost their entire line is well though out and great.
I am a big fan of Salomon’s…I am currently in the XT Wing and actually did a rocky muddy trail marathon with a pair fresh out of the box no problems. The only thing that I can say on the negative is that they seem to break down fairly quick. I can get about 300 or so miles and mine are toast. We do run on some nasty rocky trails so that could be a part of it.
I have been in sevral others including North Face (Fire Roads, Rucky Chucky) I didn’t like the boa lacing system as they needed constant adjustement and I had some blister issues. I have ran in Vasques and liked them for the serious rock fields but they were a bit clunky. I had a pair of 5.10’s that just sucked.
I liked my Montrail Hard Rocks but again a bit clunky.
I am a fairly nuetral foot striker with not much pronation.
my .02
x2 on the Salomons. I use the XA Pro 3D (I think that’s it) and run on very rocky trails here in the desert. I use Saucony Hurricanes (stability) for road running and have often thought the same thing - do I need a “stability” trail shoe? The Salomons have worked well, though, and as one of the other posters said, if your trails are smooth and not rocky or technical, then your road shoes would probably be fine. With more technical, rocky, or rooty terrain, then you probably need not woory about pronation, etc., but rather the terrain itself.
I’m going to have to give a shout out for the New Balance MT840 (formerly the MT800).
I run some pretty crazy trails, and these have been remarkable. Light and nimble (think of form fitting slippers) with plenty of grip. I like how I can “feel” the terrain through the shoe, but still have more support than from my normal shoes (Saucony Rides). Plus, the drainage is remarkable - I run in these sock-less and just go storming across the streams and creeks w/o hesitation.
If you are planning on doing some XTerras, this would make an excellent race shoe as well. Not too sure about the weight, but they at least feel a lot lighter than the other shoes I’ve worn.
Durability is a bit of an issue, but I’m 6’2" 230lbs. so I beat the crap out of my shoes.
Thanks to everyone for the replies.
If anyone in the South Jersey, Philadelphia, Southeast PA, North DE area has more specific reco’s…that would be appreciated too. I think my trail running will be the terrain found in the Wiss/Fairmount, Brandywine, Wharton SF, and local small park trails.
I will be getting to the running store eventually this week to see what they recommend (want to sell me) as well.
I run in Salomon’s XA GTX model, and find it to be a very comfortable shoe. It’s a good match for my gait (neutral) and after a couple of seasons, is holding up well. While the Gore-tex is well suited for the muddy, puddle-infested trails here in the Pacific Northwet, the shoes also work well (from my experience) in the desert SW. The toe box is roomy enough for my wide feet, and the one-pull lacing system is great.
Cheers!
I run in Asics Kayano also, and have found Vasque Velocity to be very comfortable and offer lots of support without being too restrictive.
I do my road running in Gel Kayanos also. Due to my stability needs I do trail running in Adidas Supernova Riots or Avia-Stoltz.
Adidas Adizero XT’s. I love them, only 10 ounces and have lots of support in the sole. They are a neutral shoe though so don’t get confused by what I mean by support.
The Avi-Stoltz is a new trail shoe for us. It was released to the public at Wildflower and is creeping into stores as I write. It has some pretty cool features… RockSteady forefoot protection plate, durable mesh upper, and gusset tongue. The outsole was designed with a ton of input from Conrad Stoltz. He wanted a pattern that would get great traction on rocks, roots, and in sandy or soft conditions. IMO, the pattern looks like mtn bike tire tread. The shoe is pretty simple, in terms of technology, and sits a bit lower than most other training shoes. And it weighs in at about 10oz.