7 Best Trail Running Shoes in 2023

We ran through beaten paths effortlessly in the Speedgoat 5. It ticks all the boxes of a supportive trail shoe with its reliable traction, flexible and light nature, and cushiony platform. This shoe gives us the confidence to conquer the wilderness — cementing its position as the best trail shoe.

Speedgoat 5 aced its Vibram outsole with 3.0-mm deep lugs that bite through dirt, mud and icy pavements. It’s sticky and hard enough to protect our feet from sharp rocks and protruding roots. Our durometer validated this with an 84.5 HC measurement (85.1 HC average), confirming it's strong enough to handle abrasions.

Its flexible midsole and airy build enhance agility, making us quicker. Upon counterchecking with our flex test, its result is 17.9% more bendable than average — promoting smooth toe-offs in the forefoot. Its light 9.8 oz (277g) weight feels easier on our legs vs. the average trail shoe (10.4 oz / 296g).

We can go fast and far in this shoe with its velvety foam that makes the ride more enjoyable. Our durometer measurement shows it’s 59.9% softer than the average trail shoe.

We warn caution to heel-strikers about its 3.8-mm low drop. We recommend checking other options for a more comfortable experience.

Peregrine 13 is an all-rounder shoe that handles any workout, terrain and season. Its flexibility and light weight make it convenient for leisure hikes and technical trails. Its traction allows us to run in snowy and rainy seasons too — making it our most versatile trail running shoe.

This is easily our go-to pair if we’re out all day since its flexible nature allows us to move freely. It keeps us agile and in control, flowing naturally with our feet instead of resisting it. Our flex test result confirms this: 32.5% more flexible than the average trail shoe.

Peregrine 13 is an effortless pair to wear with its light weight and breezy upper. No sweat for all-day use — proven by its above-average score on our breathability test. Weighing 9.6 oz (271g), it’s as light as a running shoe but holds the grippy power of a trail shoe. 

Speaking of grip, the shoe has a full-coverage outsole with 4.8-mm deep, sticky lugs. These withstand any trail condition — loose dirt, mud, and icy pavements. They're cleverly patterned to shed off the dirt too.

With its focus on flexibility, Peregrine 13 is not the most explosive shoe on the trail. We recommend checking other pairs if speed is a priority.

Weighing in at 8.64 oz (245g), the Tecton X is a lightweight, race-ready speed freak that had us crushing our splits whether out for a fast-paced training session or crossing the finish line of an ultra. Of all the competitive trail shoes we've tested so far, the Tecton X easily takes its place on top of the winner's podium.  

We secured the Tecton X to our workbench and measured the amount of force required to bend the shoe 90 degrees. With a result of 50.0N, the Tecton X is a whopping 62% stiffer than the average trail shoe. This is mostly due to the shoe’s dual carbon plate system which, on the one hand, sacrifices some underfoot comfort as the shoe resists the natural bending of our foot as we run. On the other hand, however, comfort doesn’t win races, but the propulsive responsiveness we felt when running at high speeds in the Tecton X just might. 

The Tecton X also features a midsole that is broader than average both at the forefoot and the heel, measuring 113.5 mm and 91.9 mm, respectively. This wide base, in conjunction with the shoe’s snug, racing toebox and strong heel hold gave us an extremely stable landing surface that feels secure and smooth even when taking corners on uneven surfaces at high speeds. 

As previously mentioned, the Tecton X is a very stiff shoe. This is exasperated even further in cold conditions where the shoe stiffens up by 55%, according to our freezer test. This means that the Tecton X will feel extremely rigid and uncomfortable in the winter months, akin to running in snow shoes. As such, we recommend sticking to races in warmer climates with this shoe.

This shoe has everything we’re looking for in a trail shoe — excellent grip and lockdown, a flexible midsole that enhances agility, and all-day comfort with its wide toebox. Among trail running shoes, this is our best pick for wide feet.

Though this shoe is not the widest, its unique square toebox provides generous wiggle room for our toes to have a more natural splaying upon landing. It provides ample space for feet that tend to swell after miles of running.

With its almost zero drop at 0.2 mm, its low-to-the-ground profile enhances stability and control. This is crucial to have when encountering steep or uneven grounds. It’s also important that the shoe moves naturally with the runner to maintain agility and speed. We have no complaints! The lab confirmed it’s 20.8% more flexible than average.

The shoe remained resilient in our encounters with mud and puddles. Its traction is so reliable that we could run fast without worrying we’d slip. Its 3.4 mm-deep lugs arranged in a tread pattern gave us more control in descents.

At $150, this shoe is pricey compared to the $136 average of trail runners. We recommend checking other options if budget is a priority.

Already claiming the title in its name, Salomon Ultra Glide 2 is our top pick for ultras among trail running shoes. UG2 keeps our legs fresh with its light, breathable nature and velvet foam and keeps us steady on mixed terrains with its traction. It gives us the comfort and security needed to conquer long miles on trails.

A breath of fresh air, UG2 weighs 10.1 oz (286g) vs. the 10.4 oz (296g) median of lab-tested trail shoes. This reduces leg strain and improves speed in endurance runs. Its well-ventilated upper makes it an accommodating environment to be in for long hours. With a score of 4/5 on our breathability test, it exceeds the average trail shoe (3.4/5).

The energyFOAM feels cushioned, bouncy, and stable — making long miles more enjoyable. Our durometer confirms its velvet touch, emerging 34.3% softer than average. It’s an effective impact dampener that doesn’t sacrifice stability with its below-average stack heights.

Further enhancing stability and control are its 2.8 mm lugs that cling to the ground to improve traction.

With UG2's 1.6 mm outsole that’s 1.1 mm thinner than average, it isn't protective enough for hard and rocky terrains. The rubber may wear out quickly too.

We can't all live near a nice trail, and lugging two pairs of shoes for a run is never fun. The solution? A shoe that can comfortably take us from our door to the trails and back of course! After extensive testing, we can safely say that the Nike React Pegasus Trail 4 is our top choice when it comes to road-to-trail shoes. 

The first thing we noticed when putting on the Pegasus Trail 40 is just how light it feels on the foot. Weighing in at 9.59 oz/272g, it's more on par with the average road shoe (9.45 oz/268g) than the average trail shoe (10.44 oz/296g). This lightweight nature makes the shoe feel just as comfortable and unburdensome on the foot whether we were picking up the pace on the asphalt, or more cautiously traversing the beaten paths. 

The Pegasus Trail 4 features 3.4 mm lugs, which fall right around the average range for trail shoes. It's the low-key configuration of these lugs, however, that makes the shoe a great hybrid. The three separate tread patterns lining the outsole provided us with excellent traction on the road, as well as on tightly compact trails and even some mildly technical ones. 

The biggest downfall we faced when testing the Pegasus Trail 4 was the shoe's lackluster grip on muddy trails and wet surfaces. The shoe's traction takes a serious dive when contending with soggy conditions, leaving us feeling as surefooted as a foal on a frozen lake. As such we don't recommend this shoe to runners living areas prone to rain. 

Altra flips the script with the Olympus 5 and proves that a zero-drop shoe can be a maximalist creature of comfort. From the generous padding found throughout the shoe to the high stack of luxurious foam, the Olympus 5 easily climbs the ranks as the comfiest trail running shoe. 

The Olympus 5’s midsole is softer than average, giving us a durometer reading of 23.0 HA. However, the shoe's high stack means that it feels even softer than that. Apart from great impact dampening, the Olympus 5’s midsole also has a peppy rebound that isn’t overly bouncy and had us melting away the mile markers steadily and comfortably. 

The Olympus 5’s toebox is also extremely accommodating. Using our caliper, we measured it to be 103.4 mm at its widest point, making it roomier than average by 4.7 mm. What’s more, the Olympus 5 doesn’t taper very much towards the big toe, lending the shoe a more foot-shaped silhouette. This gives us plenty of room to splay out naturally during landings and toe-offs without the faintest hint of hotspots, even at the end of long haul efforts with significantly swollen feet. 

Typically renowned for its tough and grippy compounds, the Vibram outsole found on the Olympus 5 really let us down this time when it comes to durability. After only a handful of test runs, we noticed significant signs of wear on the lugs and tread. This is despite giving us a much harder-than-average durometer reading of 93.0 HC. While a harder outsole usually indicates better durability, in this case, we find that it’s actually quite brittle.