
Mount to Coast
H1
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
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Same, I've got 2 pairs and they do great for Trifectas, super comfortable. For people considering, you'll want the cheaper regular version, not the MTX, since you don't want waterproof.
Waterproof helps for shallow water like snow to avoid your socks getting wet. If water gets inside the shoe through the top, like deep water, swimming, dunk wall, it just means the water is trapped inside. The non-waterproof one lets water seep out above the toe box. I have both since I do prefer the waterproof on regular trails, but a lot of the Spartans have some deep water.
I've got both of the same shoes. The Speedgoats are perfect, I generally like the Spartan shoes too but they have two issues: a lot less padding makes them tear up my heels (even when I taped to try to prevent), and they seem more slippery and don't grip surfaces super well, like Olympus and the rope climb.
Speedgoat EVO was even better
Switched from the sg to the tomir after getting frustrated with hola continually changibg the sg design too much from year to year (long live the sg3 evo, best shoe ever). Anyways, tomir fit like a glove and broke then in in a 100k. Very happy with the change. Using the more asymmetric version too. Perfect weight, grip, responsiveness, cushion. I'm happy.
Switched from the sg to the tomir after getting frustrated with hola continually changibg the sg design too much from year to year (long live the sg3 evo, best shoe ever). Anyways, tomir fit like a glove and broke then in in a 100k. Very happy with the change. Using the more asymmetric version too. Perfect weight, grip, responsiveness, cushion. I'm happy.
Have you checked out the Mount to Coast T1? I liked the Speedgoat 3, Evo, and 4 in particular, but also liked Topos and Altras. Both had their tradeoffs for me, and the T1 just checks all the boxes for me.
I have around 300 miles in my Tomir 2.0s, I would generally describe the cushioning as medium firm and I generally lean towards high stack and medium plus bounce cushioning like new Speedgoats, Saucony shoes, Mount to Coast T1, and some of the newer shoes made with bounce in mind. Don't know if you've tried, but some Leukotape on my achilles ahead of time entirely prevents achilles chafing and blistering for me. If the Speedgoat is on the table for you and you have wider feet, I recommend checking out the Mount to Coast T1. It's what I wanted the Speedgoat and Topo shoes to be. It has a high stack but for me, the cushioning is not grossly soft, can still feel objects underfoot, and don't have issues picking up the pace.
I tried the PDX and Tam 2 years ago and currently run in the MTC R1 (~100 miles) and T1 (~50 miles). I don't have them side by side though. The Speedlands were ok but nothing special, there were already other fast shoes like Nnormal Kerag and Salomon Pulsar series, and long run/ultra shoes like the Saucony Endorphin Edge that worked great for me at a fraction of the price and lighter to boot. I don't care for boa, they add to costs, bulk, maybe weight and for me would be a hardware solution for a minor problem having to do with attention to detail when just lacing up. R1 fits my feet well which is a major item for me, durability is good so far, and runs well enough. Will take time to compare to the Endorphin Speed 3s I enjoyed for a few years because I could get 900-1000+ miles/pair out of them and the current Endorphin Speed 4s are notably too narrow. T1 is what the Speedgoat or MTN Racer could be. Fits my wide feet well, good amount of bouncy cushioning that I don't feel like I'm fighting when picking up the pace, and solid traction.
Speedgoat EVO or GTFO.
As a fan of the Speedgoat 2 and the EVO, I shifted to other brands until the Mafate 5 came around (which I love for longer/slower runs). I tried the Speedgoat 7 in the same size as my Mafate 5... And I'm going to go up a half size. The toe box is much lower volume than the Mafate 5 (and tapers like older Speedgoat models).
Hello. I come from the same issue. I had major issues with Plantar Fasciitis after running in the Speedcross and S/Lab Speed for many years. My first shoe was the Hoka Speedgoat Evo. That was an epic shoe, but sold out everywhere so quickly I only ever ran in one pair. Since then I’ve tried many similar shoes, looking for great grip, soft and bouncy ride, but good stability as I over-pronate, plus I recently developed osteoarthritisin my big toes. So, I really rate the following: - Hoka Mafate Speed 4. Good all rounder - Salomon S/lab genesis. A little narrow and unstable but speedy and shed mud quickly - La Sportiva Prodigeo Pro - great foam and good grip, lightweight. - Saucony Xodus Ultra - 1 and 3 are pretty good, ignore the 2. - Hoka Tecton X 3 - my go-to race shoe for hard packed trails and gravel I like the Speedgoat, Catamount, Fuji Lite, Ultra Glide too but they all have compromises that the shoes above don’t have in the same way.
Hello - I would say that the Prodigio Pro will feel a bit too squishy for general walking around. I walk the dogs in a pair of Salomon GTX Thundercross. They’re stable enough, comfy, and waterproof. The Ultraglide are also a good option. I’ve also had numerous Inov8 Roclite, Trailfly which are also good for hiking if you like zero drop. Hoka are also comfy if you stay clear of the racing shoes - Challenger ATR or Speedgoat. I also like the ASICS Fujilite for walking. I’d suggest avoiding the S/Lab Genesis, Tecton X3, Mafate 5, Prodigio Pro, Nike Trail Ultra, or anything with a PEBA Foam or really pronounced rocker. They will be too squishy, unstable and wobbly underfoot.
I had a pair of Speedgoat evos a few years ago. When I decided that I won't be doing any races in them anymore, I had them for exactly this purpose - one pair to do it all when on holidays. They were quite light for trail runners of the day, were fast on roads, but also comfortable and grippy enough for (mountain) hikes. It is my understanding however that Speedgoats aren't what they used to be. I just got a pair of NNormal Kjerags (the 01 is 40% off), which look and feel like a road shoe, but run terrible on the road. Great on trails tho. So I'd say it depends - not all trail shoes are made equal.

Mount to Coast
H1
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.

Altra
Lone Peak Series
Spacious toe box, but cushioning and durability are polarizing.

La Sportiva
Prodigio Series
Great technical grip, but unstable for some, with sizing issues.

Nike
Pegasus Trail Series
Versatile for non-technical trails, but poor on wet, technical.

Mount to Coast
T1
Lightweight, cushioned; but lacing and underfoot protection are issues.

Ranked #1
Salomon - Speedcross Series

Ranked #1
Hoka - Speedgoat Series

Ranked #1
Mount to Coast - H1

Ranked #1
Salomon - Genesis Series

Ranked #1
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series

Ranked #1
Mount to Coast - H1