It’s all down to personal preference when it comes to actual performance. I was recommended Altras by everyone until I bought them, and they don’t offer enough support for hiking, and aren’t gorp enough for gorp purposes.
I enjoy a big drop, so NB Heirros are great. I think that nothing beats my Nike Pegasus II for overall hiking. I racked up 1,1000 miles of trail running and hiking in 2021 in those bad boys.
I’d suggest trying on something with a rock plate, if you haven’t already.
You’re gonna just have to try some and find those that *you* like that perform and last the way *you* want.
I like Terrex Swift waterproof grip (Continental sole). Great support. Have had three pair. Adidas replaced one for free because the sole separated. But, in general, they didn’t last very long.
I like Salomon Speedcross 5. Not great for wide feet though. Lasted longer than Terrex and lighter. If you toe drag, you’ll easily wear a hole. I may buy another pair if hit a sale.
Nike Pegasus Gore-Tex Trail. Super light, great waterproof. Lasted well, especially for the super light feel. Not as much lateral support as some others. Toe tread eventually separated. Extended life via shoe-goo. Would definitely buy on sale.
I’ve got a pair of nike pegasus trail running shoes that i wear for all but the most strenuous of hikes and they’re genius. Obviously multi purpose too. They’re goretex ones so shower/small puddle proof. Can’t recommend something like that enough as your ‘core’ shoe.
Great question.
Road Running
Adidas Evo Sl - White (344mi) Black (202mi) - fanstastic daily shoe that totally match the hype, bouncy without feeling squishy. Having two on rotation lets the foam recover. Best travel shoe to handle any type of run. Smitten. I ran over 500 miles last year in the Puma Mag Max, the SL is like that level of comfort without the weight.
Nike Vaporfly 4- Blue (16mi) newest shoe for fast days. Feel great, so light and nimble. I replace my Puma Nitro 3 (322 mi) with these. Really like the lacing and upper. So excited to see what I can do in these.
Trail Rotation
Nike Ultrafly (85mile). These shoes don’t get much talk. But I love the plated trail shoe, these 85 miles have been hard miles. We have lots of rocks in Colorado and these glide over them and don’t squish. Only down side is they get and stay very dirty. I’ve ran everything from Moab to Jungle with these. Lots of summer hiking in them too. Bonus points is these are the best mountain bike shoes I have ever owned.
Nike Pegasus Gore Tex - (250mi). My winter snow workhorses. Not to sweaty, durable as hell. Excellent grip.
We are lucky to have such great shoes available.
I run in Nike Pegasus regularly. They have a snow/wet shoe that is essentially the same shoe but waterproof. So no breathing or vents in the shoe. It works fine. I wear them less than 5-10 times a year (fortunately)
Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit
1
Mount to Coast
H1
85% positive of 177 users
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
ChocolateHumunculous
