Wildhorse 8

The earlier range of Nike Trail shoes were not good. I had a pair of Nike Peg Trail 36s and while light and snappy, were brutal on technical terrain. I've got three different models of Nike's now, and IMO are some of the most underrated trail lines currently out there. \- Peg Trails - Are the best Door-to-Trail shoe out there. Somehow light and snappy enough for road while being rugged enough for trail terrain. \- Wildhorse 8s - When it gets muddy here in the PNW, I switch to these. Chunky lugs, and great grip for wet days on the trail. They're pretty damn heavy, but are very comfortable. \- Zegama 2s: I've heard them compared to the HOKA Mafate's and I tend to agree. All day trail eaters. \*Big caveat being that I have a very narrow foot and tend to like more aggressive trail running shoes.

I think it takes embracing a certain mentality when running in these conditions, and a lot of it comes down to running with intention. Other's are right to point out running "through" mud and puddles. Aside from trail maintenance, sometimes trying to avoid mud/water can lead to getting hurt whether that be from slipping out from a jump or unintended torque from landing. Shoes I often turn to are the Nike Wildhorse 8s. Deep lugs, good drainage, and provide great traction over slick surfaces like rocks and smooth gravel.

I think Nike is producing some of the most underrated shoes out there. I have the Peg 5, Wildhorse 8, and Zegama 2s. All excellent, and all have vastly different use cases. The Peg5s are my go to door to trail shoe. Light and snappy enough for the road, and rugged enough for the trails. My favorite shoes I own.

Nike Kiger 5, Nike Kiger 6, Nike WildHorse 8 (everyday shoes), Nike Zegama, and now Nike Zegama 2.

Once upon a time I was around 200lbs (as a 5’2”ish girlie) and never had any complaints about my Altra Timps. This year I lost 75lbs and found that I like the Altra Olympus for a cushier ride on long runs. 10/10 for both shoes, but Altras do seem to wear faster than my Nike Wildhorse used to (I loved the 5 and every model since has been a flop for me). I get 300-350ish miles on them before the tread starts coming apart. If they change the Timp radically when they update it they will rue the day (and I’ll prob finally try out Mount to Coast).

This is just my opinion but I wear Mammut hiking boots and various Nike Trail runners. The Mammut boots are extremely comfortable, durable and waterproof. Offers great ankle support and are still very light boots. Nikes are just personally my favourite shoe to wear. I have a few of their trail runners. Gortex and non goetex types. Pegasus and Wildhorse. I really like the Pegasus versions. For what I put them through each pair last me about a year. But I do find them very comfortable and appreciate the weatherproofing for certain conditions. Some people may disagree as some are not fans of Nike, but this is just for my personal experience. Like many others have said it’s all about preference and the shape of your foot. One one shoe may fit great for one person, but may not fit great for somebody else. I’d suggest finding some outdoor store that has a good selection and trying on different brands to see what suits you.

ALTRA Wild 2 (4mm drop) if you want something reasonably priced, or the Wildhorse from NIKE (9/10) are good road to trail options that can see you through a lot. And both are really comfortable shoes. Asphalt all the way to "rocky" is a tough spectrum to cover it all, but those are the two that come to mind. Maybe try the TOPO Ultraventure 4, too, if you really need a wide toebox and some all purpose grip