I like my Salomon Pulsar Trail for that purpose. They have a quite thick sole, so a lot of cushionning on easy trails at the expense of stability on technical trails.
What you may want is low/medium stack height, not necessarily “stability”. Try one around 30mm or lower at the heel. Saucony Peregrine, Altra Timp (zero drop), Salomon S/Lab Genesis, Salomon Pulsar, etc. Do you have a history of rolled ankles? I do and I and over pronate. I prefer being closer to the ground.
Prodigio Pro probably has the best blend of grip, cushion and fit (beware of sizing!).
They are slightly overkill and expensive for 25km/700m though.
You could try the Salomon Pulsar (i saw them for 85 chf on snowleader).
Kjerag 2 is a bit more minimal and a lighter race option.
A lot depends on the terrain, your foot shape, foot strike, if you want to them for hiking later, if you are planning to run ultras later, etc.
Lower stack = less ankle rolling and more connection with the terrain. Maybe try sth like Norvan Ld4, Kjerag 2, Salomon Pulsar if your distances are not too long.
Prodigio Pro is a rare highish stack shoe that does well in tech terrain. It crushes all other shoes in this class. Speedgoats go to sleep at night wishing they could be this shoe.
I did Salomon trail runners and boots for YEARS (used to work for a major outdoor retailer and have tried Hokas as well). I recently switched to Vivobarefoot hiking boots and Vibram wrap shoes (starts with an F?) and I’ll never go back. The first are a significantly more comfortable hiking experience and the second are the most convenient and comfortable casual shoes I’ve ever tried (and perfect travel shoes IMO).
I have some salomon trail runners and the ankle opening is really low so I feel like my foot is not very stable in the shoe. Even worse if I use my super feet insoles. I like their mid height shoes though
I’ve never found boots to be heavy and I like the stability. I normally wear Merrell Moabs, but I got some Salomon trail runners on clearance for $10 at Sierra, so I decided to give them a try (I think the only reason they were still there is the price tag fell off!) I like the trail runners on regular trails, but I took them for a hike on the AT and I didn’t like the way they handled on rocks. The entire shoe shifted sideways and felt less stable than my boots. I’ve been having pain from a Morton’s neuroma in one foot, so the trail runners helped with that. What I need is a boot with a trail runner’s cushioned sole. It will really be a matter of where you hike and what you prefer.
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