Best Trail Running Shoes for Hiking and Running

North Face VECTIV Enduris 4

The North Face VECTIV Enduris 4 impressed our testers with its forward-thinking tech, resultant versatility, and its highly competitive price. It’s a great trail all-arounder for beating up on all-day outings, for everyday miles, and even for racing. The combination of its comfortable DREAM midsole made of nitrogen-injected TPU, a rockered design, and a full-length, winged VECTIV 3.0 TPU plate offers a nice balance of plenty of stability and some added bounce and propulsion when you call upon it.

The upper is durable yet lightweight, breathable, and locks the foot down securely. The SURFACE CTRL rubber outsole and its 4mm lugs performed well on dirt, rocks, leaves, and even snow. It doesn’t necessarily blow the competition out of the water, but it’s rugged and sticky; and it also maintains enough flexibility to pair well with the rest of the more propulsive elements of the shoe.

The forefoot of the upper is wide-foot friendly with regard to fit, but some may find the additional support from the wings of the TPU plate to cause pain points at the medial and lateral sides of the ball of the foot. The only other con our testers found was that the Enduris 4 doesn’t drain water very well.

Overall, the North Face VECTIV Enduris 4 points to the future of versatile trail shoes with its innovative design. It offers a great balance of comfort, stability, and propulsive bounce, giving it a wide range of use cases for just about any training or racing modality on the trails. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $160

La Sportiva Prodigio Pro

La Sportiva nailed it from top to bottom when it comes to the Prodigio Pro. A non-plated super shoe built for the mountains, the Prodigio Pro has an XFlow Speed midsole comprised of a TPU+NITRO Inner Core and an EVA+NITRO Outer Cage, making for a responsive and peppy ride that also doesn’t sacrifice stability and longevity.

The sock-like upper, which utilizes “Power Wire” for its skeleton, is incredibly comfortable and effective at keeping you centered and secured onto the footbed. The knit tongue and heel collar fall right below the ankle, and the pockets of padding on the tongue allow for confident lockdown while avoiding lace bite. The fit around the ankle also helps keep out debris. The FriXion rubber outsole is super sticky, durable, and holds up in pretty much any condition – from dirt, to mud, to snow. Yet it also stays out of the way on smooth and easy trails and even roads. The rubber near the metatarsals wraps up and into the midsole, providing some cage-like structure that comes into play beautifully on windy or off-kilter trails where your feet may end up off-plane or pitched onto the sidewall of a path.

As for cons, they are mostly minor when it comes to the Prodigio Pro: the thick upper could feel warm in the summer, and the responsiveness of the midsole might be a bit much for a more inexperienced runner. Fit is the other area that could be prohibitive for some. While the Prodigio Pro is on the wider side by La Sportiva standards (and certainly wider than its predecessor, the Prodigio), it’s still fairly average or even on the slightly narrow side as far as the rest of the running shoe industry goes.

We’d recommend a half size up for most people due to the generally snug fit, and wide-footers will definitely want to try it on before committing. But other than that, the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro resoundingly earns its $195 price point. It’s an impressively versatile, technically sound shoe that succeeds at its intended fast paces and race-day efforts on any terrain. Yet it’s also a do-it-all trail runner that’s just as at home during long, slow efforts or technical climbs/descents as it is when speeding over rolling trails. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price: $195

Hoka Tecton X 3

Hoka took a gamble with the Tecton X 3 updates, and they paid off. This shoe is an improved experience from the previous versions. Behind all the technicalities is a shoe that’s built to move quick and efficiently over terrain. It’s a relatively smooth ride with a comfortable fit that suits miles and miles of distance. The upper won’t be for everyone but it’s comfortable.

Hoka set out to create a super shoe that could handle some of the most physically demanding trail races. With that, their runners demanded a lot out of the shoe. The Hoka Tecton X 3 steps up and meets these demands. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 5mm, Price: $275

Speedland GS:PGH

The Speedland GS:PGH belongs in the upper echelon of best trail running shoes (ever). The Pebax-based drop-in midsole, upper comfort, BOA lacing system, heel lockdown, and Michelin outsole are all elite. The only negative is that it’s not the best all-weather shoe. It’s expensive but hardcore trail runners and racers will get plenty of value. It’s customizable, durable, accommodating, and ready for any trail you can throw at it. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 7mm, Price $275

adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

The adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra is the brand’s first true super shoe for the trails. Just like a road race-focused super shoe, it feels weirdly unstable and squishy walking around, and the forefoot seems thicker than the heel. The upper is also a bit loosey goosey. Your first thought will be that the shoe is synonymous with a trail death wish. 

But once you start running, especially ascending or descending, the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra starts working hard for you. Forefoot and midfoot landings harness the bounce of the Lightstrike Pro and plate combo into meaningful forward or upward movement. And that continues over multiple miles without feeling flat or less lively. The feel stays consistent for the long haul. The upper is way too wide and needs to be cinched up tight to work correctly; but if you can get it tight enough, it’ll keep your foot from exiting the safety of the footbed.

The outsole is solid-ish, but slippage on dry grasses or loose gravel happened too often. Keep this shoe on well-groomed, less wild trails. That’s where it’ll perform its best.

Right now there’s only one other shoe that can match the bounce and energy return of the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra (the Speedland GS:PGH). If you’re aiming for high-end trail performance in long distance races, this offering from adidas needs to be on your radar.

Fits: Typical adidas, Drop: 8mm, Price: $220

Saucony Xodus Ultra 3

The Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 is all about lockdown. A comfortable, but not particularly wide upper also fiercely locks the foot into the footbed without any discomfort, pinching, or hotspots. The ultimate security to quickly ascend or descend trails is the best part of this shoe.

The dual-layer PWRRUN PB and PWRRUN cushioning feels just soft enough. It’s firmer at first but softens up after 5-15 miles. The outsole and its 4mm lugs grip well, even when scrambling over granite boulders at all kinds of odd angles.

Think of the Xodus Ultra 3 as a trail shoe that is versatile enough for hiking or trail running while giving you everything you need to survive on the trails for long distances.

Fit: True to Size, Drop: 6mm, Price $160

Topo MTN Racer 3

The Topo MTN Racer 3 is an affordable option for people who need a versatile trail shoe. Vert, technical footing, mud, and flats are all handled well by the MTN Racer 3. It will support your foot over long miles without the extreme softness of some other modern trail running shoes. While we wouldn’t call it an actual race shoe, it’s a workhorse that can hold up over any distance. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 5mm, Price $150

Nnormal Tomir 2.0

The NNormal Tomir 2.0 is a lightweight, technical, and versatile trail shoe. It can handle the most technical of trails. However, it’s not wide footer friendly…especially through the midfoot. Durability is impressive as is the Vibram Litebase outsole. The EExpure supercritical foam takes some breaking in but is soft, offers a stable ride, and provides solid energy return. This is a shoe built for lots of trail miles. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 8mm, Price $180

Hoka Challenger 7

You can try to not let the Hoka Challenger 7’s looks influence you but it’s a darn good-looking trail shoe with some fantastic colorways. Luckily, it also performs hella good on the trails. There’s no rock plate, so you will feel some rocks, but the EVA, while not particularly squishy or soft, cushions well. The traction is GREAT. It was extremely rare to get any slippage at all even in wet conditions. Only wet, mildewy rocks caused any slippage, and even then it slipped a bit and then gripped.

The upper is also very comfortable and accommodating while still locking down the foot. It can handle long-distance hikes and runs. If you’re mainly a trail runner, you may want something more protective and/or bouncy but the Challenger 7 is excellent for hiking.

Fit: True to Size, Drop: 5mm, Price: $145

Brooks Cascadia 18

The Brooks Cascadia 18 is an upper update on the Cascadia 17. Nothing of significance changed. This affordable shoe provides stability, reliability, and durability. Previous Cascadia models (before the 17) were fairly plain jane but the looks on the Cascadia 17 and 18 are a huge upgrade. The Cascadia is fairly accommodating but also comes in a 2E Wide version for our wide-footed friends. The Cascadia 18 is a steady and dependable workhorse that will get the job done whether that’s trail running or hiking. Read the full review.

Fits: True to size, Drop: 8mm, Price: $140

Topo MT-5

The Topo MT-5 is light on cushion but it’s a fun shoe and a reliable trail running or hiking shoe. The MT-5 is the perfect road to trail shoe for anyone who isn’t spending much time on pavement and can regularly run on not too technical dirt paths. The ground feel is elite and the fit is fantastic. The MT-5 is the great way to spread your toes on the trail. Read the full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 5mm, Price $130

Brooks Caldera 7

The Brooks Caldera 7 is a stable, max cushion shoe. It’s not nimble enough for the most technical of trails, but whether you’re trail running or hiking, the Caldera 7 is built for long hauls. The more miles you put in on trails, the happier you’ll be with the DNA Loft v3 underfoot and the well-fitting, plush upper. Read full review.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price $150

Hoka Tecton X 2

The Hoka Tecton X 2 is a trail racer that sits atop Hoka’s trail line. The Tecton X 2 is at its best when moving fast through flat to intermediate terrain. It can also work on longer, slower runs and hikes because it’s plush and puts some extra pep in your step with the bouncy Profly-X midsole and parallel dual carbon plates.

The outsole is Vibram Litebase and provides trustworthy traction on anything except deep mud. The upper is new this year and securely locks down the foot with a minimal yet protective build. The Tecton X 2 is wide-foot friendly but does have a slightly narrower toebox so if your foot is widest at the toes you’ll want to opt for a try-on first. At $225, it’s an expensive shoe, but the pricing lines up with the majority of carbon-plated race day shoes.

The Tecton X 2 is targeted at serious trail runners and hikers who want a complete package for ascending and descending as fast as they possibly can.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 5mm, Price: $225

New Balance Fresh Foam X More Trail v3

The New Balance Trail More v3 is a more stable More v4 with a beefy, tacky, trail-ready Vibram outsole. It feels almost exactly the same as the road version but it’s beefed up with sidewalls that keep you on the footbed. As with the road version, it’s a very accommodating shoe, so narrow footers will want to size half down to get a tighter-fitting trail shoe.

This shoe is a great road-to-trail option because the cushion is just a touch firmer than the road version but still soft enough to work well on roads. There’s no rock plate though so keep that in mind if you run trails with big jagged rocks.

Some will fear turning an ankle in the Trail More v3 because of its high foam stack height but it has the stability to prevent that worst-case scenario. However, this is not the shoe for trail feel. The Fresh Foam always keeps you a bit removed from the travails of the trail.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 4mm, Price: $160

Saucony Endorphin Edge

The Saucony Endorphin Edge brings both a bouncy PWRRUN PB midsole and a flexible 3-quarter Carbitex carbon fiber plate to the trails. How does it perform? Really, really good. The Endorphin Edge midsole provides a bouncy ride with incredible impact protection. All the sharp rocks and roots are blunted while the upper and lacing system keep you locked into the shoe. You won’t slide around inside the shoe (even though it is wide-footer friendly) or be at risk of turning an ankle on precarious downhill descents.

It’s a comfortable, protective shoe that can handle both all-day hikes and long-distance trail running. We did have issues with durability as one of our testers ripped a couple of lugs off the outsole and saw significant chipping on the sides of the fragile Pebax midsole. Those aren’t dealbreakers but just know the Edge will get some battle scars rather quickly. If you’re in the market for a speedy, comfortable, and bouncy trail shoe, the Endorphin Edge is one of your best options.

Fit: True to size, Drop: 6mm, Price $200