20 Best Trail Runner For Backpacking (2023 Updated)

As with all the speedcross shoes I’ve had was able to wear them up the hills straight out of the box. Differences (between v4 and v5), and my thoughts/experience: – Lug size increase/change. Seems to make the shoe much more aggressive, particularly going downhill (on rocky/slippery dirt trails).

– Shoe feels much higher off the ground than what I recall with previous versions. Definitely is, and by a lot, when put next to my other versions, but of course the lugs on them are well worn down. – Higher collar at the back.

Read some reviews saying this caused rubbing for some, I haven’t experienced that. – Got the GT version this time (first time out of 5 pairs). Haven’t experienced any feet sweating despite walking/running 25km a few times in reasonable heat (25 degrees plus).

– As has been the case with all pairs of speedcross I’ve owned fit true to size. Now my only gripe with Speedcross, and the reason I gave them 4 instead of 5 stars, is the colours are limited for men (LOL).

Women get all sorts of colour combinations. I had to settle with the pretty boring black/phantom combination. Note: Much credit to Athlete’s Foot. Not only was the purchase price for these the lowest of anywhere I looked, price included delivery and they arrived the next day.

In my usual hiking boots I began to notice aching feet as I hiked beyond 4-5 miles, but not when I wore my Lone Peak 3 trail running shoes. So, when this boot popped up I ordered a pair in the same size as the LP3 (I typically wear a 9.

5, but 10. 5 in Altra) which worked perfectly and achieved the goal of happy feet. I’ve put a couple of hundred miles on them (asphalt, groomed trails and rocky horror Arizona) as day hikes with a light day pack.

Because of their lightness, I was (and remain) somewhat skeptical of their long term durability, but they have held up very well and don’t have that “beat up” appearance. I’m impressed with how the sticky grip and the lightness allow for “quick feet” moving from rock to rock.

Looking through many of the other reviews, I am in general agreement with most of the points made except sizing. I lucked out choosing the size I did, but there’s nothing better than going into REI with your own socks and sizing rationally for you.

The other points about waterproofing (not), maybe wanting a stiffer sole under heavier loads, the clunky lacing are true, but unimportant to me. What is important to me is that I can take a moment to lace these up, go on a 10 mile day hike with my little pack, stop at the grocery store on the way home and then proceed with the rest of the day not thinking of my feet or even changing into other shoes.

I have loved all the Altras I’ve purchased. Maybe these the most.

My 14yr old is an elite runner and we got these before a trail race. I had her put 6 light miles on the shoes to break them in and she complained that they were “stiff and clunky. ” She said they felt good before the race, but 3 miles into running on the trail she was complaining about discomfort and when they got wet she said they turned into bricks.

She’s never stopped in a race in her life, but these brought her to a walking pace and she was in tears from the pain. After the race she had at least 3 nickel size bruises on each of her feet and swore she’d never wear these again (BTW she does 30 miles of cross country running weekly).

I bought this for my son who has wide feet. We sized down 1 size because it fit better. Maybe wide shoes have more room so we didn’t need his usual size. It’s hard to find running shoes that are lightweight and comfy and in wide sizes so I was happy to find this one in a brand name I trust.

Unfortunately, he’s wearing a hole at the side after 1 week of wear, where his foot is the widest. He’s a very active teenager. Probably can’t fault the shoe. Mesh fabric keeps the shoe lightweight so it’s a trade-off I guess.

I am a supinator and I have a stress fracture in my right foot that hasn’t healed for two years now. I bought these shoes in the Rogans store and I love them so I bought a pair online at Rogans. My right foot doesn’t hurt anymore and my stress fracture has healed because of these shoes.

I highly recommend these shoes. The salesman at the Marshfield, WI store spent a lot of time with me helping me find the best shoes for me. I’m so grateful for his help and I’ll only shop at Rogans.

I have had several pair of the New Balance 412, various versions, which I use for hiking. I like to have 4 in the rotation at a time. One is wearing out, so I ordered these, thinking they would fit the same.

They have a different tread, which I don’t think is a good as the 412 for the hiking trails. It also pinched my foot in a weird place, which was strange as I have a fairly narrow foot. I am returning them.

Purchased and received a pair of Speed Cross 5 GTX recently and this pair is no where as comfortable as the previous pair. Same size and style as what I have had, but this pair is much tighter in the toe box, the arch support is higher and longer than in the previous pair (and the other 5-6 pair of Salomon’s I have owned or still own).

Initially I thought those issues would improve. They have not after regular use over the last 4-5 weeks. I waited for these to come back in my size (12. 5 US) as I have had such good experience with them.

I do regret waiting and also purchasing these shoes. Fit consistency has been an issue with the 12. 5 and 13 sizes I have owned from Salomon. It’s almost as if in recent years there is no standard production method any longer.

Or, too many new products resulting in slipping quality control.

This is my second pair of Speedcross 5 GTX. I put 500mikes in the first pair and could probably have done much more. They are still in perfect condition and the grip still pretty good. I run 2000 miles per year and do ultramarathons.

I use these on my shorter runs in winter (conditions get very muddy or snowy here in th Pacific North West) up to 15-20 miles (I would not go much longer because they are a little heavy). They are perfectly waterproof and keep my feet warm and dry even in extremely wet conditions.

The grip is exceptional in mud or on snow as well as rock, even wet. They are extremely protective around the toes which is useful when you hit a stone hidden under leaves. A great shoe for badass winter runners.

Originally from the UK, I now live in Muskoka, Canada. For the last 4 months, we have had snow and ice on the ground. During that time I have worn these shoes nearly every day to run on both tarmac, snow, puddles and ice.

As yet, I have not slipped over once with temperatures regularly dropping below -20C. They are comfy, the grip is insane, warm and they have kept all moisture out. I cannot rate these shoes high enough.

They have totally delivered and are perfect for the conditions that I have described above. We also have a cottage in the Lake District, UK and I will be taking them back over there for some trail running in the Spring.

Thoroughly recommended.

I bought 2 pairs of these trail shoes because they fit perfectly right out of the box!! I Love Salomon sneakers as they have proven time again to be comfortable for someone with a pinched nerve in her foot! I walk 6 miles a day and these NEVER let me down!! I also like the pull shoe lacing.

no more tying my shoes! Only downside to this model is the “tongue” is not wide enough leaving your sock exposed on both sides. strange that Salomon didn’t make it wider?! Hence why I gave it 4 stars!!.

I bought these shoes as a backup pair to my Skechers walking shoes. Now that I’ve been wearing them for about a month, they are now my go-to shoe for long walks and hikes. The toe box is very roomy and the mid-sole cushioning makes the shoe extremely comforatble.

I also like the lacing system, once I became familiar with it. I highly recommend these shoes!.

Size is typical with Solomon, a bit on the narrow side so order +1/2 up would work better. The description of this particular model as Extra Wide is absolutely INCORRECT. It fits like a ‘Normal’ width.

Depending on your build, the upper materials might not last, my first pair started to rip at the pinky toe corners.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep these shoes. When I saw them online I thought they looked nice and when I received them in the mail they looked nice in person. I was scared that these shoes would disappoint me.

I have had many shoes that are comfortable for about an hour or two then my feet start hurting. I asked my friend who is a sneaker head what he thought and he told me to keep them. I work a job that requires me to stand for 8 hours per day 5 days a week so there’s a lot of pressure on my feet and legs especially because im 5’6 and around 247 pounds.

I’ve had Brooks Ghost shoes that I tried to wear all day and they were so uncomfortable after an hour causing me a lot of pain. I’ve had Asics magic speed shoes and I had the same experience. When I wore the Gortex shoes yesterday I brought pain relievers to work just in case these made my feet hurt after standing for a little while.

I was VERY VERY pleased with this shoe. My feet were examined at Fleet Feet recently and my left foot is a size 9. 1 and my right foot is a size 9. 3. I’ve always noticed my right foot feels tighter in shoes than my left foot but when I try on a 9.

5 in shoes they are just too big for me to get used to. The first day (yesterday) I wore the Nike Gortex and it was raining outside. My feet did not get wet at all. Yesterday was the first day in a long time where I stood for my full 8 hour shift without having to sit down for a few minutes every couple of hours.

These shoes supported my flat arch and wide feet just fine. After standing for about 7 hours my feet started to ache but it wasn’t unbearable pain like I normally have. But I was also comfortably shifting the weight on my feet back and forth while I stood during my shift.

I’m really hoping the experience I had when wearing them yesterday continues. A few weeks ago At Fleet Feet when I had my feet examined they suggested I buy a pair of Hoka Bondi 7’s and I did. Although the Hoka’s give me a little more toe room (even with my size 9) to fit my feet completely, I wore them the day I got them while I walked around for hours outside and my feet were slightly aching after about 2 hours and I knew there might be a problem after about 4 hours of standing.

I am debating on sending the Hoka’s back and getting another pair of Gortex but I don’t know if I just need to break the Hoka’s in. But from my experience the Nike Gortex were so much supportive than the Hoka’s.

The only shoe that I had ever had that gave me all day comfort like I was walking on a pillow was the UGG sneakers CA805. I was looking for the UGG sneakers in the color black everywhere but I couldn’t find them anywhere (I need wear all black shoes for work).

I was so upset I couldn’t find the UGG CA805’s in black because they are truly a work of art. These definitely came in at a tie. The only thing about the CA805’s is that I wore them for a good 6 months constantly for work before they started leaning and felt worn out because they didn’t feel supportive on my feet anymore.

I don’t know if other customers can comment on this review but if you can please tell me your experiences. But yes, my first day wearing these my legs and feet felt supported and the aching pain was very minor (towards the 7th hour of my shift).

I bought these shoes just over a week before a 3-day, 61km hiking trip through Algonquin park in Ontario, Canada (mixed terrain). This boot performed so well! The boots are comfortable and have a wide-toe box, which I really like.

I didn’t have a lot of time to break them in before I left, so I was worried about my feet. I did use Ininji toe sock liners and wool socks inside them and am happy to report that I didn’t get any blisters.

There were lots of muddy patches on the hike and a few very shallow stream/beaver dam crossings. My feet stayed dry in these shoes. The toe protection also worked really well on any pesky rocks or roots that I tripped slightly on.

My toes were happy and not damaged. There was a lot of elevation on this trip (approx 1900 metres up) and a lot of the hills were very steep (no switchbacks). I found I could trust the grip on these boots on those climbs and across slippery rocks and logs.

The only reason I have given this shoe 4 starts instead of 5 is that I did feel like it could have used slightly more padding inside the sole of the shoe. I could really feel the terrain under my feet, which was helpful for proprioception and balance, but I think contributed to very tired feet at the end of my hiking days.

All in all, a really great, lightweight boot, and worth the purchase. I’m looking forward to wearing them on the Tour du Mont Blanc in the fall!.

Trekkinn gentlemen, good morning I greet you from Colombia to tell you that I have already received the shoes which have seemed very comfortable for me to carry out my work. I am a topographer and I will use them every day, I had previously bought them.

they are of excellent quality in the materials , the size measurement is accurate. congratulations on your great company. thank you very much.

These shoes are very nice and comfortable as they are breathable in the upper part. For the size I recommend buying a number more as I usually wear the 42, I bought the 42. 5 since they were available, but they are right right, and after a while if you swell slightly your feet become snug, I would have preferred the 43.

However good product.

New at trying Salomon trail shoes. So far I like the fit. Snug around ankle. Roomy toebox.

These shoes are excellent, but with one striking flaw. Firstly, these shoes are comfortable and rugged. I work in the field in documentary filmmaking and I’m very rough on all of my shoes and generally on my feet for 10-16 hour days.

I require three kinds of shoe. A good solid heavy duty hiking sneaker for light to mildly abusive terrain and weather, a solid hiking boot ( Danner mountain 600) for medium extreme and a heavy boot for the most extreme.

I have been able to rely on Danner for all three. I’ve had great experience with this particular hiking Trail 2650 GTX shoe for the lighter day to day side of things. It’s rugged, waterproof, has a great tough exterior.

My only complaint is that the sole has decided to start peeling off well before the rest of the shoe has run its course. At a year of this kind of use, I expect a Danner to have plenty of life left in it.

While every other aspect of the shoe is still 100%, the sole showing the normal amount of wear with plenty of lug left, I’m a little disappointed that the sole has decided to detach. I’ve corrected this with a once monthly application of some strong rubber adhesive.

This mostly does the trick, but still it eventually comes loose. All Danners are super comfy which, in and of itself, definitely earns it 5 stars in every way if not for this one small thing. I’d love to buy another pair of these but this is definitely an issue that I hope Danner addresses.

Perhaps I got a pair that the factory used a bad batch of glue on. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. But seriously, fix the glue, Danner.

The only reason these get a 4 stars is my Fresh Foam More v3 get 5 stars. They are top dog for me. These are my next go to’s. I am not a runner at all, but I do need supportive, cushy shoes due to rheumatic disease.

These shoes definitely do this for me. I like the lacing system in this shoe, it stays exactly where you put it until you change it. It’s very deliberate, and though it might be a little time consuming, it is so worth it for the comfort it gives.

And they provide a firm, yet cushy support. Good for me if I am in a situation with a lot of standing. I will wear my Fresh Foam More v3 if walking constantly. I think if you bought both of these shoes, you’d have about all you need for most any situation.

Just please make sure you get them big enough. So many people diss NB shoes but they just DO NOT get the right fit. It is so important! Most people undersize themselves and then complain about foot pain.

Please give your toes room, they should NEVER touch the end of your shoe. They should fit your heel and arch/instep, and your toes need freedom!.

Just under one month of late summer wear – here’s my thoughts (6’00 @ 220 lbs, usual size 12 D, heel runner, neutral pronation) These Nitrel v4 trail shoes weren’t offered in size 12. 5 and wanting to avoid the usual NB “toe-pop-out-the-top” fabric hole, so I sized up to 13.

The outsole seems dry surface traction worthy but very stiff. Can’t feel much of rocks or road gravel underfoot but again it’s a durable stiff sole, enough flex even with the minimal cushioning of the standard insole liner.

I did slip on wet street pavement coming to an abrupt stop, I expect this might become a bigger problem in colder weather. Hoping the aggressive lugs on sole will offer more traction in snow this winter.

This Nitrel v4 in size 13 for my foot became too wide as the fabric loosened over the past couple weeks of use, particularly in the toe box and above including the lower lace eyelets. Wearing thicker socks with lacing differently only added to discomfort of my left big toe pushing forward, rubs to the leftward front side.

Due to it’s design or sizing, it’s an awkward, sloppy and baggy looking shoe too. Lots of slop from the ankle forward. I won’t waste money on these Nitrel v4 by trying another insole for more cushioning to make up the toe box void.

Looks like I’m stuck this these ill fitting shoes as spares. To top things off, I found NB had lowered the price by $10, three weeks after I bought them.

I was on a mission to purchase a good pair of trail shoes for daily walks/hikes with my dog. I even went as far as having my feet scanned for fit, etc. , and ended up purchasing a different brand shoe, and returning them, etc.

Also tried on at least a dozen other very expensive shoes. I was ready to give up and I happened to see these and ended up purchasing them because I loved the color. I could not be happier with these shoes and I can’t say enough good things about them!! They are so incredibly comfortable, they fit great, and are supportive and sturdy at the same time.

I love that there is plenty of room in the toebox. I’ve worn them every day for 6 months and they have held up well. They aren’t ready to be replaced yet, but I will for sure repurchase these again. (And again and again.

).

If your are a fan of zero drop trail shoes with great ground feel then this is the shoe for you. Just enough cushion to protect your feet from roots and rocks on the trail but minimal enough that you can still feel what’s under your feet.

For my foot this shoes has a great sized toe box. Not as narrow as Salomon’s but not so roomy that they feel sloppy like Altra’s. This is my 3rd pair of the G270’s and I intend on replacing them again when these ones wear out.

The Graphene grip outsole is extremely durable. I’ve managed to get around 1000Km from each of my previous pairs. They do pretty well on pavement if you need to run on streets leading up to a trail or if there are paved sections.

Because they don’t have the deepest lugs the shoes don’t perform particularly well in very muddy/wet conditions. Hardly a downside as most trail shoes don’t do that well in mud unless they are made specifically for that purpose (inov8 also makes trail shoes with very deep lugs for this exact scenario) Great trail shoe for anything from a short and fast trail run to ultra distance and everything in between.

Overall, these are great race day shoes! Upper: a nice mesh that does its job well. Isn’t too hot and looks good. However, it was a bit of a rougher break in period on longer runs foe the upper to stretch out a bit.

Cushion: Its alright, nothing amazing but not bad. It gets the job done and doesn’t leave me sore but doesn’t make me feel like I’m bounding in trampolines. Grip: Highlight of this shoe! Absolutely great grip.

Did a 50k ultra and got these shoes foe this reason. There was snow and wet and dry parts, all of which were technical. These shoes performed fantastically in the grip dept. Fit: Okay fit, I prefer an Altra style toebox but because these shoes excel in technical terrain where grip is needed, I think of these as race day shoes, kind of like track spikes in a sense, since I use them on race day and have daily trainers otherwise.

I have tried many hiking shoes over the years, and these are the best so far. They worked great this year on the Hayduke route and last year on the Pacific NW Trail and the Grand Enchanment route. They were still going strong hundreds of miles after other hikers’ cruddy Altras had fallen apart.

The traction was excellent, including during river fords, creek walks, scrambling and sketchy ball-bearing “trails” such as the Nankoweap. The tongue did seem thin at first, but no problem if they are not tied too tightly.

Terribly uncomfortable. I’ve had a few pairs of Nike pegasus running shoes which are great and I have no issues with but was looking for a trail running shoe so I tried these. Nothing like the regular pegasus.

Digs in to my Achilles tendon just above my heel and was so painful I had to take them off and walk back shoeless. Took over a week to recover from. Tried walking in them again about 10 days later and could tell the same achilles pain would be problem again.

Even tried loosening the laces and it didn’t help. Too bad I can’t return them. Awful shoes.

Usually when you get lightweight shoes like React Flyknit you sacrifice a little bit of durability for speed, but these are well built and very much better for anything off pavement (while still being somewhat lightweight).

I got them in the tan color, which doesn’t mind a bit of dirt. Really comfortable and lowered my time per mile. They fare well when damp as well. Also got complements on the style. it’s rare to find running shoes that are practical and aren’t butt ugly.

I would definitely get a pair that is in olive green, so I hope the Nike design team will be refreshing them with more colors eventually.

I bought these for my husband for his birthday and he loves them! He’s a size 11 and the fit was perfect. He wears them for work and to hike in. They’re extremely comfortable and great for his dropped arch.

They have amazing traction on the sole so are perfect in basically any weather. Love!.

Have a couple hundred miles on these shoes and love them. Comfortable, supportive, and quite stable given the stack height and cushioning. No issues in material durability and the rubber outsole is still doing well with standard amount of wear.

I run in the mountains and on forested trails with rocks and roots. Elevation gains of 3k+ feet over the course of a basic 10 mile route. Do not use these for road running. Went 1/2 size larger than my usual size after trying both 10.

5 and 11. Very happy with that decision given it provides a bit more room in the toe box for technical descents. IMO, they run a tiny bit small. Note that I have very high arches and am using these with Sole insoles.

Compared to other pairs in my current or recent rotation, they feel excellent and I will definitely buy another pair. Most recent pair of thick cushion trail runners were Nike Pegasus. These are less “squishy”, but provide significantly more lateral stability (less ankle roll) and are frankly more comfortable over longer distances given the more robust upper build holds the foot better.

Negatives are that the traction has reduced more than expected on slick surfaces as the sole wears down. Simply need to be mindful. (still better than the nike pegasus and my altra olympus). Personally, prefer standard laces vs the Salomon pull strap given the ability to dial in the fit a bit better, but the pull strap system is fine.

Suggest the move the tounge up a bit higher in v2 to make it easier to stow the laces.

I don’t know what the two negative reviews are about. They’re saying they’re not cushioned enough. They’re trail shoes designed for running off-road which is already soft. SMH. I’ve had knee and calf problems in the past and after trying Brooks, Asics, Altras and others (about 2 miles in each shoe) these are by far the best.

These shoes are really grippy, great on trails, and even good enough to run on the road despite the fact their trail shoes. So if your run consists of both paved and trails, they’re perfect for it. I’ve put about 20 miles on them so far and no knee or calf pain that I get with other shoes (even when carrying sandbag uphill).

They seem to fit a little tight when your first put them on, but after about 30 seconds you get used to it. This is due to the liner which fits like a sock and is excellent at keeping debris, mulch and pebbles out of your shoe when running off-road.

The adjustable thingy on the laces is fantastic if your feet swell on long runs. It loosens your laces without untying your shoe. I cannot recommend these shoes enough. Fantastic trail shoes that can take a punishment on and off-road.

I decided to try this shoe out after wearing down the pair I’d been running in all of quarantine. These seemed really neat and cool on the rack and the REI salesperson who helped me said they were good for narrow feet, similar to the shoes I’d been running in previously.

I’ve never worn a pair of On shoes before and I was excited to try these out, but unfortunately I came up mildly disappointed. The big negative for me was that these shoes have little to no traction on wet concrete (sidewalks, roads, etc).

I found myself slipping and almost falling during my first walk in these on some slightly wet sidewalk, which seemed odd since I expected these to have good traction. I understand that these shoes are trail-running specific, and I run in trail running shoes purposefully because I prefer trails to roads.

But my usual routes require running on road or sidewalk in order to get to the trails, unless I wanted to drive which kinda ruins the run. I purchased these shoes in the summer and found that during the warm, dry summer months, that on the few runs I did with these that I had no traction issues on dry concrete or any of the trails.

I think these shoes probably have great traction on trails in any condition, but it was disappointing to have traction issues on wet concrete of all things. With summer coming to a close, I decided to not risk getting an injury and return them before the wet, fall weather arrived and get another pair of La Sportiva Bushido II’s since I had been running in those previously and knew they had great traction.

On the positive side, I did really enjoy the feel of these shoes. The toe-heel drop was a little higher than what I was running in previously but didn’t run into any issues. I found that these shoes provided a lot of bounce in my step and for the most part they were a fun shoe to run in.

The main issue was that most of the time I spent wearing them I was thinking about how bad the traction was and not focusing on my run. I think the ability to loosen or tighten the laces is a really cool feature and I utilized that on most of the runs I did with these.

Overall, this shoe is good, but I can’t get past the traction issues, especially since I live in an area that receives a lot of rain.

I like the On shoes, in some point, I had 3 pairs of their footwear – road, trail runners and casual pair. They fit my feet well and I believe it is the main criterion when you choose runners or any other shoes for yourself.

It is a great quality brand but has specific fitting. I have high-arched and narrow feet with slim heels. The On Cloudultra Trail Running Shoes is not my favourite model, but it has cushioning and breathability suitable for long runs and marathons.

Nice grip and durability of the outsole. And again works for my feet. The sizing is really odd for this model, I went a full size up compared to my other Ons. It took time to stretch the sock-fit fabric to make it actually comfortable.

On shoes look cool but please never go for the look, go for comfort!.

I’ll start by saying that I’ve never left a one star review, and I really, *really* wanted to like the shoes. I love what Allbirds is doing. My criteria for finding shoes were of waterproof, neutral colored trail runners from an ethical company.

The shoes stand up to being waterproof. But all the other claims – no. These are not comfortable at all. I had to get special inserts so that I didn’t when’s in pain every time I walked in them. My socks all fell down while I wore these.

So I ordered a bunch of new socks to try to get these to work. So: I’ve already sunk a ton of money into trying to make these sheets work. I really don’t want to toss them into a landfill or lose the money I’ve already sunk into them.

Enter the most unredeemable thing about these shoes. They track mud and dirt EVERYWHERE. I’m well accustomed to having running shoes with tread – but it’s like these shoes were custom designed to pick up literally everything I run on and bring that dirt into my home.

I genuinely can’t believe these made it to market, especially since Allbirds seems to really value design. I have to vacuum every time I get the shoes out or put them away. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

Sorry Allbirds – you sadly missed the mark on this one, and as a first time customer I don’t think I’ll be back 😢.

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