Best Trail Running Shoes 2024

In this article, we’ll discuss five of the best trail running shoes based on the distance you might like to run, the type of support you need, and the surface you’ll run on. We’ll also break down each shoe’s comfort, fit, and sizing.

We’ve tried and tested each of these shoes, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of what shoe might work for you. We purchased all the shoes with our own money, and you can find links to the shoes in the description below.

So, the first things we will discuss are the weight of the shoes, the stack height and the heel drop. So that can be really important for several reasons. When we talk about the stack height, we’re talking about the amount of cushioning in the midsole, and the heel drop is the difference from the back of the midsole to the front of the midsole. That’s important because if it’s a high drop, it can take the pressure off things like your Achilles tendon, and if it’s a lower drop, it can place more pressure on your forefoot. We’ll discuss why that can be beneficial in the article.

So the heaviest of the shoes is the Brooks Cascadia 18, followed by the La Sportiva, then the Hoka Speedgoat 6 and finally, the lightest of all 5 shoes are the Scarpa Spin Planet. So, first of all, it’s really interesting when it’s got to do with the Hoka because despite being relatively light, it’s packed with the maximum amount of stack, so the maximum amount of cushion in the midsole. So at the rearfoot, you’ve got 40mms; at the forefoot, you’ve got 35mms, giving you a 5mm drop. This 5mm drop is really common in all the Hoka shoes, even on-the-road shoes.

Then, in contrast to that with the Salomon, you’ve got 33mms on the rearfoot and 25mms on the forefoot. In the Brooks we have 33mms on the rearfoot, 25mms on the forefoot, giving you 8mm drop. A really low Drop on the Scarpa Spin Planet, we’ve got 28.5mm on the back and 24.5mm on the front and then in the La Sportiva, we’ve got 26mms on the back and then 16mms on the front, giving you a 10mm drop so biggest drop of all the shoes.

Then, in terms of fit, Hoka is renowned for having a tapered fit, which means they’re narrow up towards the big toe. You may find it uncomfortable if you have a slightly broader foot, and in fact, we’ve got a normal-sized foot, and it’s still a little bit uncomfortable on our baby toe as it just wraps around a little bit too early. So you might find that some brands have a wide version, but we haven’t found any in the Speedgoat 6. So, in that instance, we often recommend that you get half a size up.

Then also, in the La Sportiva Mutant 2, we’ve got a slightly tighter fit in the toe box, which gives a snug fit as it’s a racing shoe. Some people might find it a little bit uncomfortable, and you might need to get a half-size up as well. Otherwise, generally, a good true-to-size fit in the other 3 shoes, while in the Brooks Cascadia 18, you can definitely get a wider version if you feel that’s applicable, but it’s a typically roomy fit inside, and we’ve had no issues with that so far.

Then, in terms of the upper mesh, so we’ve got slightly different uppers in all of these shoes, we won’t go into it in too much detail except the Spin Planet, so Scarpa has placed a huge emphasis on becoming as Eco as possible and in the upper mesh they are one of the only shoes that we’re aware of that have 100% recycled upper. That hasn’t taken away from the comfort, the fit or the breathability!

The La Sportiva has a Gator Upper, so it wraps around at the top of the shoe and gives a super snug feel that’s even quite snug when you don’t lace up the shoe but when you lace it down, and then you tuck the laces underneath then hardly anything’s getting in there. So, it’s a really snug fit, and new dirt is likely to get into the shoe. There is a really nice comfort and snug feel with the Hoka. You’ve got a really thin upper, you’ve got a bit more cushioning on the Brooks and the Salamon.

In terms of the Heel Counter, all the shoes have a relatively padded heel, apart from the La Sportiva, which is quite thin, and that can be quite helpful if you’ve got something like a Haglund’s deformity. As it reduces the amount of compression against it, whereas all the rest are quite padded throughout the heel counter,

Then, some of the more important parts: the shoes’ outer sole! So with the La Sportiva, we’ve got really big lugs that are spread out, so we got 5mm on the lugs, and they have spread them out alongside a stiff sole to increase the contact area you get with the shoe. Normally, we might expect a racing trail shoe to have lots of lugs that are close together to give you grip, but having a really stiff sole gives you a greater contact surface with the ground. This gives you a really good braking system, and when combined with the La Sportiva impact brake system, it gives you really good traction on the roads.

The Scarpa Spin Planet also has the ATR rubber outsole, which is made of 30% recycled material, while the midsole is 45% recycled. It has 4mm lugs and excellent traction on technical terrain.

Then, when it comes to the Brooks outer and midsole, you get a really cushioned midsole, so it’s really comfortable from the get-go and something that you can slip on and typically do quite a long distance. It has Brooks Trailtrack green rubber outsole with 4.5mm lugs. It has multidirectional lugs to allow for good traction on most surfaces. It’s also made of 25% recycled materials, so it’s good for those who are keen on keeping things as Eco-friendly as possible. It’s got good traction overall.

The Salomon has its Salomon Contragrip rubber compound, which provides excellent traction on rocky and rugged terrain. Its 4.5mm lugs are excellent on technical sections, while the Hoka Speedgoat 6 is typically a really good all-rounder. Its Vibram megagrip outsole, a high-performance rubber compound complemented by 5 mm lugs, provides excellent traction on technical terrain.

When it comes to what you typically use these shoes for, the La Sportiva is a little bit snugger, a little bit tighter on the foot, and it has the excellent Gator on the upper. It’s an excellent shoe for technical runs on short to medium distances, but as it’s a bit firm, you might find that it doesn’t have enough cushioning for longer-distance runs.

In contrast, the Scarpa Spin Planet is an excellent shoe for medium to longer runs. It’s got brilliant cushioning to give you that extra bit of comfort, and due to the lug design, it gives you excellent traction regardless of the type of terrain that you’re on.

If you’re looking for an all-arounder that is super-cushioned and happy to compromise a little bit of weight, then we look at the Brooks Cascadia 18. It’s also a shoe that we typically recommend if you just want to hike, so it is excellent for long distances, but just keep in mind that it is a little bit heavier.

Another excellent all-rounder for both technical and short to long distances is the Salamon. With the Haka Speedgoat 6, we recommend that it can be used for hiking and then, if you’re looking for running, typically medium to longer distances, as it’s got that extra packed-in cushioning and excellent lug support.