How to Choose Trail Running Shoes
Choose Trail Running Shoes
This post is part of the series of articles related to trail running:
If you want to experience hiking trails in a new way or if you are an urban runner who wants to change up the routine, it's hard to ignore the call of trail running.
- How to Choose Trail Running Shoes and Products
However, before heading to the mountains, you need to choose trail shoes specifically designed to venture beyond the asphalt. Trail running shoes differ from road shoes in several ways:
Rough Terrain Grip: Reinforced outsoles enhance traction to help you move more safely over dirt, mud, gravel, roots and rocks.
Foot Protection - A variety of internal and external features help protect feet from impact with rocks, branches, and roots. Durable upper materials that resist wear and scuffs.
Rigid Construction - Trail running shoes are designed to prevent excessive foot rotation. Also, because trail running involves a shorter and more variable stride as you adjust to the ground to find the optimal balance, pronation control is not something to pay much attention to.
This article covers four things to help you choose the best shoes to buy:
Shoe Type: the options are; for easy trails, bumpy trails, or off-piste
Cushioning - Options range from barefoot to great cushioning
Drop / Drop: this measure affects the running mechanics
Fit - You should get expert help and be willing to change your shoe choice because this is the most important consideration
Types of Trail Footwear
Shoe selection begins with evaluating the type of trails you plan to run on. Make your best guess at this point: if you run regularly, a new pair of shoes will have a life expectancy of four to six months, which is another way of saying that the opportunity to try other alternatives will not be far off.
Trail running shoes fall into three broad categories:
Light
Minimalist Light Trail Shoes
Lightweight trail running shoes are designed for relatively even surfaces. Think maintained roads, gravel roads, and wide tracks. These shoes are the closest in weight and construction to road shoes.
The characteristics of this category of footwear include:
- Modest rock and root protection
- Lightweight designs make it easy to keep a fast pace
- Moderately rigid constructions that promote stable foot placement
- Shallow studded soles provide traction on slippery floors
- On some shoes: ample cushioning in the midsole that allows you to comfortably ride mile after mile
- In other shoes: minimal cushioning in the midsole that allows you to feel more in contact with the trail
Resistant
Trail Medias Shoes
Rugged trail running shoes are basically designed for running on mountain trails, which can range from a trail engineer's masterpiece to laying out abandoned trails. Therefore, this category covers the widest spectrum of terrain.
Features can include:
- Toe protection in the front and hidden underfoot plates to protect against roots and rocks
- Strong materials and coatings for protection against dirt and thorns
- Rugged midsole cushioning to absorb footfall during steep descents and hard rock plate landings
- Supportive upper and rigid structures to stabilize feet on curves and unstable surfaces. Some models also include internal stems, which add stiffness to the midsoles
- Various lug patterns provide grip and stopping power at any angle
- Chunky, multi-directional studded soles for traction on soft, wet and muddy ground. The wide space between the studs allows the mud to shed freely
- On some shoes: soft, strong rubber that grips on wet rocks or wooden surfaces
- In other shoes: harder and less adherent rubber that offers greater durability
All terrain
Padded Trail Shoes
If you plan to run where mortals fear to tread, off-road / off-road shoes are for you. The off-road shoes offer all the features listed for rugged trail shoes, above, with a few improvements:
Materials will be stronger - you may see polyurethane foam midsoles, for example, instead of the EVA foam midsoles found in most rugged trail running shoes
The structure will be sturdier to provide greater “torsional stiffness,” which means that a shoe is less likely to give way when high torque is applied. This is important when very few of your footsteps are on flat ground.
Using in remote areas can carry you through streams and swamps and expose you to harsh climates, so you'll find more waterproof shoes in this category.
Buying trail shoes for hiking, trekking or hiking - Some hikers do this to save weight. That's fine, but be prepared to replace them often. Whether you find them more or less comfortable will depend on the weight of the backpack, the hardness of the road and the resistance of the foot.
If you decide to do it, look at the off-piste models because they offer more durability and support than tough or lightweight trail shoes. Here you can see the list of best lightweight hiking and trekking shoes.
Cushioning
The level of cushioning, sometimes referred to as "sole height," has remained largely unchanged for many years until barefoot shoes revolutionized the industry. A few years after that, a contrary trend emerged when sneakers with cushioned midsoles hit the market.
Today, this “feel” versus “float” damping spectrum offers you a wide range of options:
- Barefoot / Barefoot: As you can imagine, these are the shoes without padding on the sole. The appeal is that they allow you to develop an enhanced feel for the trail and your own biomechanics.
- Minimalist: These shoes are a good option if you want a better trail feel but aren't comfortable giving up all the cushioned midsole padding
- Moderate - One could classify them as traditional trail running shoes, with enough padding for you to comfortably run on rocky and rugged trails
- Maximum: these are the models that offer a lot of padding in the midsole. Devotees say that shoes with maximum cushioning are easier on the joints and reduce fatigue in high-mile runs. Naysayers say the super soft cushioning in some shoes makes the toe "squishy" (less efficient) while running.
Fall / Drop
Heel to toe drop or drop is a measure closely related to cushioning height. From 0mm to greater than 12mm, heel to toe drop is the difference between height at the heel and height at the forefoot:
Barefoot shoes have a 0mm drop
Minimalist shoes usually have a 0-4mm drop
Moderate and maximal shoes offer a wide range of height differences between heel and toe
To decide which heel drop will work best for you, consider these tips:
Match the fall with your current sneakers. You will avoid playing with the biomechanics of your body. And keep in mind that even if you are buying the same model of shoe, you should check the drop. From time to time, a sneaker brand may alter the drop from heel to toe when updating a sneaker design.
If you don't have running shoes, look at your other shoes. Look at your other athletic shoes first. If you don't have sports shoes, look at your casual shoes.
Most shoes will have a moderate heel-to-toe drop, which simply suggests that you avoid trail running shoes that are at or near the 0mm and 12mm ends of the spec range. If you wear flats or flip flops all the time, then low shoes may be fine.
A low heel drop encourages a midfoot or forefoot strike. The result is a more stable landing pad, along with better balance and muscle engagement.
This beneficial biomechanical change is a huge draw on barefoot and minimalist shoes. However, not everyone benefits or can transition to a low-drop shoe.
If you are considering switching to barefoot or minimalist sneakers, take it easy. Plan for a few months of transition time and some discomfort while you adjust. To learn more, read Barefoot / Minimalist Running Basics.
Note that you can also find shoes with moderate and maximum cushioning that have a low heel drop. Switching from a well-cushioned high-heeled sneaker to a well-cushioned low-heeled sneaker is not for everyone. It involves some discomfort and takes a little time to adapt.
Adjustment
Fit is more important than any other consideration. A shoe that gets rave reviews is not a great shoe for you unless it fits your foot. And getting a good fit involves more than length and width. Feet are biomechanically complex and a good fit will also take into account factors such as arch shape, arch length, foot volume, and more.
Consider shoe lasts: Each brand builds their shoes around a sophisticated foot shape called a "last." Your goal is to find which brands have a similar last to your foot. Then you can shop online and have a better chance of getting shoes that fit you well.
Don't assume you know the size of your shoe - your feet change as you age, so it's always wise to measure yourself. Next, you need to take into account the fact that your feet swell as you run - you'll want shoes that provide the right length and width at the toe.
Get a fit study: A shoe specialist can assess the size and shape of your feet and advise you on how different brands fit. Many stores can do this for you, but you should plan ahead for the best experience.
You may not need to make an appointment, but we recommend choosing an uncrowded schedule or asking when the more experienced footwear staff will be in the store. Go later in the day because your feet swell up and you can make sure you get shoes that are big enough to fit.
Finally, a shoe specialist can help you come out with sneakers that alleviate a wide range of foot problems, such as bunions, toe pain, plantar fasciitis, and more. A specialist can also advise on your braces or find a pre-made insole to suit your needs.