Best Trail Running Shoes For Hiking: The Ultimate Guide

The Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 are the best trail running shoes for hikingthat we’ve found anywhere. They have loads of cushioning to keep your feet feeling good all day long. We’ve never found another shoe that keeps our feet feeling this good for this long, and we’ve worn a lot of trail runners while hiking over the years!

Even though they have loads of foam for cushioning beneath your feet, these shoes are surprisingly stable. They handle rough, rocky terrain with ease. And, they don’t give you that “I could roll my ankle at any moment” feeling that some high-stack shoes do.

Speaking of stability, the lugs on these shoes are deep and bite into soft dirt to keep you from slipping. Plus, the Vibram soles on these shoes stick to rock very well.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about these shoes is their durability. Generally, after about 500 miles most trail runners are toast. You know it because your feet and joints hurt.But, not the Speedgoats. These shoes just keep going and keep making you feel good as you float down the trails.

The Salomon Speedcross 5 (check here for women’s version) are built for speed. They’ll fly over questionable terrain, keeping you upright all the while. The deep lugs and high heel-to-toe drop make you feel like you’re flying uphill. And, those lugs won’t let you slip while you’re doing just that.

These shoes are very comfortable. The uppers are completely welded. There are no stitches to uncomfortably rub on your feet all day. The heel cup also does a great job of cradling the heel so it doesn’t move in the shoe.

After several times using the Speedcross 5 in wet, muddy conditions, we’re impressed with the performance. However, we’re a bit skeptical that the antimicrobial-treated footbeds can keep something like a running shoe smelling fresh. So far we think it’s helping but suspect these will still stink eventually.

On flat surfaces and downhill, we also felt like we would fall on our faces with those 10 millimeters of drop.

The Salomon Sense Ride 4 (click here for women’s version) are great for hiking in the dry, hardpacked conditions that are common out west. If you don’t have a wide foot, these are a fantastic high-value shoe ideal for hiking in all but the most extreme conditions.

This is a trail runner, no doubt. But, the lugs on this shoe aren’t too large, so these can work as mixed surface running shoes for hiking and running on varying terrain types. If you have some pavement to cover before you get to singletrack, these will work well for you.

This shoe is on the narrow side. We have wider feet, but the quick lacing system made them fit pretty well. We were able to easily tighten these shoes just enough and evenly on our feet. Still, if you have a wider foot these might not be the best pick for you. We found them to be plenty comfortable, but they did start to feel pretty tight after a long day on the trails.

The Altra Olympus 4 (click here for women’s version) are some of the most expensive shoes we tested for this review. However, when you put them on the first thing you’ll notice is that they’re immediately comfortable. The wide toe box gives you space in the forefoot so your toes can splay out. This creates a wider and more stable platform for your foot as you hike.

Even though the Olympus 4 have a lot of material in the midsole, they aren’t heavy. They feel very light as you step. And, that extremely cushioned midsole keeps your feet feeling good over long days on the trails. The rubber outsole is grippy over dirt, rocks, roots, and anything else the trails throw at you.

As with all shoes, these don’t fit everyone’s feet perfectly. We recommend trying these on to make sure they fit well before taking them outside. Just because you’ve worn other Altras doesn’t mean these will fit the same. But if these do fit your feet, they sure are a very comfortable shoe!

The Topo Athletic MTN Racer 2 (click here for women’s version) is such a top-class shoe that it almost earned our Editor’s Choice award for the best trail running shoe for hiking. It didn’t quite edge out the Hoka Speedgoat, but it is still an excellent shoe for hiking. We like MTN Racer more than the Speedgoat in trail running applications, but we’re talking about shoes for hiking here.

We love the fit of the MTN Racer. The heel cup held our foot in place very well and the forefoot had plenty of room for our toes. Overall, these shoes are some of the most comfortable we tested.

And, these shoes stayed comfortable all day. They have adequate cushioning for high-mileage days. The slightly lower center of gravity feels more stable on technical terrain, too. These don’t have a rock plate or any sole protection, but the stack is just enough to make one unnecessary.

The Altra Lone Peak 6 (click here for women’s version) is in its own category in many regards. Yes, this is a trail running shoe, but it’s closer to a minimalist shoe than a hiking boot – something we can’t say about most of the other running shoes in this review.

Many hikers and trail runners think these are the best shoes out there. We think they’re an awesome shoe, but they’re so unique that it’s hard to even compare them to other models.

The zero-drop paired with the minimal yet just about adequate stack height on these shoes make you forget you’re wearing shoes at times. They’re cushioned, but you can still feel the ground and get plenty of feedback. All of this makes the Lone Peaks the best for stability. They take some getting used to, but they’re great when your feet are used to them.

The Arc’teryx Norvan VT 2 (click here for women’s version) is the most expensive shoe we tested. However, it’s loaded with premium features that we think make it worth the hefty price tag.

These are very versatile shoes. They feel great on smooth trails but really shine on rocky and uneven terrain.

We thought they were great for rock scrambling. The rubber is very grippy, which gave us confidence while climbing from rock to rock. When we veered off-trail, they did well, too. They have plenty of protection built-in throughout, so no matter where we stepped we did it with confidence. These felt secure on our feet, and the lugs are deep enough to bite into soft terrain.

The Hoka One One Torrent 2 is the lightest shoe in this review. However, that’s not all that’s great about this shoe. We think these are some of the best trail runners out there. They have just the right amount of stack to cushion your feet while still maintaining that stability you want from a trail runner.

The ultralight trail runners do great moving over rugged ground. The multi-directional lugs are deep enough to bite into any terrain. Even though they’re light, they don’t skimp on protection, either. The forefoot and toe sections of the uppers are reinforced with a molded overlay. This helps to protect your toes, but it also makes them much more resistant to tears in the mesh uppers.

Plus, the uppers on the Torrents are made from post-consumer waste plastic. So even when you have to buy another pair, you can feel better about it.

The La Sportiva Jackal (click here for women’s version) are designed for ultramarathons but they’re also great for long days hiking in the mountains.

They are one of the widest shoes that La Sportiva makes. Most models made by this brand run on the narrow side, but not the Jackal. Because your food will spread out and swell over a long day on the trails, this makes them awesome for hiking.

While more expensive than some competitors, the Jackal are among our favorites for technical trails. They provide incredible traction over slick rock and while scrambling over rocky trails or boulder fields. We think these shoes feel almost as grippy as a dedicated approach shoe.

We did find that the heel cup didn’t initially fit our heel quite perfectly, but after switching to the heel lock lacing method this wasn’t an issue anymore.

Nike is a relative newcomer to the world of trail shoes, but they’re now onto the third version of the Pegasus. And with the Pegasus 3 (click here for women’s version), they’ve improved on previous iterations.

This is an affordable trail runner for moderately technical trails. And, to our mind, it’s also one of the best out there for trail runs that also have some paved sections thrown in.

This isn’t the most hardcore trail shoe out there. It’s not even the best for highly technical trails that Nike makes, but is a great choice for moderate off-road conditions and hiking on mellower trails. Its high stack height and maximum cushioning also make it one of the most comfortable trail running shoes we tested.

The Brooks Divide 2 (click here for women’s version) is the most affordable shoe we tested for this review. The Divide is made for those who want to go on some trail runs, but don’t want to go hardcore on the rough trails just yet.

In a nutshell, these are hybrid-style, lightweight trail runners for hiking that can handle both pavement and moderate trails. While they have light cushioning, they offer good grip, are breathable enough for hikes in high temperatures, and have a nice tongue design that keeps your forefoot snug and comfortable all day.