Our Top 5 Trail Running Shoes
We aren't very big trail runners at Walks Around Britain.
Ok, so Claire clearly is as she's Wild Ginger Running - but actually you don't have to be an ultra trail runner to find Trail Running Shoes useful.
Firstly, they are extremely comfortable - so anyone wanting something well-fitted could do well to look at trail running shoes. Secondly, because of their grip, there are a lot of other activities which are starting to find them useful... many dog trainers doing agility and flyball wear trail running shoes as they provide sure-fire grip on different surfaces whilst changing direction.
So, we've put together our selection of the Top 5 Trail Running Shoes available now. Here, you'll see talk of TPU - proper name thermoplastic polyurethane - which is a type of synthetic leather, as well as the more familiar GORE-TEX and other terms from the walking world.
As we get to see new kit, we'll be updating this page, so keep popping back to stay up-to-date with our selection.
Salomon Speedcross 5 Trail Running Shoe
In our view, the Speedcross 5's are the ones to beat. They are the fifth edition of this iconic outdoor running shoe, and feature some nifty design.
The ContaGrip tread provides some of the best traction and stability we've seen not just at this price, but at any price. There are breathable, of course, and have great toe protection to guard against rouge debris. The Sensifit system ensure your foot is always in the correct place inside the shoe, and the Quicklace feature again is possibly the best we know.
All in all, a pretty good buy.
Women's - £112.50 - Buy Now
Men's - £112.50 - Buy Now
Merrell All Out Crush Tough Mudder Shoes
From the company that has been associated with the Tough Mudder national events, comes the Tough Mudder trail shoes. They've got a mesh and TPU upper which allows your feet to breathe whilst keeping them firmly in place.
Like the best car tyres, they have drainage ports help to disperse any water which does get into the shoe, and the pinwheel lugs give superb 360 degree traction, giving you the confidence you need to tackle the path ahead.
They look quite good too and are vegan friendly...
Women's - £60 - Buy Now
Inov-8 Roclite G275 Trail Running Shoes
Give these Roclite some uneven surfaces, and Inov-8's specialist graphene grip (G-Grip) will help you cling on to it. And when those surfaces are a little damp - craggy hills and grassy parks - the Adapterweb tech will prevent the shoe and your feet from absorbing water.
They are a comfortable fit and very lightweight - and its' a shock absorbing compression moulded EVA footbed which provides that underfoot comfort. It features a breathable mesh upper with a free foot lacing system which is supposed to reduce pressure on the top of the foot - which it seems to do.
Well worth a look.
Women's - £116 - Buy Now
Men's - £117 - Buy Now
Merrell Agility Peak 4
These shoes really do give you confidence that you'll be able to take on any terrain at speed - and live to tell the tail afterwards! This is the fourth version of the Merrell classic and features a slightly thicker midsole made of the lighter-weight FloatPro™ foam and a new Vibram® Megagrip® outsole for even better grip on rock.
There's lots of other features including a Jacquard upper, an integrated lacing system, a breathable mesh lining and a removable EVA insole
Women's - £120 - Buy Now
Men's - £120 - Buy Now
Hi-Tec Trail Destroyer
These are trail shoes which are lightweight, breathable and enable you to get outside on the hill without too much expense. The reverse lugs are supposed to give great traction on both uphill and downhill terrain - and they do. The trail-specific outsole helps here too, and there's a reinforced toe section to provide better comfort and protection from the wilds of the hill.
The Women's have a little bit of style with the pink beading, but on the Men's it has to be said the style train did pass them by a tad...
Overall though, very good value for the money.
Women's - £60 - Buy Now
About our reviews
Walks Around Britain's product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust.
If you click on the links to buy any product, we do sometimes earn revenue on the transaction, but we never let this effect and bias our choices.
The links we provide may not be the cheapest retailer available.
All our reviews are done with the actual product in front of us and every item is tested in real-world situations.