Luke Cuenco 05.26.22
Trail running combines one of my favorite pastimes with one of my least favorite exercises: Unpaved trails with running. Trail running is a sport that has taken on a lot of popularity over the last two years with couped-up individuals yearning to get outside, stretch their legs, and take advantage of the great outdoors. Basically trail running is taking a strenuous hike or run on any unpaved surface which can include steep hills and uneven terrain. Having a good pair of trail running shoes is important not only for keeping your feet comfortable as running shoes would, but also add increased traction for unpaved and uneven surfaces and may even provide additional ankle support for said uneven surfaces so you don’t take a hard spill and end your run early. Today we’ll be looking at some of the best trail running shoes for your feet during your 2022 trail runs.
This week’s editor’s pick is the Lowa Men’s Innox Pro GTX shoe. The Innox Pro GTX provides you with some of the best ankle support on this list which is great for when you encounter sidehills you must run up and can also help with the odd rock or bump you might step on while running. The Innox Pro’s are also waterproof and breathable and feature a standard lacing system so they aren’t too far off from your normal shoes. In fact, many reviews state that users often wear these as normal casualwear shoes both on and off the trail. The Innox Pro’s also come in a boot format too if you’re looking for even more ankle support.
Slightly more affordable than the hardcore Innox Pro’s are the Salomon Sense Ride 4 GTX Invisible fit shoes. What drew me to these shoes initially was their thoughtful outsole design which features larger bits around the heel and outside of the sole and what this does is capture small loose gravel and force it into the interior of the sole for a solid grip on loose terrain. Other than that the shoes are also waterproof and weatherproof and feature just enough cushioning to make them comfortable but not so much as to make them not responsive enough for sudden changes in direction or minor slips.
The Ecco Men’s Biom C Trail Runner Shoe is a trail shoe for moving fast. Step into the woods and move through the trail, perhaps even up over the treeline and atop the mountain. Wherever the trail takes you, the rugged outsole helps provide surefooted traction on a variety of terrain. Breathable for keeping hot feet comfortable with BIOM X-TENSA Technology to keep the fit secure. The shoes are made from the soft and lightweight Ecco Phorene midsole which reduces overall weight and fatigue on the user while also giving you great responsiveness across a wide variety of terrain without being so harsh as to cause further shock to your probably already sore muscles and bones.
The La Sportiva Men’s Bushido II Shoe is a stable shoe for mountain trail running. The sock-like fit is secured by traditional laces, with a padded tongue for comfort. The upper has AirMesh with thermal adhesive microfiber, high frequency welded ripstop and a TPU toe cap for breathability with abrasion resistance. A 4mm midsole stabilizes and cushions and the FriXion® XT 2.0 V-Groove2™ outsole is sticky for grip on wet and dry surfaces. These shoes are really great at absorbing impacts making them perfect for the mountains of Montana or when you know your trail will have sections of paved or decked surfaces to run across.
The Brooks Divide 2 trail running shoes offer the familiar comfort of a running shoe, with tight traction and a lightweight protective insert against uneven terrain that provides grip and protection. These shoes are insanely affordable and offer a reasonable amount of cushioning and good stability with moderate terrain.
It might look odd when paired with shorts and t-shirts but long socks are actually a boon to trail runners as they offer additional protection against scratches and scrapes and can even protect you from things like poison ivy and ticks. They aren’t strictly necessary but if you’re in an area where Lyme Disease is a concern then you can’t ever be too careful or prepared – it’s probably a good idea to coat the socks with bug repellent too.
No! In fact, trail running is in many ways much healthier for your joints, especially your knees than running on a treadmill or on hard pavement. The uneven and softer ground you’re running on absorbs some of the impacts that running normally entails and also trains your muscles, ligaments, and tendons to react better to uneven surfaces leading to more inherent stability and strength overall.
Trail running shoes are much more durable than standard running shoes but that durability often comes at the cost of how light your shoes run. This being said, running on pavement, asphalt, or a track won’t hurt your trail running shoes and in general trail running shoes will last much longer than traditional lightweight running or track shoes.
Luke is currently a full-time writer for TheFirearmBlog.com, OvertDefense.com, AllOutdoor.com, and of course, OutdoorHub.com. Luke is a competitive shooter, firearms enthusiast, reloader, outdoorsman, and generally takes an interest in anything that has to do with the great outdoors. Luke is also a private certified pilot and is currently pursuing his commercial pilot's license in the hopes of becoming a professional pilot. Some of Luke's other interests include anything to do with aviation, aerospace and military technology, and American Conservancy efforts. Instagram: @ballisticaviation YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BallisticAviation thefirearmblog.com/blog/author/luke-c/ overtdefense.com/author/luke-c/ alloutdoor.com/author/lukec/
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