Product Review: Trail Shoes

The North Face Fire Road

Traction: This is a great shoe for light/smooth trail running combined with road running.   

Stability: Testers said they felt very supported in these shoes while running on smooth trails or roads.

Toe Protection: Good

Presentation: This shoe did well with our testers in the looks department. One of the favorites for looking good on the trails and around town.

Fit: Normal

Durability: 8

Breathability: This shoe is extremely breathable.

Cushioning: The Fire Road faired well with our testers with its cushioning system.

Price: $109.95 | buy now

Brooks Cascaida (Editors Choice)

Traction: The lugs on the bottom of the Brooks Casadia give you traction in almost any senario you will run into.   

Stability: These shoes performed very well in this category. It is hard to find yourself off balance in these shoes!

Toe Protection: Good

Presentation: These shoes have a good running shoe look with the added ruggedness for those looking for more of a hardcore look.

Fit: Normal

Durability: 9

Breathability: Extremely breathable mesh throughout the shoe.

Cushioning: The Cascadia performed very well with its cushioning system without sacrificing it stability.

Price: $104.45 | buy now

Pearl Izumi SyncoSeek 2

Traction: The traction of the Synco is much like a road running shoe.

Stability: With it’s low profile, these shoes will keep you well grounded for shorter trail races. For the ultra trail racers, we suggest a shoe with more of a cushion system.

Toe Protection: Fair

Presentation: This shoe had an average look according to testers.

Fit: Normal

Durability: 8

Breathability: The shoes provide great overall breathability.

Cushioning: These shoes are a lightweight trainer/racer, but in that category, they performed well with its cushioning system.

Price: $84.50 | buy now

TevaPro Wraptor Stability Event

Traction: This shoe has a good traction system for the trails of all levels, best for rocky trails.

Stability: These shoes performed best on extreme uneven surfaces.

Toe Protection: Great

Presentation: These shoes felt boxy for most testers and was lower in scores for looks.

Fit: Wide

Durability: 7

Breathability: The breathability in these shoes are better in colder conditions. The inner liner keeps a lot of heat in.

Cushioning: The Wraptor had a pretty stiff ride for most of our runners.

Price: $110.00 | buy now

Adidas Adizero XT W

Traction: This shoe provided good traction with most trails surfaces. The low profile allows the foot to grip most rocks and odd shaped surfaces.

Stability: These are a great lightweight trail race shoe that will keep you on your feet for those shorter distance trail races.

Toe Protection: Fair

Presentation: These shoes have a snug fit and testers said they liked the look of these shoes.

Fit: Narrow

Durability: 7

Breathability: These shoes felt great -- lightweight and very breathable.

Cushioning: These shoes are a lightweight trainer/racer, but in that category, they performed well with its cushioning system.

Price: $84.00 | buy now

Asics GT - 2130

Traction: This shoe has a beefy road shoe traction feel to it, allowing good traction for most trail runners.

Stability: These shoes performed well in this category. There weren»t many surfaces that could throw our testers off balance.

Toe Protection: Fair

Presentation: These shoes have the look of many road shoes with a few darker colors as many trail shoes have.

Fit: Normal to Wide

Durability: 9

Breathability: The GT provides average breathability.

Cushioning: The shoe provided great cushioning without sacrificing stability.

Price: $84.99 | buy now

GoLite Storm Dragon

Traction: This shoe performed extremely well in a wide variety of trails, such as mud, snow, and rocks.

Stability: The lug system in these shoes was a question mark for our runners at first, but after testing these shoes, They performed great in the stability category.

Toe Protection: Great

Presentation: These shoes tend to have the look of a hardcore trail shoe. They can could also be considered as a lightweight hiking shoe.

Fit: Normal

Durability: 9

Breathability: These shoes do better in colder conditions, but will also do well in mild climates

Cushioning: The Storm Dragon provides ample cushioning for all types of runners.

Price: $142.95 | buy now

Salomon XT Wings

Traction: Great for the rugged trails and they also did well on the roads.

Stability: These shoes were designed for those who are looking for a mix between road and trail, and they performed great on the trails and have the road shoe feel to them.

Toe Protection: Great

Presentation: Great mix between a street shoe look and the rugged trail shoe look.

Fit: Narrow to Normal

Durability: 9

Breathability: The XT Wings performed great for those who run in humid or hot climates. Very airy.

Cushioning: Many testers felt these shoes performed extremely well in this category for its cushioning system.

Price: $119.95 | buy now

Vasque Velocity VST (Testers Favorite)

Traction: This is a great shoe for serious trail running. The soles provide great grip and traction against rocks and uneven ground.

Stability: One of the more stable trail running shoes tested. For real backcountry runs, these shoes provide a lot of structure without sacrificing the comfort.

Toe Protection: Good

Presentation: A good cross running/light hiking shoe that will please the outdoor types who are looking for a more rugged running shoe.

Fit: Narrow to Normal

Durability: 9

Breathability: The lightweight mesh on this shoe provides for a highly breathable running experience.

Cushioning: These shoes had an average cushioning system, with more of a focus on the stability of the shoe.

Price: $99.95 | buy now