Which trail running shoes?
If you are planning a medium or long-distance walk, the choice of footwear should be high up on your list of importance. I’ve witnessed many a pilgrim prematurely cut short their walk because their shoes were either the wrong size or the wrong type.
In this article, I will take a look at some of the footwear choices I have made for my medium and long-distance walks. I will also provide tips for choosing trail runners.
What are trail running shoes?
Trail running shoes are basically road shoes that have been designed to provide more support and endure rugged terrain. They should provide you with good traction and comfort, and they are ever becoming a more popular alternative to traditional walking boots.
Trail runners can come with or without waterproof protection and it is completely your choice which option you prefer.
Personally, I prefer trail runners without waterproofing because they dry out a lot faster and because the waterproof membrane (in my experience) loses its effectiveness relatively quickly and very often the membrane will rip.
The exception to this would be when trekking in very cold weather, when your feet must be protected against the cold and wet at all times.
Many hikers prefer wearing trail runners instead of hiking boots because they are lighter and you can cover more ground. On the flip side, they tend to be a lot less solid-build than boots.
To be frank, the build-quality of both trail runners and hiking boots has deteriorated over the last decade as companies try to save money by using cheaper materials and cheaper labor.
Mammut trail running shoes.
After many years of wearing normal socks and any old walking shoe, I finally had a satori moment and began wearing hiking socks (Merino wool) and I forked out on a relatively expensive pair of Mammut trail runners. I think these are the Sertig II type.
I chose the GTX (waterproof) version of the shoe.
They were very comfortable out of the box and I used them for one walking season – spring, summer, autumn.
I began my journey with them when I walked the Mammutmarsch Wien 55 km walk and they felt great throughout. With these shoes, I only ever walked with a light backpack (10 kg max) and always predominantly on flat terrain.
Within a few months, small holes began to appear on the vamp. A short time after, the protective waterproof membrane (in both shoes) had torn and they were now a very comfortable pair of shoes that had small holes in the upper and that let in water but would still take an age to dry.
There were also issues with the collar lining – on both shoes, it wore down very quickly.
These trail runners would be great for runners, or for light walks, but not for medium or long-distance walking – with or without a backpack.
Website: https://www.mammut.com/cz/en/category/6411/trail-running-shoes
ALTRA trail running shoes.
After a few long sessions down the trail-running online rabbit hole, I decided my next shoes would be a pair of ALTRA Lone Peak 6’s.
These were like wearing a pair of slippers – they were SO comfortable.
When I was searching online, I tried to find out which shoes the people walking the Pacific Crest Trail are wearing and the ALTRA brand kept being recommended.
They turned out to be an absolute disaster.
Within a short period of time, the outsole wore off and lost its traction.
During a walk from Vienna to Melk (a lovely walk) I slipped on some gravel and nearly broke my right elbow (again!).
What I did love about these trail runners was that they were so incredibly comfortable and they dried very quickly, but the build-quality was very poor and I would only advise wearing a pair or ALTRAS if you need a pair of slipper-shoes for light walking.
I was so disappointed with this brand.
Website: https://www.altrarunning.com/en-us/men/shoes/trail
Norda trail running shoes.
I chose to buy a pair of the Norda 002 trail running shoes for two main reasons.
- The shoes are made in Canada – no potential child labor involved and eco-sustainability practices adhered to.
- Norda claim that they are the world’s most responsive trail running show for technical terrain with bio-based Dyneema. Dyneema is claimed to be the world’s strongest fabric.
After experiencing the poor build-quality of my Mammut and ALTRA shoes, I was looking for a pair of invincible shoes.
Norda fell short of this aspiration.
As with all trail running shoes and walking boots, you MUST in-person try them on so that you know that you are choosing the correct size for your feet. Never buy online. You must try them on toward the end of the day when your feet are swollen, and you must try them on with the socks that you plan to be wearing for your walk.
This is what I did and I needed to go up two sizes with my Norda trail runners.
The kryptonite of these shoes are the soles.
The upper is very strong and I never had any holes or rips appear on them, but the soles wore out almost as quickly as the soles on my ALTRA shoes.
They were [expletive] expensive too!
So while the build-quality of the shoe is amazing – comfortable too – I can’t recommend these trail runners because the soles are like butter.
Website: https://nordarun.com/collections/shoes/men
Salomon trail running shoes.
When I walked my 3,109 km pilgrimage from Prague to Santiago de Compostela/Finisterre, I wore a mid-length pair of Salomon boots that got me all the way there.
I can’t remember the type of Salomon boot it was, but it wasn’t the type with the fancy lacing system that, while innovative and super-convenient, can ruin your day if you snag a lace and it snaps (although this has never happened to me).
I had worn a pair of Lowa Renegade boots when I first walked the Via de la Plata, and they were terrible. I bought them in Vienna and the helpful guy in the store showed me how to lace them up properly. They looked amazing and felt very sturdy, until the glue that held the sole on came off a short while after walking through the Cáparra Roman archway.
I figured that trail running shoes perhaps didn’t live up to the hype and that the Lowa boots were just defective, so I splashed out on a pair of Salomon Quest 4 GTX – I chose a pair of waterproof boots because I planned to do some mountain trekking after the Via de la Plata.
Again, they felt very comfortable out of the box and they also felt very sturdy.
The Via de la Plata – Sevilla to Astorga – is only about 700 km in distance and I wore these boots specifically on this route. By the time I reached Astorga, the waterproof lining had ripped in one boot and the glue attaching the soles to the boots had begun to come apart.
Website: https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/sports/trail-running/shoes.html
I was beginning to think I was the problem.
HOKA trail running shoes.
I ditched the idea of trekking in the Pyrenees and decided, instead, to return to serve again as a Hospitalero, in the albergue where one of my best friends is the owner – Albergue La Casa del Reloj, in Almadén de la Plata.
My Salomon boots were about to die on me so I took a day trip to Sevilla (Seville) and made an impulse-purchase buy on a pair of HOKA trail running shoes.
Forgive me, I can’t remember the type of HOKA shoes they are.
They are not waterproof, which was my decision.
I had to go one size up and I paid about €130 for them.
I have worn these shoes with my heavy backpack on numerous trips, over many hundreds of kilometers, and they are, for me, the Holy Grail of trail running shoes.
They are super-comfortable, the stack height and heel-to-toe drop feel great, they feel light and flexible, are durable, and the sole’s tread looks pretty similar today as it did the day I bought them.
They didn’t look as though they would last that long, but they have.
Everyone’s tastes and foot type are different, but for me, the HOKA brand is the only brand of trail running shoe that ticks all the right boxes.
If I were walking the Camino de Santiago (Camino Francés) route from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (as thousands of pilgrims do every year) I would choose a pair of HOKA trail runners.
Again, though, it is ESSENTIAL that you wear a pair of walking socks and it is ESSENTIAL that you try on the shoes in a store and at the end of the day. There should be a thumb’s width between the end of the shoe and the top of your big toe.
Website: https://www.hoka.com/en/us/trail/
Have a wonderful time walking!
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