The Best Trail Running Shoes for Grip

adidas Ultrarun 5 Trail

Designed to offer affordable exploration, the Ultrarun 5 comes in a road version as well as this Door-To-Trail specialist. A water repellent upper keeps rain showers, or a splash through a puddle, from ruining your mood. Adiwear rubber in the outsole gives durable traction across mixed terrains, and Bounce foam helps cushion the ride.

Inov-8 Trailfly™

By using the strongest material on earth, graphene, in the rubber outsole, Inov-8 can make an incredibly tacky rubber with exceptional longevity, for superior grip and durability. Throw in a meta-shank rock plate, POWERFLOW PRO foam and a BOOMERRANG footbed and you get a shoe capable of going well beyond the local park, but because of the low 4mm lug depth and durable rubber, it can do a great job of Door-To-Trail too.

Hoka Challenger 8

Taking the concept of high stack heights, increased rocker shape and super lightweight cushioning, The Challenger 8 gives a smooth feel to your strides. An updated, multi-directional lug design gives excellent durable traction. The 100% recycled engineered mesh upper includes a 3D screen printed toe cap for extra protection.

Merrell Morphlite

With a custom lug pattern which combines lugs designed specifically for road traction in the centre of the shoe, with trail specific traction around the edges, wherever you run, you can be assured of excellent grip. FloatPro foam cushions your stride through the midsole, and the Jacquard upper is constructed with an internal bootie fit so you get a locked in fit and feel.

New Balance Nitrel v6

The Nitrel V6 does miss out on one of the top tier midsole foams, but it still provides plenty of comfort with Dynasoft and an EVA insert absorbing the lumps and bumps of the trails in comfort. It uses an on road/off road specific AT Tread outsole for the perfect grip over just about any surface. An engineered mesh upper with no-sew overlays provides a breathable feel with a touch of extra protection.

Nike Pegasus Trail 5

In retrospect, making their best-selling road shoe into a trail shoe seems like an obvious win, but to make the perfect door-to-trail shoe Nike didn’t just stick a new outsole on the bottom, they used runner informed data to give the perfect fit and grip, as well as extra protection for the upper. React foam in the midsole provides durability, cushioning and an extra spring in your step.

On Cloudsurfer Trail

The Cloudsurfer is a new, but very successful shoe in On’s line up, providing a series of clouds designed to collapse forward through your stride, giving extra momentum through each step. Even newer is the Cloudsurfer trail, bringing the computer optimised midsole construction to the trail with mission grip rubber in a door-to-trail grip outsole for the smoothest of transitions even on bumpy ground.

ASICS Fuji Speed - 5mm

Using an ASICSGRIP outsole for wet and dry traction, and a unique lightweight upper design to stop debris entry, the Fuji Speed has everything it needs to be a great race shoe. A sharp upturn at the front, on the “rocker” combines with FF BLAST PLUS cushioning and a full-length carbon plate to help provide a propulsive, smooth and most of all fast feel.

Hoka Speedgoat - 5mm

With a Vibram Megagrip outsole and traction lugs, the best named shoe on the market offers excellent grip and a smooth, cushioned ride. The dynamic textile areas of the upper accommodate foot swell while offering a flexible, comfortable hold. It has recently been updated to provide a lighter feel and faster ride.

Inov-8 Roclite - 6mm

With 6mm lugs built from a graphene infused rubber, the Roclite offers a versatile grip with a surprising amount grip and durability. Like the X Talon it offers cushioning through the POWERFLOW MAX midsole foam, while in the upper, an ADAPTER-FIT cradle system gives a dialled in fit.

Inov-8 X Talon – 8mm

The longest lugs on this list, the X Talon uses STICKYGRIP rubber and is designed specifically for soft and muddy terrain. Perfect for Fell running, this is a long-distance race shoe for those who can make the most of the conditions. A POWERFLOW MAX midsole foam helps cushion and propel, while ballistic nylon through the upper brings durability without t the added weight.

Merrell Agility Peak – 5mm

Designed for anything from your first 5k to an ultra-marathon, the Agility Peak provides a max stack of comfortable foam with an increased rocker for a fast feel, and easier transition from landing to take off. A rock plate adds underfoot protection and a Vibram MegaGrip outsole provides excellent traction.

Mizuno Wave Diachi 5mm

With a dual density foam midsole either side of the wave construction through the heel, and a 4mm Vibram traction lug in the outsole, the Diachi makes a versatile, comfortable and stable running shoe, A forefoot rock plate and toe guard add protection and durability.

NB Fresh Foam X More Trail – 5mm

Taking the popular max stack road racing shoe and turning it into a trail maestro, the Fresh Foam X More Trail v3 is not only full of the supremely plush feeling Fresh FoamX but is also made with a focus on sustainability. The outsole uses Vibram’s Eco-Step EVO to give excellent traction across a variety of terrains with a minimum of 30% recycled Vibram rubber.

Nike Terra Kiger 4.4mm

Although it has the shortest lugs on this list, it's Nike's technical terrain shoe, and deserves a place on it's popularity alone. Redesigned to be lower to the ground for increased agility and ground feel, the Terra Kiger uses Nike React foam for reliable comfort and cushioning for everyday runs. Hard wearing overlays in the upper and high abrasion rubber in the outsole help it last the rigours of constant use.