Know Your Plates

While carbon plates recently transformed road running, having a slither of carbon or nylon embedded between your midsole and outsole isn’t new for trail shoes. If your routes take in trails with lots of debris, these rock plates help protect feet from the worst sharp stones and lumpy bits the trails throw in your way. That said, some trail shoes from brands like The North Face and Adidas now also come with performance-focused carbon plates too. These plates work with the midsole foam and are designed to guide and propel each step, delivering extra response and efficiency.

Waterproof Trail Shoes Versus Non-Waterproof

Unless you live in the driest of climates, rain, puddles and trails go hand in hand. And that can mean wet feet. But soggy socks on soaked skin create the perfect conditions for blisters. That’s particularly bad if you’re running ultras.

Related: Best Trail Running Caps
Related: Best Trail Running Caps

These days many trail shoes offer weather-proof coated uppers, to provide an extra barrier against drench foot. Great. But it’s important to make sure that doesn’t come at the cost of breathability. You still want sweat and moisture to escape. Plus if you know you’ll be running through water above ankle deep, a non-Gore option might be better for letting water leak out faster once you’re done plodding through the puddles.  

Stack Height

Trail shoe midsoles range from the super-minimal, barefoot style options that keep you close to the ground and rely on your foot’s own natural shock absorption system, right up to high-stacked shoes that put a chunk of midsole foam underfoot to soften the lumps and bumps. But even the max-cushioned shoes that come with slightly softer, more responsive foams run firmer than their road-going counterparts.  Smaller stack heights give you more feel for the terrain underfoot, bigger chunks of foam help to absorb impact. Finding your ideal ratio of cushioning to ground contact is important. If you’re running less technical, flatter trails, you might get away with shoes with squishier, more responsive foams that also help on longer runs. But remember stability trumps everything, particularly on the harsher trails.  

Understanding Sole Unit Drop Or The Off-Set

The drop or off-set is the difference between the height of the midsole/outsole at the heel and under the toe. Different drops can alter how your body interacts with the ground, changing the way you load and unload in each step. Trail shoes tend to have lower drops that help maintain a good ground contact feel but there’s no perfect drop for everyone; each runner is different. Avoid making drastic changes, for example shifting from a 10mm drop to zero drop overnight and if you’re running injury free at a higher drop, stick to what you’re used to.

Size Things Up

Getting a good lockdown fit is even more important on the trails. Heel hold and security from a well-laced midfoot upper is crucial. You don’t want your feet sliding forwards on descents. You do, however, want a little extra wiggle room in the toe box and a little space in front of the toes, to help avoid your toe nails bashing up against the tops and the end of the shoes, causing that black toe nail damage. This is particularly important on mountain or coastal routes with lots of long steep mountain descents. When you’re sizing for trail shoes, it also helps to consider that you might run those trails in slightly thicker socks. Check out our trail running sock guide for more info on what might work best for you. 

Main Photo: Chris Johnson

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