The Best Trail Running Shoes of 2025: Salomon, On, The North Face and More

We’re in the middle of a running boom. Major marathons are receiving record-breaking numbers of entries. Running-club participation is at an all-time high. And there are more brands to shop from than ever.

The spotlight often shines brightest on the roads but there are interesting things happening off it, too — especially in footwear. Fact is, today’s best trail running shoes operate at higher altitudes than those of previous generations.

Gear Patrol

Road running is partially to thank: brands are in an arms race to design the fastest super shoe and build the most responsive daily trainer, and the tech they’re discovering inevitably trickles out onto the trails.

But it isn’t simply a matter of copy, paste and slap a Vibram sole on the bottom. Running companies are deploying rockered soles, carbon fiber plates and supercritical foams into designs specifically attuned to trails.

If you run on dirt, rocks and roots and string together multiple summits in a single push, there’s a trail running shoe to help get you where you’re going.

Why You Should Trust Us: Covering products is our core mission, not a side hustle. And we use real-world testing to inform our recommendations. Learn more about our methodology.

Best Overall Trail Running Shoe

The North Face

The North Face Vectiv Enduris 4

Specs

Weight	10.1 ounces
Heel-to-Toe Drop	6mm

Pros

• Rolling yet stable feel
• Grippy on all terrain
• Premium laces

Cons

• Lighter options exist

• $160 at The North Face

The North Face’s trail running footwear has been on a hot streak since the company, better known for expedition gear and ubiquitous puffy parkas, revamped it a few years back.

The Vectiv Enduris 4 keeps the good times rolling.

The fit feels premium, with solid lockdown in the heel and midfoot that leaves room up front for toes to splay, and jagged-edged laces that refuse to untie themselves. That provided a feeling of precision while testing the shoe on all kinds of terrain, including when trails were wet and muddy during early summer.

The North Face

Below, the shoe has TNF’s nitrogen-TPU Dream Foam, which we’d rate around a medium on the softness scale; there’s enough give to make it feel responsive and no danger of bottoming out on roots.

The midsole is slightly thicker than the previous version — 32mm at its full thickness in the heel — but a wide base and a built-in TPU plate boost stability.

The North Face

The North Face uses its own outsole rubber compound called Surface Ctrl, and it’s proved plenty grippy across all surfaces, including snow and some notoriously slick New England slabs.

Best Budget Trail Running Shoe

Salomon

Salomon Pulsar

Specs

Weight	9.9 ounces
Heel-to-Toe Drop	6mm

Pros

• Versatile
• Lightweight
• Includes speed laces

Cons

• Generally feels less premium than other options

• $140 at Salomon

Shoe prices have gone up in recent years, and a lot of the excitement and experimentation in trail running footwear is happening at the upper end, around $200. But great, more affordable still exist, and the Salomon Pulsar is one of them.

The shoe is a generalist, meaning it’s good for everything from gravel paths in parks up to moderately technical trails that lead to higher elevations.

Salomon

The close and controlled fit Salomon is known for helps the Pulsar kick above its class, and features like a durable mesh upper, quick laces, a Contagrip outsole with 4mm lugs and a pleasantly comfortable layer of eTPU Optifoam 2 cushioning stave off feeling like major sacrifices are being made for the sake of budget.

Salomon

More advanced trail runners might expect a bit more precision, but the Pulsar is a great entry-level shoe for beginners still figuring out their preferences (and who are doing a bit of hiking, too).

Wildcard Pick

On

On Cloudultra Pro

Specs

Weight	9.7 ounces
Heel-to-Toe Drop	6mm

Pros

• Very breathable upper
• Stable on a variety of terrain

Cons

• Expensive
• High heel collar can cause discomfort

• $260 at On

After years of running brands battling to make the best marathon racing shoe, the competition for making the top ultra-distance trail racing shoe has finally kicked into a higher gear.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

The Cloudultra Pro has all the hallmarks of a super shoe — a thick stack of On’s Helion HF “hyperfoam,” built-in plate, ultralight upper and even the grippy, jagged-edged laces that are a giveaway you’re tying up high-grade footwear. Those elements don’t always translate to trail shoes, but they do here.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Running, the Cloudultra Pro has a minimalist feel but not an exposed one. The upper is lightweight and airy but provides a solid fit, too, and there’s enough cushion around the heel and protection on the toe to make it feel secure.

All that foam underfoot is responsive but not super bouncy and not unstable, either, thanks to the fiberglass plate sandwiched between the layers.

Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Cushion and stability are what you want for long distances, and during a 24-mile test run linking 10 peaks in the Adirondacks via forest trails and exposed ridges, the Cloudultra Pro proved it can do more than look good — which it does (even when it’s covered in mud).

Other Great Picks

Nike

Nike Pegasus Trail 5

The Pegasus is Nike’s long-running daily trainer for the road. This version is souped up for trails with a grippy Trail ATC outsole, but it hangs onto the responsive ReactX foam and its 3mm lugs are relatively shallow, making the shoe ideal for road-to-trail runs on mellow terrain.

• $155 at Nike

Nnormal

Nnormal Tomir 02

World-famous ultrarunner Kílian Jornet is Nnormal’s founder, and that might be enough to earn the Tomir a nod, but over miles on technical trails and dirt roads, the shoe easily proved it can stand on its own. The Tomir 02 has the comfy feel of a max cushion shoe, but its streamlined and secure fit plus a Vibram outsole make it a fully capable all-rounder.

• $180 at Nnormal

Adidas

Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

When Adidas pulled proven race tech from its road shoes over to the trails, it didn’t just copy and paste; it modified. In the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, the super-responsive midsole foam is stabilized by the brand’s EnergyRods, here made of Peba instead of carbon fiber. The feel that build provides, alongside a dramatically rockered outsole and a technical upper, is undoubtedly all about speed.

• $220 at Adidas

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