Do you enjoy hiking and running on challenging natural terrains like hills, rocky slopes, swampy marshlands, etc? If so, you need to read this article and learn about the 5 best trail running shoes for hiking.

Introduction

Running on challenging trails and natural terrains is often a lot more refreshing than running on city pavements and parks. It breaks the monotony and offers better conditioning due to the various challenges posed by the natural terrains. However, they can also be challenging for the shoes. Most regular shoes buckle under the pressure of running on natural trails and fall apart. Some of them are too heavy or don’t offer enough traction.

That’s why it’s important to use proper trail running shoes for hiking out in the woods and mountainous terrains. Trail running shoes are often a lot more durable and lightweight so you can use them for a long period of time. They can sustain all forms of abuse — scratches, water damage, etc.

However, trail running shoes for hiking come in various categories. You have Easy Trail Running Shoes for running on relatively well maintained and flat paths. All-Around Trail Running Shoes are extremely versatile and can take you through dirt, mud, hilly regions, swamps, and pretty much all other terrains. And Rugged Trail Running Shoes feature durable construction and a strong grip to be able to navigate rugged terrains like mountains and rocks.

Even within these categories, you have several different trail running shoes for hiking. As such, the choice can be confusing. To help you out, we’ve reviewed the 5 best trail running shoes for hiking.

To compile this list, we personally vetted and used dozens of the best trail running shoes in the market, putting them through various degrees of abuse. We also consulted professional fitness trainers on their recommendations.

Best Trail Running Shoes for Hiking 2020

Best Trail Running Shoes for Hiking	Editor's Rating	Check Price
Saucony Peregrine 8	5 Stars
Hoka One One Speedgoat 2	4.5 Stars
Salomon Sense Ride Running Shoe	4 Stars
Arc'teryx Norvan VT	4 Stars
adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Agravic XT GTX	3.5 Stars

1. Saucony Peregrine 8

Saucony Peregrine 8 is currently widely hailed as one of the best All-Around trail running shoes for hiking. They’re available in a range of different color combinations — Grey/Blue, Grey/Black, and Black/Blue/ViziRed. As such, you have an option regardless of whether you prefer muted colors or something a little more flashy.

In terms of quality, it has all the best aspects of a good trail running shoe — comfort, stability, traction, and low weight. The shoe is made of a textile and synthetic material with mesh to encourage breathability. Furthermore, it comes with a teeth-like tread with 6mm lugs and grooves on the forefront, making it ideal to navigate murky terrains. It has an EVERUN topsole, an ISOFIT dynamic upper, and a PWRTRAC outsole.

The only major drawback this shoe has is its premium cushioned midsole. However, depending on your specific requirements, this might either be a boon or a bane. If you prefer long-distance comfort, this is great because it has great shock absorption so it will prevent your feet from getting tired. But it doesn’t offer the kind of stability you need on rocky terrain. However, to be fair, this is a very small and nit-picky shortcoming.

Saucony Peregrine 8 is doubtless the best All-Around trail running shoes for hiking as it merges comfort, traction, and low weight into an aesthetically attractive package.

2. Hoka One One Speedgoat 2

Hoka One One Speedgoat 2 is one of the best All-Around or Rugged Trail Running Shoes known for being heavily cushioned with massive rubber soles. They are designed in a sporty aesthetic and available in four different styles — Black/Kumquat, Black/TrueRed, Citrus/DresdenBlue, and Grenadine/JasmineGreen.

These running shoes feature extremely wide midsoles to provide comfort on any surface. The cushioning also helps absorb shock making them perfect for long runs. Despite the thick soles and cushioning, it still manages to be extremely lightweight, weighing just short of 10 ounces.

The soles of the feet are groovy and contain teeth for stability and the foam helps add some propulsion, making your gait bouncier and lighter. It also has a lug design which features a Megagrip compound that’s sticky and provides stability in the dustiest and murkiest of grounds.

While the added cushioning is great for long distance running over different terrains, it has one drawback. It considerably adds to the height of the soles, elevating you slightly, and making descent maneuvers slightly tricky.

The Hoka One One Speedgoat 2 is one of the best All-Around or Rugged Trail Running Shoes for hiking and long -distance running owing to its thick cushioning.

3. Salomon Sense Ride Running Shoe

Salomon Sense Ride Running Shoe is one of the best Easy Trail Running Shoes for hiking. This running shoe has benefited from a great marketing campaign that dubbed it a “quiver killer” because of its agility and ability to navigate rocky terrain and also long 50k marathons.

It’s also extremely attractive and available in 8 different color combinations — Snorkel Blue/Indigo Bunting/Sulphur Spring, Navy Blazer/Bright Marigold/Ombre Blue, Fiery Red/Scarlet Ibis/Red Dalhia, Blue/Cherry Tomato/Navy Blazer, Sulphur Sp/Lime Green/D, Black/Black/Magnet, High Risk Red/Navy Blazer/Red Dahlia, and Lime Punch/Lime Green/Black.

The outer layer of the shoe has a mesh fabric to enhance breathability. The premium Wet Traction Contagrip outsole provides runners with an added traction on wet grounds and slippery slopes. It also features a Profeel Film chassis which links the rear to the front of the shoe, thus providing added stability through the middle.

In order to enhance shock absorption and reduce vibrations, it employs the use of EnergyCell+ — a high-rebound midsole compound — with Opal, a lightweight cushioning compound. Together, the two of them provide ideal comfort and impact absorption.

Furthermore, Ortholite foam and EVA heel cup are used to further enhance the cushioning.

Salomon Sense Ride Running Shoe is the best Easy Trail Running Shoes for hiking and marathons due to its enhanced shock-absorption abilities.

4. Arc’teryx Norvan VT

Arc’teryx Norvan VT is a Rugged Trail running shoe for hiking through the steep and technical terrain. The interior lining of the shoe is made of a sock-like stretchable material that provides great comfort for the wearer, while also adapting to their foot’s size and shape. While the lugs aren’t deep, they’re sharp and jagged to cut into rocks or mud well, providing a great grip. The sole has been kept at a low thickness because a low center of gravity is necessary to carefully climb down slopes.

Arc’teryx Norvan VT is a Rugged Trail running shoe for hiking and running through steep and technical terrain.

5. adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Agravic XT GTX

Adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Agravic XT GTX is a 24 ounce All-Around Trail Running Shoe that can get through rough terrain even under the harshest of weather conditions. The best aspect of this shoe is the great traction it provides. Its rugged outsoles are the same available in mountain bike tires, thus making them ideal for hiking purposes. Furthermore, it has a semi-stiff platform with a low height, which is great for providing stability in uncertain terrain.

Adidas outdoor Mens Terrex Agravic XT GTX is an All-Around Trail Running Shoe that’s ideal for hiking and rough weather, but due to lack of breathability, it’s not ideal for long-distance running.

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you figure out which trail running shoes you should be using for hiking. As you can see, you have a number of different options spanning three distinct categories — Easy Trail Running Shoes, All-Around Trail Running Shoes, and Rugged Trail Running Shoes.

For the purpose of this article, we selected the 5 best trail running shoes for hiking and other similarly rigorous activities. To compile the list, we tested dozens of shoes and sought recommendations from training experts.

If you have any other questions about trail running shoes, feel free to mention them in the comments section.