Best Trail Running Shoes 2026: Our Picks
Trail running around here means Grimsthorpe mud, Rutland Water gravel, Burghley parkland and the road out to all of them. No single shoe does every bit of that, which is why we stock a range rather than one brand. These are the five we are pointing people at for autumn and winter 2026, chosen for the ground they will actually meet.
What makes a good trail shoe
Grip that suits the surface: deep, widely spaced lugs for mud, shallower and stickier for rock and hard-pack. Enough cushioning for the distance without losing the feel of the ground. A toe cap and a firm midfoot so roots and stones do not win. A secure heel for descents. And a fit that matches your foot, which is the bit a website cannot do and a gait analysis can.
Our picks for 2026
Salomon Genesis 2, £140
Best for: the road out to the trail and everything after it.
New in this autumn and the shoe we reach for first when someone says "I do a bit of everything". Enough cushioning to be comfortable on tarmac, enough grip to be safe once the ground goes soft, and a fit that suits a lot of feet. If you only want one trail shoe, start here.
Men's Genesis 2 · Women's Genesis 2
Hoka Speedgoat 7, £145
Best for: long, technical trails where cushioning matters.
The Speedgoat has been the default long-distance trail shoe for years and the 7 keeps the recipe: maximal Hoka cushioning, a Vibram Megagrip outsole that holds on wet rock, and a secure midfoot for descents. The one to try if you are training for an autumn or spring trail marathon or ultra.
Men's Speedgoat 7 · Women's Speedgoat 7
Inov8 TrailFly Max V2, £150
Best for: big miles on mixed ground.
Inov8's most cushioned trail shoe, with their graphene-enhanced rubber underneath, which grips well and lasts a long time. Wider at the toe than most, so if you find Hoka or Salomon narrow, try this one first. The shoe we suggest for anyone building towards ultra distance who wants protection without a heavy shoe.
Men's TrailFly Max V2 · Women's TrailFly Max V2
Hoka Challenger ATR 8 GTX, £150
Best for: wet winter miles, door to trail.
A Gore-Tex upper on a shoe that is happy on road and light trail alike. If your winter running is a loop that is half tarmac and half muddy footpath, and you are tired of wet feet by mile two, this is the answer. Not for deep mud, where a waterproof upper just holds water in, but ideal for the standard British winter run.
Men's Challenger ATR 8 GTX · Women's Challenger 8 GTX
NNormal Cadi, £140
Best for: road runners making the move to trail.
Kilian Jornet's brand, and the Cadi is their easy way in: a lightly cushioned, low-drop shoe with a grippy but not aggressive outsole that feels natural to anyone coming from road shoes. Simple, durable, and one of the best-looking shoes on the wall.
Finding the right pair
Three questions decide it. Where do you actually run: mostly mud, mostly gravel, or a mix with road? How far: parkrun distance or half a day out? And how does your foot land, which is what we look at on the treadmill. A gait analysis is 45 minutes, £40, with £20 back against any shoes bought in the session, and you can try all five of these on in the same appointment. Book online, or come and see us at 42 Broad Street, Stamford.