Trail running means very different things to different people. For some, it means navigating the muddy path along a river or avoiding the tarmac in a park; for others, it means pounding through woodland or tackling hills or mountains littered with wet, slippery rocks and sharp debris. Some runners will be off-road from the moment they set off; others will be running on the road to get to the trail.
Trail running shoes are designed to keep out debris and protect your foot from hazards such as rocks and tree roots, and offer reinforcement around the toes – some trail running pairs will have rock plates built in, to prevent sharp pieces of debris from hurting the sole of your foot.
They tend to have tackier outsoles for grip, and deeper lugs that help them bite into the ground too. Trail shoes are also built to withstand trail running, with stronger, more supportive uppers for durability and sharp changes of direction. For tackling wetter terrain, they are generally either waterproof or will drain very quickly when wet, to stop your socks getting sodden.
Like road running shoes, trail running shoes will vary in their heel-to-toe drop (which is the difference in height between the heel and the toe), and also how stacked the shoe is (the height from the ground up to the bottom of your foot).
It’s worth looking at these features, as changing them from your road running shoe can take getting used to, or you may want something a bit different for your type of terrain.
How we tested
We ran on various types of trail, adding short stints on the road, to see if they could be used across both. We were assessing comfort, fit, traction, how well the shoes protected the foot, and breathability. None of the shoes we tested are waterproof but all drained well when wet.
The best women’s trail running shoes for 2022 are:
- Best overall – Merrell MTL long sky 2: £125, Merrell.com
- Best for muddy trails – Saucony peregrine 12 ST: £130, Saucony.com
- Best for long distance – Hoka speedgoat 5: £130, Hoka.com
- Best for rocky and rooty runs – Salomon speedcross 6: £130, Salomon.com
- Best for stability – Montrail trinity AG: £135, Columbiasportswear.co.uk
- Best for being close to a road shoe – 361˚ Taroko 3: £113, 361europe.com
- Best for long miles of easy trails – The North Face vectiv enduris 2: £87.50, Thenorthface.co.uk
- Best for durability – Inov-8 parkclaw G280: £110, Inov-8.com
- Best for a stiffer ride – New Balance fresh foam X hierro v7: £145, Newbalance.co.uk
- Best for long-distance racing for faster runners – Saucony endorphin edge: £200, Saucony.com
- Best for wide-footed runners – Altra Olympus 5: £155, Upandrunning.co.uk
- Best for a barefoot feel – Vivobarefoot primus trail knit FG: £140, Vivobarefoot.com