Low, sturdy and light trail shoe

Hoka One One Torrent 2

I don't find the Torrents very stable on technical trails. Got the worst ankle sprain in my life wearing them, and constantly have to watch out for a repeat when it's rocky. Not sure why, maybe the combo of decent stack height + very stiff midsole?

Check out Salomon's trail shoes, they have a bunch of low/light options.

New Balance Summit Unknown. Also, Nike's trail shoes generally run pretty good on road too but other than the Kiger their trail shoes are on the heavier side.

Salomon makes the best trail shoes, especially if you want light but their light weight trail racing shoes dont feel too great on road other than the new Pulsar.

Oh I think I misread your post, thought you wanted something that could run ok on roads too.

If you are looking for a pure trail shoe what I said still applies for the most part but definitely check out Salomons SLAB Sense line as well as the Pulsar for light and low to the ground. Summit Unknown is still a good option too, especially if you prefer a higher drop.

Inov 8 x talon 210 is the best trail racing flat for muddy terrain and it can handle rocky trail too. The biggest issue with that shoe, it's not build for door to trail. Most Inov 8 models are build for OCR racing and muddy trail races doesn't handle well road.

The Hoka Torrent is a nice shoe, it's good for technical trail and it does well on the road too. But it's not really lightweight. The Hoka Evo Jawz is much more agressive, it's a top pick for competitive trail runner, Joe Gray wore it at the 2019 mountainrunning championship. The grip is pretty good, it's stable and it has some cushion given it's low weight profile. The main weakspot of the Evo Jawz is it's durability. The lugs tend to fall appart after 200 miles.

I have also tried the Asics fujitrabuco but I didn't like it. It's hasn't enough protection for rocky trail and the shoe felt too stiff on the road. The traction wasn't really good on muddy terrain and it's the less durable shoe I bought (upper tear down after 130 miles).

Adidas launched recently 3 trail racing shoe which seem to be promising. Ian Coreless reviewed one of them, the speed pro which is designed for technical and muddy trail

https://www.google.com/amp/s/iancorless.org/2021/03/01/adidas-speed-pro-sg-shoe-review-first-look/amp/

That adidas shoe looks interesting. I have been waiting for adidas to make some decent trail shoes again. Used to be all I ran in, but haven't tried one I've liked in years.

Adidas Terrex Agravic Flow is stated to be a trail shoe the is suitable on the road too. Reviews say it works just as well on pavement and off road, and it designed to "take you from your front door to the trails."

I have not used them, but I looked into them but I bought the Terrex Agravic TR which is a more rugged stiff sole trail shoe.

Thinking the Flow may be kind of what you're looking for.

Yeah, that Terrex Speed Pro SG looks nice too!

Hadn't seen that

Another +1 for the Torrent 2s. Great grip, light, nimble, and flexible.

La Sportiva Bushido 2.

Thank me later.

MelRnr wrote:

Adidas Terrex Agravic Flow is stated to be a trail shoe the is suitable on the road too. Reviews say it works just as well on pavement and off road, and it designed to "take you from your front door to the trails."

I have not used them, but I looked into them but I bought the Terrex Agravic TR which is a more rugged stiff sole trail shoe.

Thinking the Flow may be kind of what you're looking for.

'

I like the Flow as a road/trail trainer, but it's not lightweight, something the OP is looking for.

The Terrex Speed Ultra, also reviewed on the ian corless site, looks interesting to me, if it's really reasonably wide like corless suggests.

It was released just a week ago. Part of those new adidas models had been developed with the help of UK athlete Tom Evans, one of the most versatile pro runner. The guy won an Ultra race and get qualified for the European XC the following year. So those new shoe might match the Hoka/Salomon product. It's cool to see a big company like Adidas getting seriously involve in the trail running market.

Altra Superior ticks every box for you

Nike Terra Kiger's are the first trail shoe I've had that I've gladly bought a second pair of. They're super fun to run and just get out of the way, in the best possible sense.

I have wide forefeet, love the Topo fit, and the TK6 is a surprisingly perfect shape for my foot, albeit more "locked in" than anything I've tried with a footshaped toe-box.

I grab my Saucony Xodus 10's (not what you're looking for) for hard wet rock, ice, or times when there's a large portion of asphalt, anything else and the TK's are my #1.

+1

I have not worn them yet but the Salomon S Lab Pulsar is a very new shoe that ticks off all the boxes you are looking for. I started a thread and got very positive feedback from a handful of runners who have worn them. They are probably worth checking out particularly if "light" and "close to the ground" are important

Pulsar is a great shoe, but it has no stability or durability.

I save it for races

Maybe try the Kiger 7? Getting a pair tomorrow, but previous versions were really good.

Thanks for the replies guys. I like the look of the Altra shoe, some Salomon shoes, the Inov-8 X Talon and an Adidas shoe. Love how the Kigers look but I’m not sure they’re sturdy enough?

kiger or sense ride would be a good bet in all but the muddiest or rockiest conditions.