Trail Running Shoes: Ratings of Sources
Total of 19 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Spring 2009 Trail Shoe Guide: Blazing a New Trail
by Warren Greene and Martyn Shorten
Our Assessment
The shoe coverage at Runner's World is tough to beat. In their latest trail-running shoe guide, Runner's World evaluates nine pairs of shoes based on wear-tester feedback and lab testing, ultimately… bestowing the Editor's Choice award on the Brooks Cascadia 4. The New Balance 875 and END Stumptown 12 oz. are also highlighted. A short video discussion of each shoe is included. Previous versions of its shoe guide, available on RunnersWorld.com, are also useful in evaluating older trail running shoes.
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Summer 2009 Trail Shoe Review
by Adam W. Chase
Our Assessment
Running Times has considerably improved its trail- and running-shoe coverage, and it is now one of the best sources (along with Runner's World) for balanced reviews. While many reviewers focus only on the… positives of each trail-running shoe, Running Times consistently presents both the pros and cons of each shoe, based on wear-tester feedback or lab testing. The only downside to its coverage is that their reviewers don't rate the shoes or make any picks. Their latest shoe guide is the most extensive currently available, covering 18 new trail running shoes.
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2009 Winter Buyer's Guide Trail-Running Shoes Reviews
by Lisa Jhung
Our Assessment
Outside magazines tests 11 new trail running shoes, choosing the Pearl Izumi Syncroseek III WRX as its winner for Gear of the Year and the Adidas Supernova Riot as a Killer Value. The reviews are quite detailed, although the testing methodology is not as clear as it is over at Runner's World.
4. Backpacker Magazine
April 2009
2009 Editors' Choice Awards
by Michael Lanza
Our Assessment
While Backpacker magazine focuses on hiking boots and apparel for their 2009 Editors' Choice Awards, they do include a few picks for trail-running shoes. The Asics Gel-Trabuco 11 WR wins the award for best… trail-running shoe of the year. It was the favorite of testers who evaluated trail-running shoes on multiple trail runs and hikes in Arizona and New Mexico. Backpacker also makes picks in waterproof, lightweight waterproof and run/hike hybrid categories.
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5. Shape magazine
April 2009
Shape's 2009 Shoe Awards
by Sarah Bowen Shea
Our Assessment
Using feedback from over 300 female wear-testers, Shape evaluates 43 new shoes and picks 13 favorites, including several trail-running shoes. Each model was tested by at least six runners. Shape picks the Adidas adiStar Revolt as the top trail-running shoe for rugged terrain, while the Teva X-1 Evolution is best for mixed terrain, with users praising the traction.
Happy Feet -- October 2008
by Michael Benge and Elinor Fish
Our Assessment
Trail Runner magazine tests 13 new pairs of trail-running shoes on performance, comfort and fit, although the testing methodology and number of testers is not explained. Each model receives a balanced review and a "tester-monial," but the magazine does not make any picks for the best trail-running shoes of the season. Still, this site is a useful cross-reference for other expert reviews.
Shoetopia: The Best Sneakers for Every Workout
by Rachel Sturtz
Our Assessment
Fitness magazine offers a number of shoe reviews in various places on their website, although the majority are undated. While they offer a number of picks, including the Brooks Cascadia 4 as the best… trail-running shoe of the year, one expert tester only evaluates each shoe. In addition, none of the shoes receive any negative feedback, making these reviews less balanced than those from Runner's World or Running Times. Previous shoe guides from Fitness, available at FitnessMagazine.com, are also useful, although many of the shoes they review are now discontinued.
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Personal Trainers: Trail Shoes
by Steve Casimiro and Catharine Livingston
Our Assessment
National Geographic Adventure magazine briefly reviews five of the latest trail-running shoes in its 2009 shoe guide, praising the Brooks Cascadia 4 for its eco-friendly attributes. We can't discern how the… shoes were tested, and the reviews are short on details. However, it is a useful cross-reference for other shoe reviews, as is the older fall shoe guide published in 2008. (Click on the red dots next to the shoes to read the reviews.)
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2009 Editor's Choice Awards
by Karina Evertsen
Our Assessment
Women's Adventure spent six months testing over 1,000 outdoor products, including several trail-running shoes. Ultimately, they select four trail runners as Editor's Choice award winners, including the New Balance 875 and the Salomon XT Wings GTX. We don't know how many testers evaluated each shoe, but wear-tester feedback is incorporated into their reviews.
Trail-running shoe Reviews
by Contributors to Buzzillions.com
Our Assessment
Buzzillions.com compiles owner-written reviews from online shoe retailers like Zappos.com or REI.com. This site is most helpful for older shoe models, some of which attract hundreds of consumer reviews, but… usually the shoes with the most reviews have already been discontinued. There are some helpful reviews for newer models, like the Asics Gel-Trabuco 11 WR and the Adidas Supernova Riot. Buzzillions.com is also a useful source for reviews of budget trail-running shoes, most of which are ignored by the major fitness and running publications.
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The Need for Speed: The Fastest Running Shoes of 2009
by Editors of Blue Ridge Outdoors
Our Assessment
Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine offers its picks of the fastest running shoes of 2009, including two trail running shoes, the End Stumptown 12 oz. and Inov-8 Roclite 295. The reviews are pretty detailed, but we're left in the dark about editors' testing criteria and why they chose these models over others.
A Series that Doesn't Suck: Brooks Cascadia 4 Review
by Ryan Stuart
Our Assessment
Ryan Stuart, gear guide for the Canada-based Explore magazine, writes an extensive review of the Brooks Cascadia 4, calling it the "best sequel we've ever seen." The review is balanced and provides some great details on this top-rated trail running shoe. It's unfortunate more shoes are not reviewed.
Kitted Out: The Latest Running Gear
by Editors of the Telegraph
Our Assessment
The London-based Telegraph highlights the New Balance 840 in a very brief review. There's no mention of the testing criteria, but the editors find it well suited to a number of surfaces, especially rocky trails. Team Accelerate, a British adventure-racing team, runs exclusively in the New Balance 840.
Trail Shoes
by Editors of Men's Fitness
Our Assessment
The British version of Men's Fitness magazine singles out four shoes as its picks for the best trail running shoes. It's unclear whether or not wear-testers have evaluated each shoe, and the reviews are pretty short.
Gear of the Year 2008: Apparel
by Editors of Men's Journal
Our Assessment
In its annual Gear of the Year section, Men's Journal picks the Inov-8 x-talon 212 as the best trail-running shoe on the market. No other trail-running shoes are reviewed, and we can't tell what testing went into choosing the Gear of the Year.
2008 Buyer's Guide
by Editors of Men's Health
Our Assessment
The South African edition of Men's Health picks seven favorite trail-running shoes in its 2008 Buyer's Guide, although some shoes are now discontinued and the reviews are not incredibly detailed. Like many other reviewers, Men's Health focuses on the positive, with little negative feedback.
END Stumptown 12 Trail-running shoe Review
by Jason Mitchell
Our Assessment
Jason Mitchell, the proprietor of FeedtheHabit.com, writes detailed personal reviews of the END Stumptown 12 oz. and the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra. His reviews are detailed and balanced, and although he provides a bottom line on each shoe, he doesn't rate shoes or pick favorites. Still, the site is a helpful cross-reference that helps fill in the details other reviews miss.
Trail-running shoes for Men
by Contributors to RoadRunnerSports.com
Our Assessment
RoadRunnerSports.com is an online retailer of running shoes and trail-running shoes (there are separate sections for men and women), and some customers leave reviews on the site. Unfortunately, there's no… way to sort by the number of reviews or see how many reviews a particular shoe has received until you click on the product page. Most of the newer trail-running shoes have not attracted many reviews, but it's always worth checking.
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Men's Trail Running Shoes
by Contributors to MooseJaw.com
Our Assessment
MooseJaw.com is an online retailer specializing in outdoor gear and trail-running shoes, with a website where customers can leave reviews on products they've purchased. Most shoes do not attract many comments, but a few shoes -- like the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX and The North Face Arnuva 50 Boa -- attract a handful of comments.
