Running Footwear

Featured review by Bluelu

After years of trying various shoes, boots, orthotics, socks, etc., and never being quite happy with the way my feet feel, I tried the Vibram Classic. What a difference! Hiking/city walking both work well. Your feet feel very light. After not running for the past 20 years due to bad knees, I'm tempted to break into a run just because it feels like it would be so much fun with these on. You do have to watch where you put your feet; gravel of a certain size can give you quite a poke in the heel or mid-foot.

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Featured review by Danny Wang

A nice option to have for those who are looking for an insole that provides great arch support. They are MUCH less expensive than shelling out the cash for custom orthotics. I have pretty severe foot problems and the Superfeet Green insoles have allowed me to continue my active lifestyle.

Back in 2008, I suffered a pretty bad injury to my left foot, commonly known as a Lisfranc Fracture. It is named after a French doctor who described the injury in 1815 when riders would fall off their horse with their foot stuck in the stirrup. It's a fracture of the midfoot coupled with the rupture of ligaments. The injury is also common in American Football, with players such as Dwight Freeney, Maurice Jones Drew, and Santonio Holmes having suffered the injury. Sadly, I did not play American Football and could not have afforded the expertise of doctors such as Dr.

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Featured review by Maria

As a children how many of us did not need any shoes and were happy running around barefoot even if it meant to get some blisters here and there? Later on, when we had to put shoes on and go to school and then work and so on, things changed and it would be considered inappropriate to one day show up without any shoes on. I wonder how many of us feel happy with what they are wearing on day to day basis on their feet and how many of us is actually comfortable?The Vibram soles is revolutionary innovation as far as comfortable shoes can be, which is based on the age old methodology that being barefoot helps your balance and will make you feel aware of the nature around and ground beneath your feet.

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Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

The La Sportiva Bushido II is a solid, comfortable trail running shoe for all-around, year-round use on trails and mountains. With excellent traction and fit, it retains everything I loved about the original Bushido trail runner with some minor refinements.

When I heard that La Sportiva was introducing an updated Bushido II trail runner my first response was "No!" What if they screwed something up? I've worn at least six pairs, possibly more, of the original La Sportiva Bushidos over the five years since they launched. That totals well over a thousand miles, probably double, by my rough guesstimate. While I also have road running shoes for pavement and own a few other pairs of trail runners, not to mention hiking footwear, the Bushidos are my go-to, everyday pair for when dirt, rocks, mud, and snow are underfoot here in Maine.  I rarely think about these shoes.

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Reviewed by Andrew F.

Balega's Blister Resist Quarter is a hybrid mohair and synthetic sock from a company that does a great job with running socks. Great wicking properties help keep your feet comfortable. Smooth material doesn't tend to chafe. They tend to show wear by looking "fuzzy" but that's cosmetic—no notable thin spots or wear. Slightly more bulky than a typical running sock.

OVERVIEW By calling this a "blister resist" running sock, Balega is pretty clearly pushing the narrative that this sock is somehow better at protecting your feet from blisters than the average sock. I'll address that but will mostly focus on the more general reasons you might want to get a couple pair of these socks. I was provided two pair to review—a quarter-height and crew height Blister Resist sock. You can see that the crew is a few inches longer on your leg than the quarter. Other than the height and the color, both pair are effectively the same.

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Featured review by Andrew F.

Salomon’s XA Pro 3D is a heavy duty trail running shoe that has been around, with various updates, for years. It is very heavy and firm for a running shoe, and I use it as a low light hiker. It’s available with a waterproof/breathable membrane, but I like the no-membrane version for it’s very good breathability. Very good traction, support, foot protection, and durability, plus an interesting lacing system, make this a winner. The non-waterproof version’s availability in wide sizing was fortuitous for me, as the regular version was too narrow for my feet.

Basic Information The pair weighed 2.2 pounds out of the box, including the light insoles that I discarded. The guy who built my latest pair of custom orthotics recommended this shoe for its relatively firm and more supportive midsole, and I always wear them with the orthotics. The shoe requires break-in because it is so solid; it takes some time to get used to the firmness of the shoe. More on that in a bit. These are on the heavy end of the spectrum for trail running shoes, and also on the more expensive end at $130 full price.

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Featured review by Sean Van Cleve

Brooks continues to stand on the podium with this high-quality trail runner. Offering ample room in the forefoot while still holding perfectly secure, the Cascadia 16 provides the wearer with a lightweight shoe that has excellent under-foot protection. This lightweight shoe is best suited for the hiker/trail runner that needs great traction and support on groomed trails, rough terrain, or anything in between. The Cascadia 16 is available for both men and women as a waterproof (GTX) or well ventilated, regular model.

Although finding the perfect trail shoe may sometimes feel like chasing a "glass slipper," the Brooks Cascadia 16 checks many of the boxes… Without a doubt, the venerable Brooks Cascadia is one of the ‘tried & true’ products that has been around the block. Currently in its 16th generation, the Cascadia always seems to be reaching for new improvements.    These trail runners are ideal for lightweight/ultralight backpacking, when saving weight is a priority. Using the Brooks Cascadia 16 under loads up to 25 lbs feels comfortable on a week-long summer backpacking trip.    Specifications: Price: $130 ($160 GTX) Men's and Women's separate lines Weight: 298g/10.5oz per men's shoe; 319g/11.25oz actually recorded weight without insole,...

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Featured review by David

A sturdy trail runner fit for lightweight backpacking. The outsole on this shoe is the best thing since the old Vibram soles on my heavy full-leather boots. They stick to every condition I've encountered on the Appalachian Trail (except for mossy wet rock, but everyone is going to break their neck on that stuff). Lightweight and breathable. If the shoe fits, wear it!

After 15 years backpacking in heavy, full leather, boots, I finally decided to give a trail runner a try. I wish I had switched sooner. The differene between having 2 lb boots on each foot vs. this 12 oz shoe is amazing!  Here's the bad news, these shoes will not last as long as a leather boot. The inside of the shoe at the top of where you insert your foot is starting to wear after only about 80 miles of backpacking and trail running. But, that's the only place where I think they are wearing too soon.

Read more: La Sportiva Wildcat reviews (8)

Reviewed by Shane

These are great trail running shoes for runners who want a grippy, zero-drop Vibram sole shoe with a wide toe box and low stack height. They are comfortable and lightweight and work well on various types of trail surfaces.

I've been searching for a lightweight zero-drop trail running shoe with a wide-toe box. I've used Altra Lone Peaks in the past, but some of the recent Lone Peaks are narrower in the toe box than previous editions, so I've moved on from those. Enter Topo Athletic shoes. I've used Topo shoes for road running, and I have a pair of Topo hiking boots, and I really like both. So I knew I should look to Topo for a good pair of trail runners. I settled on the Runventure 4's because they are zero drop, lightly cushioned, and have a wide toe box.

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Reviewed by Giftogab

When you buy a boot, ya gotta buy an insole. The money goes into the boot and not the insole, so it can mean the difference between an adequate boot and a great comfortable fit. Matching up the insole to the boot can be the most critical part of your boot system.

I hike in Keens and everything is great, except a couple incidents where I had heel slippage on the ups and toe smacks on the downs. I decided to get Superfeet and was worried about the fact once I got them, I was stuck with them, or I would have to buy a new set and try them out too. But REI encouraged me to spend a lot of time walking around in the store with them in my boots. So I did. Like 40 minutes. After comparing the various ones I selected the Berry. Not too much arch, which I need to be careful of but it was just enough to snug down my heel in the back.

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