Trail Running Shoes Compared
40 trail shoes from 15 brands, recorded in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab and compared on the figures their makers publish. Lightest first.
Trail shoes vary more than road shoes do, because they are built for surfaces that vary more. Weight here runs from 200 g to 323 g — the light end is built for runnable paths, the heavy end for terrain that punishes a thin upper. In Singapore that mostly means the difference between MacRitchie's boardwalk-and-dirt loops and something rockier abroad.
One figure this table cannot show you is the outsole. Lug depth and rubber compound decide how a shoe behaves on wet roots and mud, and makers publish those inconsistently, so read the tread as well as the numbers.
- Lightest200 gNNormal Kjerag
- Median286 gacross 40 shoes with a published weight
- Heaviest323 gAltra Olympus 6
- 200–220 g2
- 220–240 g1
- 240–260 g4
- 260–280 g9
- 280–300 g15
- 300–320 g8
- 320–340 g1
40 of 40 have a published weight. Lightest 200 g, heaviest 323 g.
| Shoe | Weight | Stack (heel/fore) | Drop | Foam | Plate | Year | Maker's stated use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NNormal Kjerag | 200 g | 23.5 / 17.5 mm | 6 mm | EExpure | None | 2023 | Lightweight technical trail racer |
| Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 3 | 215 g | 21 / 15 mm | 6 mm | Energy Foam | None | 2024 | Ultralight short trail racer |
| Salomon S/Lab Genesis | 235 g | 25 / 19 mm | 6 mm | Energy Foam | None | 2024 | Technical trail racer |
| Hoka Zinal 2 | 241 g | 30 / 25 mm | 5 mm | Supercritical EVA | None | 2024 | Fast, low-profile trail racer |
| Asics Fuji Lite 5 | 255 g | 25 / 20 mm | 5 mm | FF Blast | None | 2024 | Light, natural-ride trail |
| Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed | 258 g | 28 / 22 mm | 6 mm | Lightstrike Pro | None | 2024 | Fast, nimble trail racer |
| Brooks Catamount 3 | 258 g | 32 / 26 mm | 6 mm | DNA Flash v2 | Nylon | 2024 | Fast trail / ultra racer |
| Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra | 265 g | 33 / 27 mm | 6 mm | Lightstrike Pro | Rods | 2023 | Ultra-distance trail racer |
| NNormal Tomir 2.0 | 265 g | 31.5 / 25.5 mm | 6 mm | EExpure | None | 2024 | Cushioned all-round trail |
| Hoka Tecton X 3 | 266 g | 40 / 35 mm | 5 mm | PEBA | Carbon | 2025 | Carbon trail / ultra racer |
| Nike ACG Ultrafly Trail | 267 g | 37 / 28.5 mm | 8.5 mm | ZoomX | Carbon | 2026 | Plated trail racer, Vibram Lightbase |
| Hoka Challenger 7 | 269 g | 34 / 29 mm | 5 mm | CMEVA | None | 2024 | Door-to-trail all-rounder |
| Hoka Tecton X 2 | 271 g | 40 / 35 mm | 5 mm | PEBA | Carbon | 2023 | Carbon trail / ultra racer |
| Hoka Speedgoat 6 | 274 g | 40 / 35 mm | 5 mm | CMEVA | None | 2024 | Technical trail + ultra |
| Hoka Speedgoat 7 | 275 g | 37 / 32 mm | 5 mm | Supercritical EVA | None | 2026 | All-mountain trail with Vibram Megagrip |
| Saucony Peregrine 14 | 278 g | 28.5 / 24.5 mm | 4 mm | PWRRUN | None | 2024 | Aggressive grip, all trail |
| Salomon Genesis | 280 g | 33 / 27 mm | 6 mm | EnergyCell | None | 2024 | Versatile all-mountain trail |
| La Sportiva Prodigio | 284 g | 33 / 27 mm | 6 mm | XFlow Speed | None | 2024 | Cushioned all-day trail |
| Nike Ultrafly | 284 g | 39 / 31 mm | 8 mm | ZoomX | Carbon | 2023 | Carbon-plated trail racer |
| Altra Mont Blanc Carbon | 286 g | 30 / 30 mm | 0 mm | Altra EGO PRO | Carbon | 2024 | Zero-drop carbon trail racer |
| Nike Zegama 2 | 286 g | 43 / 38 mm | 5 mm | ReactX | None | 2024 | Cushioned mountain trail |
| New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trail | 289 g | 33 / 29 mm | 4 mm | FuelCell | Carbon | 2023 | Plated trail / ultra racer |
| New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v9 | 292 g | 42 / 38 mm | 4 mm | Fresh Foam X (dual) | None | 2025 | Cushioned trail with Vibram Megagrip |
| New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v8 | 295 g | 35 / 27 mm | 8 mm | Fresh Foam X | None | 2023 | Cushioned all-round trail |
| On Cloudultra 2 | 295 g | 31 / 25 mm | 6 mm | Helion | None | 2023 | Long-haul cushioned trail |
| Salomon Thundercross | 295 g | 33 / 27 mm | 6 mm | EnergyFoam | None | 2024 | Soft-ground aggressive grip |
| Saucony Endorphin Rift | 295 g | 36 / 30 mm | 6 mm | PWRRUN PB | None | 2024 | Cushioned trail trainer |
| Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 | 295 g | 38 / 32 mm | 6 mm | PWRRUN PB | None | 2024 | Cushioned ultra trail |
| Scott Kinabalu 3 | 295 g | 31 / 23 mm | 8 mm | Kinetic Light | None | 2024 | All-round trail trainer |
| Topo Athletic Ultraventure 4 | 295 g | 35 / 30 mm | 5 mm | ZipFoam | None | 2024 | Roomy cushioned ultra trail |
| Hoka Mafate Speed 4 | 298 g | 43 / 40 mm | 3 mm | PEBA + EVA | None | 2024 | Cushioned ultra trail |
| Asics Gel-Sonoma 8 | 300 g | — | 8 mm | AmpliFoam Plus | None | 2025 | Entry-level trail shoe |
| Asics Gel-Trabuco 12 | 300 g | 38 / 30 mm | 8 mm | FF Blast+ | None | 2024 | Rugged all-round trail |
| Nike Pegasus Trail 5 | 300 g | 37 / 28 mm | 9 mm | ReactX | None | 2024 | Door-to-trail all-rounder |
| Brooks Cascadia 18 | 303 g | 32 / 26 mm | 6 mm | DNA Loft v2 | None | 2024 | Stable rugged trail |
| Mizuno Wave Daichi 8 | 305 g | 35 / 26 mm | 9 mm | Enerzy | None | 2024 | All-round cushioned trail |
| Altra Lone Peak 8 | 309 g | 25 / 25 mm | 0 mm | Altra EGO | None | 2024 | Zero-drop, roomy toe box trail |
| La Sportiva Bushido III | 310 g | 25 / 19 mm | 6 mm | EVA / TPU | None | 2024 | Technical mountain grip |
| Salomon Speedcross 6 | 310 g | 30 / 20 mm | 10 mm | EnergyCell+ | None | 2023 | Soft / muddy technical trail |
| Altra Olympus 6 | 323 g | 33 / 33 mm | 0 mm | Altra EGO MAX | None | 2024 | Zero-drop max-cushion trail |
How to read the numbers
- Weight is the single figure that changes how a shoe feels most obviously, but it is quoted at one sample size — usually a men's US9. Your pair will weigh more or less.
- Stack is the foam under the heel and the forefoot. Drop is the difference between them, and it changes where the load sits rather than how much of it there is.
- Plate tells you what is embedded in the midsole. Carbon is the stiffest and the most common in racing shoes; nylon, Pebax and rods are progressively more forgiving; “None” is not a lesser shoe, just a different one.
- Foam is the maker's own name for the midsole compound, reproduced as published. The names are marketing, the behaviour is not — PEBA-based foams are generally lighter and more resilient than EVA-based ones.
Compare any of these side by side
Stack any two to four of these against each other in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, or see what is in stock in Running.
More Shoe Lab comparisons
- Carbon Plate Racing Shoes Compared — 56 shoes
- Daily Trainer Running Shoes Compared — 57 shoes
- Stability Running Shoes Compared — 32 shoes
- Max Cushion Running Shoes Compared — 37 shoes
- Super Trainers Compared — 40 shoes
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page is the manufacturer's published specification, compiled in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, which is powered by iRUN Singapore. These are specifications, not our own test results — we have not run in every shoe listed, and nothing here is ranked or recommended. Stack heights and weights are quoted at the manufacturer's sample size and will vary with your own size. Where a maker publishes no figure, the cell reads “—”.
The Shoe Lab is built with iRUN Singapore, whose specialists fit runners day in, day out. The specs here are compiled with them — and the shoes are in their stores if you want to put a pair on before you decide.
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comparing.
Every brand and category in the ATHLO+ Shoe Lab, on the same axes.