trail-running shoes reviews

La Sportiva Ultra Raptor hiking and trail-running shoes.

Review: La Sportiva Ultra Raptor Shoes

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Hiking/Trail Running Shoes
La Sportiva Ultra Raptor
$130, 1 lb. 10 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: Euro men’s 38-47.5, women’s 36-43
backcountry.com

This new-and-improved rendition of Sportiva’s Raptor, one of the best trail-running and low-cut, light hiking shoes I’ve worn, lives up to its heritage. On numerous trail runs in the Boise Foothills ranging from five to 10 miles, on typically dry trails of packed dirt with some steep, gravelly sections, these non-waterproof low-cuts shined by any measure, but especially for stability and traction. The EVA midsole with a nylon shank, plus a TPU harness on the uppers that’s integrated with the laces to wrap around the foot, deliver superior torsional rigidity for a shoe this light: It has the lateral stability of a lightweight boot. But the shoe still retains the forefoot flex and the rocker and toe-off of a nimble, ultralight hiking and trail-running shoe.

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Gear Review: Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS

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Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS review
Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS

Minimalist Shoes
Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS
$120, 13 oz. (size 40)
Sizes: 40-47 (sizing chart)
vibramfivefingers.com

I’ve given this minimalist-running trend some cautious experimentation over the past several months, and I’m not sure I will ever switch over from traditional, supportive running shoes to minimalist shoes for my trail running or dayhiking. It’s not right for everyone’s feet and body. However, months of wearing the Spyridon LS for everything from general walking around to gym workouts has convinced me of something entirely unexpected: While I may not run in this footwear, they are excellent for exercising and strengthening the muscles and connective tissue of my feet and legs for ultra-hiking, backpacking, and trail running.

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Gear Review: Vasque Velocity 2.0 Shoes

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Vasque Velocity 2.0

Lightweight Trail Shoes
Vasque Velocity 2.0
$120, 1 lb. 9 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: Men’s 7-12, 13, 14 and wide 8-12, 13, women’s 6-11
vasque.com

Hot feet are the fastest route to blisters. Keep your feet dry and cool and you’ve eliminated two of the three factors necessary for developing blisters (the third being friction, caused by imperfect fit). Several trail runs of four to nine miles each in the non-waterproof Velocity 2.0 convinced me they may be the most breathable low-cut trail-running shoes I’ve worn, thanks to very airy uppers that are virtually all mesh. I ran on some days so hot that my synthetic T-shirt would be soaked—but my feet and socks completely dry when I finished.

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Gear Review: La Sportiva Raptor Shoes

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La Sportiva Raptor

Lightweight Trail Shoes
La Sportiva Raptor
$120, 1 lb. 9 oz. (men’s Euro 42)
Sizes: Euro men’s 36-47.5, women’s 36-43
sportiva.com

Is this a running or hiking shoe? You decide. Rare is the shoe that excels at trail running and crosses over to perform among the best light hikers, but the Raptor does exactly that. After several trail runs, the longest a 25.5-mile, seven-hour run-hike (running perhaps three-quarters of the distance, walking the rest) in the Boise Foothills, I fell in love with these non-waterproof low-cuts.

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Gear Review: Adidas Terrex Fast R GTX Shoes

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Adidas Terrex Fast R GTX

Hiking Shoes
Adidas Terrex Fast R GTX
$155, 1 lb. 12 oz. (men’s 9)
Sizes: men’s 6-14
www.adidas.com/us/outdoor

Adidas might have named this low-cut shoe the ATV, because it really is an all-terrain vehicle. On local hikes in the Boise Foothills in all kinds of conditions—dry, packed dirt, mud, wet snow, and rain-drenched rock—the outsoles bit without a slip. That’s thanks to deep and widely spaced outsole lugs and Continental rubber, the same kind used for mountain bike tires.

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