Thinking of dipping your toes into the wonderful world of trail running?

We know you wont regret it.

Road running at its core is a pretty simple sport. Regardless of the level you're at you will be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't laced up a pair of running shoes to go out and pound the pavement (whether that be walking, jogging or all our racing).

Trail running is a bit different. We are not suggesting for a second it is not accessible for anyone but there is a little bit more that goes into it from both a technical and safety stand point.

Today we tackle the topic of shoes. A good pair of trail shoes can be the make or break for your experiences out in the wild so lets run through some basic info and questions often asked by those new to the sport.

Do I need a pair of trail specific shoes?

The simple answer is no. For those just starting out don't let not having trail specific shoes stop you from getting out on the trails. That being said - there are a lot of benefits to having a pair of trail shoes and reasons we think its worth investing in a pair.

Whats the difference between trail and road shoes?

There are some basic key differences between most trail and road shoes and whilst there are nuances and exceptions to these for someone starting out lets keep it simple.

• The upper - a road shoe upper is designed to be light and breathable to remove weight from the shoe and to let moisture evaporate. A trail shoe upper will usually be more rigid and durable (to reduce risk of tearing from sticks/rocks etc) and usually be more water resistant compared to road shoes to keep out water, mud and debris.

• The midsole - in the age of superfoam and carbon plates a trail midsole is usually made of stiffer firmer compounds. This is to allow for more stability underfoot when navigating uneven terrain. It also protects the bottom of your feet from feeling things like sharp rocks or roots.

• the outer sole - trail shoes will usually be made of much stronger and grippier rubber. This will allow for more traction when going over rocks, mud, streams and reduce the chance of slipping particularly in wet conditions. It will also last longer and be more durable compared to the softer compounds common to road shoes

The trade off for the increased grip and durability is that generally trail shoes will be heavier than a road shoe. You may also lose some of that light bouncy feel you get from your tempo road shoes.

What is the best brand of trail running shoe for a beginner?

We see this question ALOT! and the most correct answer is the one that works best for you.

Everyone's foot is going to be shaped differently. When you also take into account different gaits and mechanics different shoes are going to work for different people.

If you are in the market for a pair of trail running shoes we would recommend going to a specialist running store and getting a proper fitting. Ideally it would be a store with a wide range of trail options for you to try as well but we understand this isn't always realistically possible.

In that case most of the major brands of running shoes will do a trail option. If you know a Brooks or Saucony road running shoe works well for you then it is likely that their trail option will be a good starting place for you.

Suggestions from the major brands.

Below we have listed a good starting trail shoe to consider if you are already using these brands for your road shoe.

• Nike Pegasus Trail 5

• Saucony Peregrine

• New Balance Moretrail V3

• Brooks Cascadia 18

• Hoka ATR Challenger

If you want to try some trail specific brands that specialise more in mountain apparel

• La Sportiva Karacal

• Salomon Sense Ride

• Nnormal Tomir

Buying your first pair of trail shoes is an exciting time. Hopefully this information and suggestions help you with a seemless transition from the roads to trails.

Stay tuned for more in this series on tackling your first trail race.

As always if you have any of your own comments or suggestions or want to fill the community in on your own experiences why not start a thread on our online trail running forum.

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