Depends on the shoes and the trails, unless you've got totally bald road shoes then most will hold up fairly well on mild to moderate trails during the warmer 6 months of the year. Winter is a whole different story
I'm lucky to live right next door to a large forested area and found road shoes were fine during the summer on light trails but as soon as it's wet, not so good. I bought a pair of trail shoes, so it doesn't matter about the weather or the terrain and I have a bit of rotation depending on the kind of run I want to do. It's worth the investment, I think, if you want to run on different terrains and you don't have to ruin your road shoes. I can use trail shoes in the winter as well on snow. Studs are a must though when the snow melts but the nights are still freezing.
The main reason I got trail shoes was for winter time and mainly to have a pair of shoes that's water resistant, and also the fact that they got more grip and traction in the snow and slush.
Road shoes have a technical foam that is very light but can damage easily, so there are rubber patches protecting key areas. In the trails the uneven surface will wear your road shoes much faster and damage the rubber layer as well. If you run every now and then on the trails, even if it's on packed surfaces, it makes sense to get a trail shoe.
I got into trail running this year and approached it more like winter running (winter meaning slushy snow on pavement, a lot of -5c to +3c temperatures - having Goretex lined shoes (Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX) throughout the summer as well, and I found that both in wet muddy and hot dry conditions, my feet were still surprisingly dry, even after 25k runs in the heat, as well as pouring rain, so I can't fully agree with the point on there not being any use for waterproof trail shoes. Obviously, to each their own and I am in no way a pro, but I got used to goretex lined shoes for cold/wet weather, and it seemed to make sense for trails as well, and so far I can say it has!
I live in the alps and run in forests and on hills most of the time but wear almost exclusively normal running shoes with a good outsole. In some rare cases I regretted this decision (on muddy descends or exposed paths where slipping could kill you) but 99% of the time it was the right choice. This is of course a matter of taste but I think street shoes with grippy outsoles are A LOT more trail ready than a lot of runners think.
I’m not running to any standard but enjoy a regular plod! Hoka Speedgoat and Hoka Tecton X2 for rocky trails are incredible - used both in Alps and were faultless. But for muddy and wet grassy Mendip trails I am a massive fan of the Inov8 G270.
Great and very informative video👍 I'm in Scotland where winter has been very mixed so far, icy snowy pavements and roads meant local woodland was safer but my regular everyday goto road shoes weren't the best. I visited my local decathlon in Aberdeen and tried on a few trail shoes they had. Eventually opted for their Kiprun Evadict XT8 and wow, great value and its immediately obvious a lot of time has went into the design of them. Brilliant and yes for comparison I no longer feel im trying to run with 28mm slick road racing tyres on😂
How about the flip side of using trail shoes on road, for example, during an Xtri race that features both types of terrain. Anything to keep in mind regarding form?
Over the years I've noticed that shoes designed for different terrain, distance, etc. are well worth the money. Do you "need" them? No, but should you get them? Yes, if you want to experience a better and more enjoyable run.
I've ran a few ultra trail races in Asia where you are running off trail, through jungle, rivers, in tropical storms, etc. Most races I've wore standard running Nike air Pegasus and finished top 10 multiple times. YOU DONT NEED TRAIL RUNNING SHOIES.
I've run wet uk trails in pegs, they do surprisingly well. I've also spent some time on south east Asian trails, from chaing mai to kinabalu. The jungle is no joke!
Do you spend a lot of time running on trails? 🏔️ Do you think you need trail running shoes?
Depends on the shoes and the trails, unless you've got totally bald road shoes then most will hold up fairly well on mild to moderate trails during the warmer 6 months of the year. Winter is a whole different story
I'm lucky to live right next door to a large forested area and found road shoes were fine during the summer on light trails but as soon as it's wet, not so good. I bought a pair of trail shoes, so it doesn't matter about the weather or the terrain and I have a bit of rotation depending on the kind of run I want to do. It's worth the investment, I think, if you want to run on different terrains and you don't have to ruin your road shoes. I can use trail shoes in the winter as well on snow. Studs are a must though when the snow melts but the nights are still freezing.
The main reason I got trail shoes was for winter time and mainly to have a pair of shoes that's water resistant, and also the fact that they got more grip and traction in the snow and slush.
Road shoes have a technical foam that is very light but can damage easily, so there are rubber patches protecting key areas. In the trails the uneven surface will wear your road shoes much faster and damage the rubber layer as well. If you run every now and then on the trails, even if it's on packed surfaces, it makes sense to get a trail shoe.
You get trail shoes with tech foam now as well ;)
@@panzerveps And carbon plated as well 😀 the variety of surfaces means the options are even wider than for road, it's a mine field 😱 .
I got into trail running this year and approached it more like winter running (winter meaning slushy snow on pavement, a lot of -5c to +3c temperatures - having Goretex lined shoes (Nike Pegasus Trail 4 GTX) throughout the summer as well, and I found that both in wet muddy and hot dry conditions, my feet were still surprisingly dry, even after 25k runs in the heat, as well as pouring rain, so I can't fully agree with the point on there not being any use for waterproof trail shoes.
Obviously, to each their own and I am in no way a pro, but I got used to goretex lined shoes for cold/wet weather, and it seemed to make sense for trails as well, and so far I can say it has!
I live in the alps and run in forests and on hills most of the time but wear almost exclusively normal running shoes with a good outsole. In some rare cases I regretted this decision (on muddy descends or exposed paths where slipping could kill you) but 99% of the time it was the right choice. This is of course a matter of taste but I think street shoes with grippy outsoles are A LOT more trail ready than a lot of runners think.
I’m not running to any standard but enjoy a regular plod! Hoka Speedgoat and Hoka Tecton X2 for rocky trails are incredible - used both in Alps and were faultless. But for muddy and wet grassy Mendip trails I am a massive fan of the Inov8 G270.
Great and very informative video👍 I'm in Scotland where winter has been very mixed so far, icy snowy pavements and roads meant local woodland was safer but my regular everyday goto road shoes weren't the best. I visited my local decathlon in Aberdeen and tried on a few trail shoes they had. Eventually opted for their Kiprun Evadict XT8 and wow, great value and its immediately obvious a lot of time has went into the design of them. Brilliant and yes for comparison I no longer feel im trying to run with 28mm slick road racing tyres on😂
Just bought a pair this morning
The hunt for the perfect trail shoe, combining grip, fit and drainage is an ongoing constant!
How about the flip side of using trail shoes on road, for example, during an Xtri race that features both types of terrain. Anything to keep in mind regarding form?
I run about 50-60% trails. I think trail shoes are well worth it. I like minimal shoes, with a Trail Glove being about the most shoe I would go for.
Was this recorded around nice?
Yes,I believe it's at Fort de la Revere above Eze Village, and I think some footage is from the Vinaigrier Parc
Or you could say you don't need road shoes if you have trail shoes... especially in the UK winter!
Over the years I've noticed that shoes designed for different terrain, distance, etc. are well worth the money. Do you "need" them? No, but should you get them? Yes, if you want to experience a better and more enjoyable run.
Is there something like a "Trailathlon"? Swimming, trail running and gravel/mountainbiking.
Xterra!
Yes and it is quite often referred to as Cross Triathlon (or off-road).
Yesn't
I've ran a few ultra trail races in Asia where you are running off trail, through jungle, rivers, in tropical storms, etc. Most races I've wore standard running Nike air Pegasus and finished top 10 multiple times. YOU DONT NEED TRAIL RUNNING SHOIES.
You certainly do in the UK winter! ⛈⛈⛈
I've run wet uk trails in pegs, they do surprisingly well. I've also spent some time on south east Asian trails, from chaing mai to kinabalu. The jungle is no joke!
Yes, yes you definitely do, unless you like being on your backside alot
Dirty runners ❌ filthy trail runners ✅
I definitely recommend Trail running shoes if you’re going to run on natural terrain trails!