Trail Running Shoes

I'm on my third brand of trail running sneakers and have determined it's hard to find a perfect shoe without a little trial and error. One caveat I should mention is that I have never visited a store where they make shoe recommendations based on your gait and pronation. So in light of this disclosure, I'll keep my comments to the durability and general comfort.

My first pair of official trail running shoes were a pair of Merrells and I love them. They have been downgraded to my dirty work shoe for mowing the grass and muddy runs. I didn't opt for a replacement pair of Merrells because after a year of ownership the sole started to separate from the base of the shoe. With the reputation of the brand, I was disappointed that the durability wasn't reflected in my pair so I was leery to try again. Besides, most of the trail running shoes on the market in 2015 were minimalists, and I knew those were not going to work for me.

Hoka One One Trail Running Shoes out on a cold winter run.

For my second pair of trail running shoes, I decided to try the opposite of minimalist and opted for the Hoka One One (pronounced Hoka O-nay O-nay) "maximalist." I was concerned because I tend to be a tripper and have balance issues, so I wondered if the extra thick sole would cause me problems. Well, on my first trail run I twisted my ankle, but I chalked this incident up to not paying attention. My mom joined me for a walk, while I ran, and well somehow she managed to find a different part of the trail and I was temporarily lost from me. I was too concerned with finding my mom and not paying attention to where I was placing my foot. After a few more runs, I determined the shoe felt a little big and sometimes my foot would go tingly. I do like the quick lace feature.

Brooks Cascadia Trail Running Shoes

To avoid high sole tripping, I decided to check out Brooks. I needed a pair of trail running shoes that could double as lightweight hiking shoes. Most runners I know rave about their Brooks. I purchased a pair of Brooks Cascadia trail runners from a discount website and mostly intended to use them for warmer, dry weather hiking. They have now become by go-to pair for trail running and hiking. I like the fit and comfort level, and so far their durability also seems to be solid. I'm a fan of Brooks!

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*No benefit from Hoka One One, Merrell, or Brooks for the honest review of their products.