Best Trail Shoes 2025

Looking for the best trail running shoes of 2025? We’ve tested and rounded up the newest models from top brands like HOKA, Saucony, Altra, Brooks, and more. This guide gives you a quick look at each shoe with updates, standout features, and links to shop your favorites. Whether you’re tackling rugged mountain trails or smooth dirt paths, this year’s lineup has something for every runner.

Experience Wild 2

The Altra Experience Wild 2 is a versatile road-to-trail running shoe built for runners who want smooth transitions from pavement to dirt. With a low-drop platform and Altra’s signature roomy toe box, it delivers a natural running feel that keeps your stride efficient and comfortable. Lightweight cushioning provides responsiveness on the road, while added grip and durability give you confidence on light trails. Perfect for runners who mix city miles with off-road adventures, the Experience Wild 2 strikes the balance between everyday comfort and trail-ready performance.

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Xodus Ultra 4

The Saucony Xodus Ultra 4 is built for long miles on rugged terrain, combining plush cushioning with dependable durability. Its soft and springy PWRRUN PB midsole delivers comfort that lasts deep into ultra-distance runs, while an updated engineered mesh upper with reinforced overlays creates a tougher, more secure fit without sacrificing breathability. A refined lacing system keeps your foot locked in on technical trails, and Vibram MegaGrip lugs provide confident traction across dirt, rock, and mud. Whether you’re chasing comfort, protection, or all-day trail performance, the Xodus Ultra 4 is designed to go the distance.

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Hierro v9

The New Balance Hierro v9 takes everything runners loved about its cushy trail ride and makes it even smoother and more capable. Fresh Foam X cushioning feels softer underfoot with a slightly lower 4 mm drop, while the updated upper sheds overlays for a more comfortable, streamlined fit. Paired with a Vibram MegaGrip outsole that’s built to handle dirt, rock, and gravel, the Hierro v9 delivers comfort and grip that can go the distance.

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Pegasus Trail 5

The Nike Pegasus Trail 5 smooths out the road-to-trail crossover with a cushy ReactX midsole that delivers bounce, comfort, and long-lasting cushion. A lightweight engineered mesh upper paired with Flywire support keeps the fit breathable and secure, while a gusseted tongue helps block out dirt and debris. Underfoot, the updated ATC rubber outsole grips well on hardpack and gravel, though it can feel slick in deep mud. Versatile and reliable, the Pegasus Trail 5 is a comfy daily trainer designed to handle mixed surfaces with confidence and ease.

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Challenger 8

The Hoka Challenger 8 is the smoothest road-to-trail crossover yet—super light with tons of cushioning thanks to its compression-molded EVA midsole and a wider fit that makes it feel comfortable right out of the box. It upgrades the upper with a breathable mesh and extended heel pull for easy on/off, and lays down fun, multi-directional lugs on a Durabrasion rubber outsole that handles dirt and pavement without feeling too stiff. It’s not a technical-trail specialist, but for anyone rolling between gravel, pavement, and light trail, it’s a soft, reliable pick.

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Lone Peak 9

The Altra Lone Peak 9 keeps that zero-drop, roomy-toe-box magic and gives it a fresh life with a new more durable ripstop upper, updated midsole foam for a touch more comfort, and an upgraded lug pattern for even better grip on rocky, loose, or steep trails. You’ve got the same grounded feel that lets the foot spread and flex naturally, but now with traction and cushioning that feel more trail-tested than ever.

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Cascadia 19

The Brooks Cascadia 19 brings the old favorite back to life with softer cushioning and updated trail-ready tech. It now packs nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 foam with added stack height for a springier, more comfortable ride, while still feeling stable thanks to the Ballistic Rock Shield underfoot. The outsole features TrailTack Green rubber with redesigned chevron lugs for dependable traction in all conditions, and the lighter, more breathable upper with reduced overlays creates a true-to-size, slipper-like fit that’s ready for long miles on the trail.

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Ultraventure 4

The Topo Ultraventure 4 keeps the cushy, roomy feel you expect from the line, now with a more secure upper and springier ZipFoam midsole that make it feel alive on long miles. The Vibram XS Trek outsole handles smooth trails and road-to-trail shifts easily, while the lighter recycled mesh digs in better for comfort and breathability—even if it can hang onto water after crossings. It’s still a roomy, cozy trail shoe that’s built for distance, just smarter and more confident than before.

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Mafate X

The Hoka Mafate X is built for ultra-distance comfort with a massive 49 mm stack, a PEBA and EVA midsole combo, and a carbon plate that adds both stability and pop. A lightweight woven upper keeps the fit breathable, while Vibram MegaGrip with unique lug shapes gives reliable traction.

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