Trail Running Shoes: Lightweight Hiking Gear for Three Seasons

Running · Published 12/22/2022 ·

Outside of the dead of winter we’re in right now, there’s plenty of gear out there that makes hiking and trekking nice and easy.

Today I want to introduce trail running shoes.

The pair below looks like your typical hiking boots. These are a mid-cut mountaineering boot I own.

For this post, just take note of the shape — I’ll cover these in detail down the road.

These boots are actually all-season hiking boots.

They do a really great job of protecting your feet and ankles when you’re hiking rough terrain.

The sole is thick too, so it cuts down a lot on the fatigue you get from bad footing as you walk.

In winter they keep your feet warm, and they don’t get soaked by snow either.

Trail running shoes are basically hiking shoes that take all these mid-cut boot traits and flip them completely on their head.

Strictly speaking, they’re actually closer to regular sneakers.

That’s because a trail running shoe is essentially a running shoe with the durability cranked way up.

From the front, they look like sneakers, plain and simple. But the toe cap and the sole look a bit thicker than on an ordinary sneaker.

They look a little tougher than running shoes.

The outsole uses the Vibram grip that lots of people swear by.

It gives you a decent amount of durability and good grip too. But it’s pretty thin.

This is the heel. It’s designed to stick out a little past your actual heel, so it lifts your foot clear of rock crevices, branches and the like to protect it.

You’ll feel like the heel of your shoe keeps scraping against rocks, but it’s actually doing its job protecting you.

From the side, this is what they look like. The sole is actually a bit thicker than you’d expect.

You’ve probably heard people say that hiking in sneakers leads to twisted or sprained ankles.

And they’re not wrong — it can happen.

You have to watch where you step. But if your ankles are reasonably strong, trail running shoes make for an excellent hiking shoe.

They’re incredibly light and give you a ton of mobility.

When you’re on the move, lighter is always better. Whether you’re lifting your foot high to climb over a rock,

or moving fast along flat ground with light steps or a jog to knock out the course quickly.

They weigh about a quarter or a fifth of what hiking boots do. That’s a real advantage.

The breathable design wicks sweat away from your feet fast, cutting down on heat buildup and fatigue.

So if you’ve already built up your ankle strength, these are trail running shoes you can really run in.

But most of us don’t have strong ankles.

So does that mean we can’t wear them? Not at all — you just watch your footing and take it slow and careful.

Keep at it, and before you know it your ankles will have toughened up.

Hiking trails and outdoor trekking courses aren’t paved roads.

So really, watching where you step as you walk is just common sense anyway.

For the three seasons outside of winter, trail running shoes let you do really lightweight hiking, so give them a shot.

-Bought it with my own money-

Contact: bumseok.view [at] gmail [dot] com