Mud, Rock, Road, Repeat: The Right Shoe for Every Trail
A season of training for the world's most storied 100-miler meant a lot of shoes—1,200-plus miles and 330,000 vertical feet later, here's what's on my feet.
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It's the end week of July, and we're less than five weeks out from UTMB.
If you've never heard of UTMB, let me introduce you. Short for Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, it’s widely considered the most prestigious 100-mile trail race in the world. The course follows the Tour du Mont Blanc (the "TMB") in a perfect loop around the Mont Blanc Massif, traveling through three countries along the way—France, Switzerland, and Italy. Not only is it a beautiful and inspiring route, but its stats are mind-boggling: Runners cover just over 100 miles with more than 30,000 feet of elevation gain, tackling multiple 5,000-foot-long climbs and descents between passes along the way. Elite athletes finish in as quickly as 20 hours, while the cutoff time for mere mortals is 46.5 hours.
Given its prestige, getting to stand at the start line of UTMB is a lifetime bucket-list item for many runners, earned by either racing in (placing top three at one of UTMB's satellite races) or entering a lottery, which also requires running other UTMB events and waiting for the good fortune of having your name drawn. Despite being someone who runs primarily for fun and mountain exploration, I was lucky enough to qualify via the former route at the UTMB Whistler 100K last fall. This was my chance to run “the big loop,” and I wanted to make the most of it. So I dubbed 2026 my "year of running."
Finding the Right Shoe
It shouldn't come as a surprise that a year of running—or preparing for any 100-mile race—means a lot of running. At the time of writing, I've logged 1,355 miles and 349,890 feet of elevation gain in 2026, numbers that are massive for me, if still a fraction of what elite ultrarunners put out. I've spent that time first on wintry roads, then on flowy foothills trails as they melted out, then finally into summery mountain terrain. Soft flasks filled and emptied. Gel packets consumed. Shoes tied, over and over again.
A whole lot of shoes.
As Better Trail's chief trail running shoe tester, I've had no shortage of options, which is a match made in heaven for my current running habit. Sure, I could have gotten away with just a few pairs this past year, but I've loved the ability to choose from a quiver and perfectly match my footwear to the type of terrain I'm running. What follows is a rundown of the trail-running shoes that have earned a permanent spot in my training rotation, sorted by terrain. And because I'm just one runner—admittedly with proclivities toward mountainous terrain and healthy stack heights—I've also included top sellers from REI Co-op in each category, which better represent the majority choice. In this article, you get the individual and the masses.
Door-to-Trail
These runs start on pavement and, ideally, find their way to trail, whether that's a city park path, smooth singletrack, or gravel fire road. For daily training runs on these firm and groomed surfaces, I don't need my shoe to be particularly fast or precise as much as I need it to absorb impact and deliver comfort with each step. Max-cushioned shoes with lightweight rubber-and-foam soles and a high priority on stability are the ticket here.
Jenny's Favorite: The North Face Altamesa 500 V2 ($170)
The Altamesa 500 V2 is one of the more affordable shoes I've been wearing this year, but it's also one of my favorites. When comfort is top of the list and I know my run isn't going to throw me anything too tricky, this is the shoe I put on nine times out of ten. It's incredibly stable, well cushioned for the pushin’, and has a grippier outsole than most road-to-trail shoes. Another shoe that deserves special mention is the Mount to Coast H1, a purpose-built gravel shoe that is a favorite among our testing team.
Popular at REI: Hoka Stinson 8 ($180)
Hokas are uber popular and for good reason, and the Stinson is a max-cushioned model that is purpose-built to tackle runs that feature both pavement and dirt. More stable and cushioned than the Hoka Challenger, it's a great pick for runners with larger bodies or those who'd rather feel highly supported than particularly fast. And unlike many shoes with a taller stack, it offers plush cushioning without a tippy feel, thanks to a few built-in frames.
Loose/Muddy Terrain
Picture this: springtime training is taking you higher into the foothills, where melting snow reveals trails underneath—along with a mix of slush, mud, and puddles. Good thing you planned your footwear accordingly. The best shoes for loose, slippery, muddy terrain have an aggressive outsole and a close fit, because you don't need to add to the list of things slipping under your feet. Bonus points for a sock-like collar, which helps keep debris out (a short gaiter works too).
Jenny's Favorite: Norda 055 ($325)
Okay, okay, withhold your judgment. Yes, the Norda 055 is $325. And yes, it's also perhaps the best trail-running shoe I've ever worn. The spec sheet for this shoe is long, but it all translates to performance on the trail. The Dyneema upper is incredibly abrasion-resistant and long-lasting. The integrated gaiter effectively keeps out dirt and sand. And the outsole is like none other I've ever worn. The Vibram Megagrip Elite rubber features sharp 5-millimeter lugs and extends over the toe and heel for greater coverage and durability, and here's the kicker: it has wild "nodes" spaced throughout that protrude further from the outsole than the lugs, kind of like rubber track spikes. I kid you not, the outsole is so grippy that it's tripped me up on a number of occasions.
I debated whether to put a Norda on this list given the price point, but the reality is, these—along with the 005, which is exceptional for mountain running—are the only shoes in my quiver that I'd actually pay out of pocket for. They're that good.
Popular at REI: Salomon Speedcross 6 ($150)
The Speedcross has been around forever and is still one of the most popular picks for those who consistently travel over technical terrain. Take one look at the outsole, and you can see that these puppies are like claws for your feet. The lugs are both deep and sharp, and widely spaced enough that they shed mud quickly. I wear a pair of Speedcross GTX shoes for winter running and can confirm that they keep me on my feet in loose terrain like none other.
For the Long Run
These are the shoes I want on my feet from mile 30 to 100. At that point, it doesn't matter how fast, grippy, or agile a shoe is if it isn't comfortable. For most runners, the best shoes for long runs are generously cushioned and emphasize comfort with a plush upper and wide toe box that leaves ample room for foot swelling.
Jenny's Favorite: Brooks Cascadia Elite ($275)
It was mile 30 of the Big Alta 100K that I started pining away for my Cascadia Elites. I didn't initially choose them due to their somewhat boat-like feel—they're relatively heavy, wide, and beefy—but it didn't take me long to realize my mistake. Locked inside my narrower Prodigio Pros, my swelling feet were begging for more space and plusher cushion underfoot. Thankfully, I'd left my Cascadia Elites with my crew, so I was able to make the swap at the next aid station.
Popular at REI: Altra Olympus 7 ($195)
Altra is known for making zero-drop shoes with wide toe boxes that let your feet rest in their natural position. We don't recommend a zero-drop shoe for everyone—beware of Achilles issues in particular—but many runners find they work very well for their feet. The Olympus is the most max-cushioned shoe in Altra's lineup, great for comfort over the long haul. And it's not just about comfort—the Olympus is ready to be pushed into more technical terrain thanks to its grippy Vibram Megagrip sole and gaiter attachment.
Mountain Running
Mountain running is a bit of an ambiguous term, since mountain movement means something different for everyone. The kind of mountain running I'm talking about here is defined by cross-country travel above treeline, a lot of boulder hopping and scree surfing, and maybe some snow. In this terrain, you want a low-to-moderate stack shoe that allows for precision and agility, a very grippy outsole, and an upper that can handle constant abrasion better than most.
Jenny's Favorite: NNormal Tomir 02 ($180)
There's a reason this shoe is on the feet of a lot of mountain goers. I've been surprised by how much abuse its upper can take: shove it into cracks, run it down talus fields, brush it up against sharp sticks, and it barely balks. I recently took it on a three-day mountain traverse and on numerous occasions found myself surprised that the upper was still attached to the outsole. Speaking of which, the Vibram Megagrip Litebase is one of the grippiest outsoles I've ever worn on rock. The only thing I'd change about this shoe is to add a gaiter. In the kind of terrain I've taken it, I have to empty it out multiple times a day.
Popular at REI: Topo Athletic Ultraventure 5 ($155)
The Ultraventure 5 is a tank of a shoe, built for mountain runners who want more stability and protection than most trail running shoes offer. It's best thought of as somewhere between a trail runner and a hiker, backed by a universal gaiter system and a Vibram XS Trek EVO outsole that handles a wide range of surfaces well without being overly specialized. The cushion is something else—plush, to say the least—and, like the Altra Olympus, Topo's signature wide toe box gives the toes room to splay and swell.
What's on My Wrist?
I don't have as many watches in my quiver as I do shoes, but I do have a few to choose from. My go-to always ends up being the Garmin Forerunner 945, an older version of the updated Garmin Forerunner 970 ($750). Garmin has the most extensive lineup of watches on the market, and the Forerunner 970 is its most premium running watch, so it could be surmised that it's the best running watch in the game—and I concur. Having used Coros, Suunto, and Garmin watches, I find Garmin's offerings to be the most intuitive, fully featured, and reliable. If you don't want to fork out $750 for a watch, consider the Garmin Forerunner 570 ($550) or Forerunner 70 ($250), both of which feature bright AMOLED touchscreens but offer a step down in materials, battery life, and features.
REI Co-op x Trail Running
If REI isn’t currently the first place that comes to mind when you think about buying trail-running shoes, put it solidly on your radar. The retailer stocks over 300 trail-running shoes online from more than 25 brands, including every one of my favorites here. And because REI carries so much in its brick-and-mortar stores, if you live near one, you can try things on and walk out with exactly what you need the first time.
That's not all. REI also stocks just about any running watch worth talking about, including every pick in our Best Running Watches of 2026 guide. We're not shy about our love for Garmin, and REI carries more than 20 of their watches, many of which you can try on in store before buying. Since materials are one of the biggest differentiators between watches, trying one on is the best way to see exactly what you're getting, and what you're giving up, at each price point.
Finally, don't miss REI's Swiftland collection of running gear, which covers everything from shorts and shirts to running vests and handheld water bottles. I’d pick up the women's 5" High-Rise Running Shorts—a short that sits on top of the hips (my fave) and has plenty of pockets for a phone, gels, keys, and more—and the High-Low-Hem running t-shirt, which has a smart design that cuts down on bunching underneath a running vest.
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