Back in the mid-1990s, when I first discovered trail running, there were essentially two trail-specific running shoes on the market: the adidas Response Trail, basically a road running shoe with a trail tread, and the Montrail Vitesse, a shoe more akin to a light hiking boot with an aggressive tread and a thick sole.
Fast forward to today, 30 years later, and trail running shoes represent the fastest-growing segment in the running shoe industry. Due to the incredible burst in the popularity of trail running, as well as increased exposure from the events and athletes that dominate the sport, trail running shoes have captured the attention of the masses.
Tom Evans wears a pair of Asics prototypes on his way to winning the 2025 UTMB. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Last week at the UTMB Mont Blanc festival races in Chamonix, France, the depth and breadth of the trail running shoe explosion were on full display. The most noteworthy surprise was the emergence of long-time legacy brand Asics onto the high-performance trail running scene, as both Tom Evans and Ben Dhiman, the top two men in the 108-mile UTMB, were both wearing an Asics prototype shoe. Two other legacy shoe brands have also enjoyed great success this summer, with adidas Terrex featuring prominently on the front end of the women’s races at both UTMB and Western States 100, including the Western States women’s winner, and a Nike prototype shoe on the feet of the Western States men’s champion. Clearly, the longtime legacy brands in the running shoe industry have gotten the message about the growth and impact of the trail scene.
Three other brands with strong European connections also had strong showings at the big-time trail ultras this summer. Salomon and Hoka with their French roots, and lifestyle brand On, with its Swiss roots, all featured prominently at this summer’s races. On was on the feet of the women’s Hardrock 100 winner, and Hoka and Salomon were among the top-three choices of the masses of everyday runners at both Western States and Hardrock.
Katie Schide ascends the first climb of the 2025 Hardrock 100 in a pair of On shoes. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Perhaps most notably, the growth in the popularity of trail running and racing seems to have fueled an impressive group of plucky brands focused on the trail niche and seeking to cut into the market share enjoyed by the larger companies. American companies Altra and Topo, two brands known for wide toeboxes and minimal drop, have enjoyed steady growth over the past several years, while two newer brands, NNormal from Europe and Norda from Canada, have hit the market with innovative new products that have grabbed both headlines and podium spots.
This wild-west environment in the trail shoe space has ignited interesting debates about shoe design and performance. At the top of that debate list is the difference of opinion on carbon-plated super shoes. While many of the top athletes at the big races this summer wore carbon-plated shoes produced by many of the brands discussed above, there were several strong performances by runners without carbon plates. I suspect this debate, and others, will continue in the months and years ahead as the sport continues to evolve from those bygone days of the adidas Response Trail and Montrail Vitesse.
Caleb Olson in a pair of prototype Nikes on the way to winning the 2025 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. One of the oldest craft brewers in the country, Bell’s has been producing fine craft beers since 1985. The Oberon Eclipse, a raspberry wheat ale, is Bell’s latest contribution to the Oberon series. A light and crispy fruited ale, Oberon Raspberry Wheat Ale is a fantastic late summer beer to be enjoyed just about any time anywhere.
Call for Comments
- What other observations do you have about trail shoes in this “golden age?”
- Is there a brand not mentioned here whose trail running shoe development you’re watching?
