The North Face hasn’t always been much of a player in trail running, but that all changed with the release of their Vectiv lineup.

If so, you might be okay running in your normal road running shoes – particularly during the summer months – or a trail shoe with a less aggressive tread. Mountain” is a broad term that can take a lot of forms, from gentle Colorado Fourteeners, dreamy French-Alp singletrack, and sub-alpine hills in the Southeast. But for fast-and-light missions on terrain that might otherwise require an approach shoe or lightweight mountain boot, the Ultra Raptor II is hard to beat. It's got a bit more flex in the forefoot and more underfoot feel than the v6, too, which gives it more versatility. The most lightweight of On's off-road range, the Cloudvista is designed for short- to mid-distance trail runs.For us, it’s a sad ending to a years-long running shoe love story, but if you’ve got a high-volume foot or are a fan of especially roomy toe boxes, the Mtn Racer 3 might still be a home run. There's a balance, though: if you're running marathon or ultra-marathon distances off-road, the need for ample cushioning is crucial.

The shoe’s max cushioning will feel unstable on rugged trails, and traction—although improved in the latest version—is among the worst here, especially on wet surfaces. The lightweight foam midsole and grippy outsole combine to carry you over any terrain at speed, and testers said that their legs stayed energised after long miles. At the time of publishing, NNormal offers a small lineup of shoes and apparel, all designed with a focus on longevity and sustainability. These remind us a lot of a fat bike: the ride is smooth and you barely notice the ground underneath, but there is more of a disconnect between you and the trail (and their tall heights can make them prone to rolling over).

And Salomon’s Quicklace system is far from a gimmick—it offers a snug fit and ensures that you’ll never have to stop during a race to retie your shoes. But despite its Hoka heritage, the Torrent 3 won’t be the shoe most runners choose for long-distance efforts (think 50+ miles). Compromises have been made here, and edge-seekers with deep pockets will find more exciting options elsewhere. If you’ll be running steep terrain or over rocks, roots, or other rough ground, the stability, grip, and underfoot feel will be a disappointment, even for new runners. To protect against protozoa, bacteria, and even viruses, there is a wide range of water filtration and purification.

But for those who like to do like that contact-with-ground feel, this shoe should (Trail)fly up your wish-list. Not surprisingly, each design has compromises: the lighter options lack overall protection and support, while designs like the Ultra Raptor can be fairly cumbersome on easy trail. The main reason why the shoe is such a success is that it is clearly up to task when faced with challenging terrain and this latest model offered up the tried and tested grip made famous by previous models, feeling reassuring in mud and giving a very clear sense of ground feel and control, especially through the forefoot and toes. Not all trail running shoes are created equal, and traction is one of the places we see the most variation.

The 4mm lugs on the Vibram MegaGrip outsole provide medium levels of grip on gravelly surfaces, while being comfortable enough to run shorter sections on the road. The Salomon Sense Ride 5 is a jack-of-all-trades trail shoe, designed to be comfortable across a wide variety of paces, distances and terrain. For runners who like a zero-drop shoe that keeps them close to nature – but protects them from its excesses – this is a great choice over any distance. Topo Athletic might not be a household name like Salomon or La Sportiva, but their lineup of trail and road running shoes speaks for itself (not to mention, they’re founded by the former CEO of Vibram). In fact, we’ve spoken to some PCT thru-hikers who made the switch from boots to trail runners mid-trip, and they’ve had nothing but good things to say about their levels of comfort and nimble feel—provided they kept their pack weight down.

But despite its race-flat appearance and weight, the Terrex has a lot to offer most trail runners: The fit is snug and secure, the Continental rubber sole offers great grip on a variety of terrain, and Adidas really nailed the midsole with a combination of responsive Boost and feather-light LightStrike foams. That said, the Speedcross is by no means a generalist, and most runners will find its tooth-like lugs and aggressive build to be overkill on easy trails and gravel roads. Saucony’s Powertrack outsole impressed our testers on both ascents and descents and on a wide variety of trail terrain.Held up against specialists like the Speedcross and Ultra Raptor II below, you give up a bit of protection, grip, and ground feel for challenging terrain, and the Sense Ride is not as soft and lightweight as a max-cushioned shoe like the Speedgoat. Named after US ultrarunner Karl ‘Speedgoat’ Meltzer, Hoka’s Speedgoats have garnered a devoted following as dependable, robust and comfortable performers.