Trail running shoes just keep getting better and better and better.
At The Running Event trade show December 1-4 in San Antonio, Texas, more than 30 shoe brands showed off their 2026 models to retailers, media, podcasters, and social media personalities. I was there as part of the UltraSignup content crew, and let me tell you, it was like being a kid in a candy store.
While a few of the most exciting shoes are under embargo and can’t be revealed just yet, I can tell you that there are several new high-end trail racing shoes on the way, numerous mid-range everyday trainers with enhanced cushioning and traction, and a whole new range of road-to-trail hybrid models (some brands are calling them “gravel running” shoes) that will benefit all levels of trail runners.
But the biggest trend is the increased competition in the marketplace. While several industry stalwarts continue to push innovation and performance — Nike, Hoka, On, La Sportiva, Salomon, Adidas-Terrex, to name a few — there are several relatively new brands (i.e. Norda, Mount to Coast, Satisfy, Kiprun, Speedland, Hylo, NNormal) are really turning some heads with style and vibe. Plus, several other established brands (Brooks, Arc’Teryx, Merrell, Teva, and Inov-8) are going deeper into trail running in new and exciting ways.
While this article is meant to spark up the new shoe hype train, most of these models won’t hit running stores until February — and some not until months later. Fnding your next pair of trail runners comes down to three things: what kind of trail running you’re planning on doing; finding shoes that match the terrain you’ll be running most often, and, of course, getting a model that matches the size and shape of your feet the best.
Here are some quick hit insights on some of the best trail running shoes debuting in 2026. (Note: These shoes have not been wear-tested yet, so all observations are based on seeing them at the trade show.)
Heel-Toe Offset: 6.5mm; 40mm (heel), 33.5mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.3 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $160
Launch date: December
The new Adizero Evo SL ATR is a fast and light all-terrain shoe that’s a direct spinoff of the wildly successful Adizero EVO SL road running shoe that was released in the spring. Like its road shoe cousin, the Adizero Evo SL ATR has a responsive Lightstrike Pro supercritical foam midsole, which allows it to be soft and cushy enough for long runs and light and agile enough for fast workouts or sub-ultra distance racing. It features a woven ripstop mesh upper and a Continental rubber outsole with 1.5mm lugs, giving it enough protection and grip for a wide variety of trail surfaces.
Buzz: While Adidas will launch its Agravic Speed Ultra 2 elite-level racing shoe soon, the Adizero Evo SL ATR might be a better (and more practical) shoe for most trail runners.
Heel-Toe Offset: 4mm; 32mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 10.2 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $165
Launch date: February
A lightweight cushioned daily trainer with a 4mm heel-toe offset, the Experience Wild 3+ is geared toward more technical terrain, with a Vibram Megagrip outsole (that wraps up and over the forefoot to create a reinforced toe bumper). It features a new responsive EGOP35 midsole, as well as a new heel collar, ghillie lacing system and durable mesh upper.
Buzz: Altra is pushing ahead with enhancements to some of its zero-drop classics Lone Peak and Olympus, but the brand has found a strong audience for its low-offset (4mm) shoes like the Experience Wild.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 31.5mm (heel), 25.5mm (forefoot
Approximate weight: 9.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $220
Launch date: Early March
The first Arc’teryx shoe that utilizes leading-edge super foams, the Sylan 2 has been redesigned to be faster, lighter, and more stable than the original. This shoe’s rocker chassis features a forked carbon-fiber stability plate sandwiched between an upper layer of supercritical foam and an encapsulated in a TPEE foam shell to maximize propulsion. An engineered jacquard woven upper with a fully knitted tongue and anti-debris gaiter improve breathability, protection, and foot hold, while the Vibram Megagrip outsole serves up optimal traction.
Buzz: This shoe is more of a revolution than an evolution. The new version is nearly a full ounce lighter, much bouncier, and more secure on variety of surfaces.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 40mm (heel), 34mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.6 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $275
Launch date: Early March
Brooks unveiled this shoe last August in Chamonix, France, but it won’t launch until March. In the meantime, Brooks athletes have worn it in numerous races and racked up 35 podium finishes—most notably Chris Myers’ runner-up finish at the Western States 100 in June. The Cascadia Elite features a responsive, max-stacked DNA Gold midsole, a durable and pliable Matryx upper, an integrated interior bootie, a SpeedVault Plus trail plate, and a light, grippy Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole.
Buzz: This is a breakthrough shoe for Brooks that (along with its elite trail team) fully elevates it as a key player in the trail running world.
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 36.5mm (heel), 28.5mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.0 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $260
Launch date: Early March
Developed from Craft’s Kype Pro road racing shoe, the Kype Gravel Pro is designed to be a fast and light racing shoe for gravel roads and mild trails. The secret sauce of the shoe is the low-profile Vittoria outsole made in conjunction with one of the world’s leading bike tire manufacturers. It also includes a 100 percent Pebax midsole, a forked kevlar propulsion plate, and a translucent, micromesh upper secured by a fully gusseted tongue.
Buzz: No matter if you call it a gravel running shoe or road-to-trail hybrid, there’s no question it is a very light and responsive high-performance shoe. (Ida Nilsson wore a prototype of it en route to finishing fourth at Western States last summer.)
Heel-Toe Offset: 5mm; 30mm (heel), 25mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.9 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $150
Launch date: early June
The lightweight, low-to-the-ground Zinal 3 sub-ultra trail racing shoe has been refurbished with a new supercritical EVA midsole foam to provide more of a propulsive sensation in every stride. The new edition now has a durable and breathable leno weave upper, a stretchy, dynamic vamp, and a new configured aggressive array of 5mm directional lugs built into the sticky rubber outsole.
Buzz: Hoka has been revamping all of its shoes with higher-performing midsole foams, so the Zinal was one of the next in line. But it oddly removed the Vibram outsole in favor of its own proprietary rubber material.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 34mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.0 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $195
Launch date: early August
Inov-8 has entered the trail racing super shoe world with the brand new Trail Fly Pro, a shoe aimed at providing responsive cushioning, proprioceptive feel for the ground, and stable control for races up to 50K. It’s built on a supercritical TPEE midsole foam, a lightweight polyester upper, and a multi-segment Graphene-Grip outsole designed to provide both exceptional traction and agility.
Buzz: Inov-8 has been in the trail racing world since its inception, but this is the first shoe that up-levels the brand in the modern era of super shoes.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 38mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.8 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $150
Launch date: late-February/early March
New to the U.S. market for 2026, Kiprun is a performance shoe brand of Decathlon, a large French outdoor gear brand that has been a leading retailer in Europe for nearly 50 years. Kiprun will launch in the U.S. with three key segments of shoes aimed at comfort, performance, and affordability with slightly lower prices than most competitors. Its trail running category will include three shoes — the Kipsummit everyday trainer ($130), Kipsummit Max high-stack trainer ($150) and Kipsummit Race carbon-plated racing shoe ($250). The Kipsummit Max has a supercritical ATPU foam midsole, a wide base with an aggressive Vibram Megagrip outsole, and a durable/protective engineered mesh upper.
Buzz: With slightly more affordable pricing, Kiprun is bound to make a splash in the U.S. if retailers make room for them on their shoe walls.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 34mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $170
Launch date: late-February/early March
The second edition of the Prodigio everyday trainer has a slightly softer X Flow midsole, a wider footprint, deeper outsole lugs, and a new rocker geometry with more cushion under the forefoot intended to give it a smoother roll-through sensation on both mild and technical terrain. It retains the fully gusseted tongue, but the fit has been improved with more heel structure, better midfoot hold, and a roomier toe box.
Buzz: LaSportiva’s original Prodigio was a good shoe, but the learnings La Sportiva gained after developing the Prodigio Pro and Prodigio Max (thicker, softer midsole, improved lugs, better fit) should make this one of the best trainers of the year.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 32mm (heel), 26mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $160
Launch date: mid-February
Merrell is upgrading its well-received Agility Peak all-terrain shoe with a more secure fit, a more breathable upper, new outsole lug configurations, and a soft and responsive midsole that’s slightly more stable than the original. It has the same specs as the original and a similar perforated foam tongue and forefoot rock plate, but is designed to be versatile, durable, and comfortable. The Agility Peak 6 is an everyday trainer that’s all about utility, but Merrell’s MTL Speed Arc peak race shoe will push the limits of performance when it debuts in the fall.
Buzz: The Agility Peak 5 was a great shoe, but it wasn’t as durable or stable as it could have been. The updates to this shoe appear to check those boxes.
Heel-Toe Offset: 4mm; 36.5mm (heel), 32.5mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.8 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $195
Launch date: Early June
Mount to Coast is hot brand with no sign of cooling down. The next in the evolution of Mount to Coast shoes, the M1 is billed as a race-day shoe for a wide range of surfaces from gravel roads to rocky trails — essentially it’s a more durable version of the Mount to Coast T1 trail shoe. It features a wider base than the T1, plus a more durable, high-rebound A-TPU JetCell midsole, and a full-length Vibram MegaGrip outsole with 4mm lugs.
Buzz: Mount to Coast footwear development specialist Yeti Zhang made final revisions to this shoe after crewing Sierra Degroff at last summer’s Western States 100.
Heel-Toe Offset: 8.5mm; 38.5mm (heel), 30mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 10.1 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $250
Launch date: January
Nike is coming strong into trail running, and it’s latest trail shoes are the brand’s best yet. It did the initial unveiling of the ACG Ultrafly ultra-distance racing shoe in August in Chamonix, France, but it did a full reveal to retailers in San Antonio as it also rolled out the forthcoming ACG Zegama all-mountain trail runner. The ACG Ultrafly is built on a full length ZoomX foam midsole with two parallel carbon fiber FlyPlates embedded in the middle for optimal cushion and propulsion, while the ACG Zegama has a ZoomX foam core wrapped in a firmer Cushlon 3.0 carrier (with a small rock plate under the forefoot) for stability and energy return. Both shoes feature Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsoles with distinctly aggressive lug patterns for grip on all types of terrain.
Buzz: Some have said Nike is trying to buy its way into trail running, but it’s really just following what it’s done well for decades: building high-performing purpose-built shoes with innovation and athlete input.
Heel-Toe Offset: 7mm; 38mm (heel), 31mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $325
Launch date: Early June
Norda co-founder Nick Martire calls this shoe the rowdy sibling of the head-turning Norda 005 launched last spring. It follows the same mold of using top-quality materials and plenty of quirky, innovative smarts. The Norda 055 is a maximally stacked trail racing shoe with a three-quarter height knit collar and an upper made from a light and durable, 100 percent bio-based Dyneema upper. The max-stacked midsole is made from 100 percent Arnitel, a TPEE foam that offers 79 percent energy return in a very stable base, while the outsole is Vibram MegaGrip Elite like the Norda 005.
Buzz: Norda is all about innovation and building its shoes with top-tier materials, and the 055 is certainly that. The only question is why aren’t other brands using Dyneema or Arnitel yet?
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 33mm (heel), 27mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.2 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $180
Launch date: Early April
A new mid-range shoe for runners transitioning from the roads to the trails, the Cloudsoma serves up a flexible vibe with a strong feel for the ground with modest traction and protection. It uses On’s new Cloudtec Connect cushioning system that has pods that flex independently and allows a runner’s foot to naturally meet the ground.
Buzz: It’s been a long way to the top for On’s trail running shoes. Its Cloudultra Pro has been one of the best long-distance racing shoes this year, so it makes sense that On is putting the same quality and care into an everyday training shoe.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 32mm (heel), 26mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.7 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $140
Launch date: Mid-January
Puma has made the Fast-Trac Nitro more aggressive to better position it between its max-cush Voyage 4 light trail/gravel shoe and the high-end Deviate Nitro Elite Trail racing shoe. The Fast-Trac Nitro 4 has a responsive A-TPU midsole and more Puma Grip ATR rubber and deeper lugs (4.5mm) to allow this shoe to attack technical terrain with steep climbs and descents.
Buzz: Puma isn’t really known as a top trail running brand, but its Deviate Nitro Elite Trail is one of the best trail running super shoes of 2025. This should be among the best everyday trainers next year.
Heel-Toe Offset: 8mm; 41mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.5 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $160
Launch date: March
Salomon has a lot of newfangled trail shoes coming out this year, but it’s also going deeper into the gravel running category with the updated Aero Glide GRVL 4, Aero Blaze 4 GRVL, and a new lifestyle-influenced gravel apparel line. Salomon is banking on the versatile gravel category to be a gateway to trail running for runners who are mostly focused on road running, which is why the Aero Glide GRVL 4 have a mix of road features (soft OptiFoam2 midsole, smooth runability) and some trail-oriented features (one-pull lacing, low-profile traction lugs, trendy brown tones).
Buzz: Salomon has a few other stellar trail shoes coming out later this year, but they’re under embargo for several months.
Heel-Toe Offset: 7mm; 41mm (heel), 34mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 9.3 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $299
Launch date: March
Speedland continues to push innovation with newfangled shoe designs that are purpose-built for terrain, and to some extent, and specific events. The LDVL shoe (aka “Leadville”) is a lightweight, long-distance racing shoe designed to take on a wide range of terrain, including mild to moderate trails and paved and gravel roads. It features a dual-density midsole with a hyper-responsive inner layer of proprietary super critical TPEE foam encased in an outer later of supercritical A-TPU foam, a removable carbon-fiber plate, a lightweight PU outsole with low-profile 3.5mm lugs, and a new dual-zone fit system with a forefoot BOA Li2 dial and a midfoot security strap.
Buzz: Leave to Speedland founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon to keep thinking up new ways to technically enhance the fit, feel, and ride of trail running shoes. There’s more to come in 2026, so keep your eyes peeled!
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 30.5mm (heel), 24.5mm (forefoot)
Approximate weight: 8.2 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $160
Launch date: September
Teva has put a lot of effort into developing trail running sandals and sandal-esque shoes the past two years, but it’s going deeper into mountain running shoes with the Trailpeak, a shoe designed to be agile, light, and fast over technical terrain. It has a Hyper-Comf+ supercritical A-TPU foam midsole with a durable and breathable upper and a pull-cord lacing system that cinches in 12 interior support wings for fit security.
Buzz: This isn’t the first time Teva has gone rogue with aggressive mountain running shoes. In the early 2000s, its lightweight X-1 racing shoe was one of the best for short and fast mountain races.
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 29mm (heel), 23mm (forefoot
Approximate weight: 9.7 oz. (men’s size 9.0)
Price: $190
Launch date: Early August
An offshoot from the aggressive Offtrail TR shoe from 2024, the Offtrail Ultra is a lightweight, performance-oriented mountain running shoe with a scree-guard gaiter and a durable/breathable upper for optimal fit and protection, and an aggressive 5mm lugs on its proprietary Surface Control sticky rubber outsole for traction on loose and rugged surfaces. It features a dual-density DreamBound super foam package with a high-rebound supercritical foam set inside a durable, stable outer layer.
Buzz: Zach Miller had been training in a prototype of these shoes for the past year and raved about them, and it was one of the most talked about shoes at the trade show.
