HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR TRAIL SHOES?

Finding THE trail shoe can be more difficult than expected. There is a plethora of shoes on sale, a variety of models and complex technical details, not to mention the fact that the budget is often substantial! To help you choose your trail shoe, there are several criteria to consider: comfort, waterproofing, protection and grip. Small summary of the key points to check before buying a pair of trail shoes.

Comfort: the number one criterion for choosing a trail shoe

The main criterion for choosing a running shoe is comfort. This is paramount and you should feel it right away. As well as the feel of the shoe, don't hesitate to do a little run inside to assess how it feels in condition. But before you try on the entire range of shoes, here are the four technical aspects to sorting out and finding the right pair of trail shoes:

The cushioning
The drop
The weight
The stride

Let's dig a little deeper into each of these parameters, starting with cushioning. Manufacturers use either foam or gel to create a shock-absorbing zone under the foot.

Cushioning is a very important criterion because it affects both the comfort of the runner and safety. A shoe with a lot of cushioning will be more suitable for a heel attack and will allow you to run longer while being comfortable, whereas a shoe with less cushioning will be intended for an experienced runner, which will allow him or her to gain weight in particular.

Very regularly debated in the world of running, the drop indicates the difference in centimetres between the front and back of the shoe. It therefore corresponds to the height of the heel (taking into account the thickness of the sole). A 0 drop is a minimalist shoe. A medium drop is going to be around 8mm and a large drop will be over 10mm.

Choosing your drop is partly a personal matter (your stride and how you feel), and partly a matter of type of terrain. Minimalist runners insist on a "natural" stride, however this will put more strain on the posterior chain and will take time to adapt if you are not used to it.

However, this is not a major criterion for choosing shoes unlike cushioning.

Cushioning and drop impact weight. The weight of a trail shoe will particularly play into long runs, where weight increases muscle fatigue. On short runs, weight will have little importance, or will be limited to your personal feeling.

Finally, it remains to make a point about your stride. There are three types of stride: neutral/universal, supinator and pronator. Simply put, this corresponds to your footing. Do you wear out your soles on the inside or outside of your foot? Take a look at your current running shoes:

Neutral/universal: relatively even wear & tear
Supinator: outward wear & tear of the soles
Pronator: inward wear & tear of the soles

Note that the way you move will vary depending on whether you are walking or running. Therefore, it is advisable to observe your running shoes only, not your street shoes!

If the wear is only slight, a model that includes a correction may be sufficient. If, on the other hand, your soles are really worn, then a visit to a podiatrist may be useful. The podiatrist will determine your support, not only in the foot. He/she will take into account all the lower joints (under the hips) to assess your gait as a whole. Thus, you will be able to benefit from tailor-made orthopaedic insoles that will very specifically correct your small defects.

HAVE SEVERAL PAIRS

Although it involves an additional budget, having several pairs of trail shoes allows you to choose the trail shoe best suited to your intended discipline (depending on the surface, the weather, the ascending elevation) and to always run with dry feet, adopting a rotation.

Trail running shoes MEN

The waterproofing of the trail shoe

A trail is run in all weather conditions, including the most extreme climates (e.g. snow trail or white trail). The ability of the shoe to keep your feet warm and dry is therefore a criterion of choice. Trail shoes offer two main materials for this purpose: either mesh or Gore-Tex.

Mesh has the distinction of being breathable, which is ideal during a trail run in the summer, but also generally to wick away perspiration. However, if it lets water pass in one direction, it also lets it pass in the other. In the rain, in the mud or in puddles, your feet will be wet. However, they will dry out relatively quickly.

In contrast, Gore-Tex is a waterproof and warm material. It is therefore particularly suitable for winter races. Nevertheless, its resistance has limits, and if it is repeatedly immersed in water, it will eventually let liquids penetrate. Still remaining "waterproof", moisture will have a hard time escaping, keeping your feet wet and most likely cold!

The choice of gear is therefore linked to the types of races you will undertake and the weather you will be subjecting yourself to. Hence the usefulness of owning several pairs of trail shoes in order to choose the most suitable for the given situation.

Anti-shock and reinforcements: protecting your feet during a trail

In contrast to running, which is practised on paths without obstacles, trail running is more oriented towards uneven terrain where pebbles, stones, branches... If you regularly venture into scree slopes, you will need to maximise reinforcements on the front and sides of the foot so as to protect yourself from any shocks. However, reinforcement means increased weight.

With a focus on grams, you might be tempted to go for featherweight shoes. Note, however, that the lighter weight is partly due to material choices. While this type of shoe may be an excellent choice for competition, it will unfortunately be a little less robust on the one hand, and less protective of the foot generally, on the other.

So is it better to favour weight or protection? It all depends on your practice!

The type of sole and grip

Dirt, mud, greasy or slippery, snow: trail running guides you beyond the beaten track and over many types of terrain. The adherence of a trail shoe then becomes a priority to avoid falling or injuring yourself. The outsole of trail shoes always has a number of lugs. The shape, size and spacing of the lugs will determine the grip of the trail shoe.

There are three trade-offs when choosing your trail shoes:

The stiffness of the sole
The spacing between each lugs
The shape of the chevron lugs

The softer a sole is, the better it will grip on smooth or slippery surfaces. However, because the rubber is softer, it will wear out more quickly. A hard rubber sole on the other hand will be more durable and offer a better feel on stones.

Another decision is the spacing between the lugs. The more space there is, the faster waste (water, mud, dirt, snow...) will be evacuated. This is the same concept as for car tyres. Now, the grip of a trail shoe is maximised by the surface area in contact with the track's surface. The further apart the lugs are, the smaller the contact area. The width of the contact area also impacts the transmission of effort.

Finally, the shape of the studs influences its ability to evacuate water. In the shape of an X, they are faster than flat patterns. In addition, sharp relief edges allow for better grip on the terrain.

Tighter lugs are recommended on rather dry terrain. On wet ground (mud), it is important to choose a sole where the mud gets evacuated quickly to maintain grip. (e.g : Contagrip® technology at Salomon, Vibram Mégagrip at The North Face). Before buying your trail shoes, consider turning them over to check that the sole matches your running types.

How to choose your trail shoe size

The best trail shoe in the world will be worthless if it doesn't fit your size. Properly choosing your trail shoe size is no easy task. For one thing, depending on the manufacturer and the model, the sizes vary. You can fit a size 8.5 in one brand but a size 9 or 9.5 in another.

On the other hand, it is recommended to choose a trail shoe that is larger than your usual shoe size. The reason is simple: when you run, especially for several dozen kilometres, your foot tends to swell. So a shoe that fits your size at the start of a run may turn out to be too small (and painful!) halfway through.

Two tips for trying on your trail shoes properly. Firstly, it's best to go to the shop at the end of the day, as your foot will be wider than in the morning. Secondly, there is about half a centimetre of margin. When your toes touch the tip of the shoe, you should be able to slip a finger between the heel and the reinforcement. This is equivalent to half a shoe size or even an extra size. This is the margin needed to ensure you are as comfortable as possible while running.

RUNNING WITH POLES

Despite the cushioning built into shoes, the body still feels the impact on muscles and joints. Equipping yourself with poles allows you to transfer some of the effort to the upper body, taking the strain off the lower limbs.

Runner morphology

While some manufacturers are content with universal shoes, others offer a women's and a men's version. In addition to the design and colours, there are several differences to note.

First, the size range. As women generally have a smaller foot, you will find your happiness between size 3.5 and 8. For men, the first trail shoe sizes start at 6 at best, if not 6.5. Also, men's feet are known to be wider, so the soles are adapted to this shape, whereas women's shoes tend to be thinner.

Finally, weight is the last major difference, and it applies to both the runner and the product. For one thing, men weigh more than women. They therefore need more cushioning, which, as a result, makes men's shoes heavier than their female versions. On the other hand, with their larger body size, running in heavy shoes does not cause fatigue for them. On the other hand, women's shoes will be lighter in order to avoid exhausting the female runners.

The impact of weight on the choice of a trail shoe also applies to heavy runners. If you weigh more than 75kg for women and 85kg for men, you'll need to look at dedicated models. More robust for a better duration in time and with more cushioning in the heel, the "heavy runner" versions guarantee you great outings without joint pain. However, despite the efforts of the brands, a heavy runner will wear out his shoes much more quickly than a light weight. It is therefore a budget to be taken into account.

Different technologies are used to attenuate ground impacts (GEL system at Asics, Rolling Concept at Mammut, EVA at Hoka One One...). The weight of the athlete will influence the quality of the cushioning: the heavier you are, the more important the cushioning should be.

The reminder to choose your trail shoe well

As we have seen, there are no good or bad shoes, it's all a question of compromise and above all adaptation to your practice. Summary of the possible choices according to the type of terrain:

On greasy ground: the need for adhesion is paramount (large lugs, flexible sole, wide spacing)
On dry ground: wide sole, hard rubber, reinforcements
In the rain, one favours waterproof materials. On snow, we equip ourselves with Gore-Tex ;
On long runs such as ultra trail: weight is the basic criterion
On strong ascending elevation outings: a sufficient drop for better cushioning

The top trail shoes

The Ekosport team recommends the following ranges of trail shoes:

The choice of a trail shoe is crucial in your race. The fact remains that it is not so easy to find the right shoe for you. And no matter what anyone says, aesthetics count too! The important thing is to make a reasoned choice by adapting the technical data as well as possible to the types of terrain for which the shoe is intended.

THE THREE KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN CHOOSING YOUR TRAIL SHOES:

A shoe should be comfortable on the first try
To choose your trail shoes, you must first determine what your stride type is: front, mid or heel "attack"
The choice of material depends on the weather (mesh, Gore-Tex...)

TRAIL SHOES