Trail running is an amazing combination of sport and adventure. However, it’s important that you have the right gear before you hit those trails.
You should know what brands you are buying gear from and how trustworthy these brands are.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the best trail running brands for adventurous runners.
The best trail running brands
As always, these lists are based on personal opinion. However, they are never solely based upon that and we do research and consider other runners opinions.
Also, it’s very important to note that it’s not because a certain brand isn’t on this list, that it would be a bad trail running brand.
Salomon
Salomon is a French sports equipment brand that has been around since 1947.
Salomon has been very active in both running and hiking equipment for a very long time. It only seems logical that they also got into the trail running scene.
A lot of shoes from this brand are highly praised, whether it’s in the hiking community or the trail running community.
Except for their high quality shoes, salomon also makes all the equipment a trail runner could possibly need. Think about vests, flasks, bags, belts, and accessories. For more information, you can consult the official website: Salomon trail running.
Overall, it’s clear that Salomon creates a lot of very high quality products. However, keep in mind that there isn’t a single brand that doesn’t create a poor product once in a while. Always research the brand as well as the actual product.
Therefore, Salomon definitely belongs in the list of the best trail running brands.
We have written many trail running related articles. Very often Salomon is among the best picks, simply take a look at the best ultra trail running shoes or the best ultra running vests.
There are plenty of very solid options when you are looking the buy trail running shoes from salomon. For example, the Salomon speedcross, salomon pulsar or the S/Lab Ultra 3 are very solid options.
However, for my favourite salomon trail running pick, I can only select one shoe. This would be the Salomon Sense Ride.
Hoka
When someone mentions Hoka, I must say that I instantly start thinking about running. However, Hoka is also a hiking shoe manufacturer.
And, more importantly, they have become very popular in the trail running industry.
Hoka has been praised by both runners and trail runners as a brand that creates very comfortable shoes with superb cushioning.
If you like a well-cushioned shoe, there is probably no real reason to keep on looking for an alternative. It will be very hard to beat Hoka on this one.
Of course do they not only have quality cushioning, the shoes are very solid overall.
Hoka is definitely one of the best trail running brands out there for shoes. However, there is a clear focus on shoes and less on accessories or specific trail running clothing.
For me, I really like the Hoka speedgoat and the Hoka torrent as trail running shoes. However, if I have to pick one, the Hoka speedgoat would be my main recommendation.
Altra
I will keep remembering Altra as a running brand that took the hiking world by storm when people realized that their trail running shoes where pretty amazing for hiking as well.
However, Altra’s shoes are also very good for trail running.
Altra is especially known for their zero drop design shoes. Which gives runners more sensitivity and a more natural feeling while running.
This is a high contrast with brands like Hoka, who are known for their well-cushioned shoes.
The design is praised, but before you consider buying these shoes, you should be aware of the concept of zero-drop and minimalist shoes. Some people love it, others hate it, but it’s definitely different from a “regular” running shoe.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that an Altra shoe took the “Best overall” award on our article on the best minimalist trail running shoes.
When it comes to selecting my favorite trail running shoe from Altra, it’s easy. The very iconic Altra Lone peak takes the gold medal.
La sportiva
La sportiva is an outdoor brand through and through. Unlike many other brands, La sportiva doesn’t focus on running.
La sportiva focuses on hikers, climber, mountaineers, ski mountaineers and mountain runners.
However, they do a really good job of creating mountain running shoes. Once again, many of these shoes are very much praised and loved by those who have tried them.
On top of that, they also have mountain running clothing and accessories.
Note how La sportiva uses the word mountain running instead of trail running. This means that La sportiva focuses more on the technical and rocky terrain. Basically, mountain running is a form of trail running. However, many trail runs don’t go into actual mountainous terrain, they can perfectly stay on forest trails, which would require other footwear.
It’s an important factor to consider, on what type of terrain will you run your trail runs. La sportiva is usually only interesting if you intend to run in actual mountainous terrain.
They are especially known for good grip and good protection.
La sportiva also has a nice selection of mountain running shoes. La sportiva Karacal and La sportiva Busihdo immediately come to mind as great shoes. However, my favorite from La sportiva would be the La sportiva Ultra raptor trail running shoes
Honorable mentions
There are so many good trail running brands out there that I find it difficult to create such a short list.
However, to compensate that at least a little bit, let’s do some honorable mentions.
- Nike
- Brooks
- The North Face
- Saucony
- Adidas
- Scarpa
- On
- Topo
- Dynafit
It’s nice to know that some of the honorable mentions brands are also a bit more budget friendly. I wrote an article about the best cheap trail running shoes and we see brands like Adidas, Saucony and Brooks on that list.
What’s important for a trail running brand
As always, we try to provide all the factors that we looked at when creating the list.
Quality and durability
It’s obviously important to consider the overall quality and durability of the products.
Sure, this will differ from product to product within the same brand, but there are definitely averages that we can use within our research.
At the end of the day, we mostly care about having a high-quality and durable product.
Innovation and technology
Not as important as quality and durability, but still pretty important.
Does the brand care about innovation and technology, or is it mainly copying what other brands are doing?
And how ambitious are the brand’s innovative ideas.
Sustainability
Just like most people, trail runners want their products to be made environmentally friendly and ethically made.
Pricing
Competitive pricing is very important. It would be easy for a brand to create the best product if they made it 5 times as expensive as the products of the competition.
As someone who’s constantly looking for high value products, I can say that I really care about pricing.
Customer service
When needed, it’s very nice to know that there is a decent customer service.
The feeling that a brand gives can often be related to small things like having a friendly experience with the customer service.
Conclusion: The best trail running brands
When it comes to finding the best trail running brands, there are plenty of options.
I gave an in-depth explanation about some of my favorite trail running brands, a list of honorable mentions, and there are even plenty of good option beyond that.
It’s important to first realize what type of trail running you will be doing. If you are mainly going to run on forest trails, you might not fit too well with a mountain running brand.