The Inov8 Roclite 290 is a sleek, fast and comfortable trail shoe that is quickly becoming my go-to choice for quality trail runs ...

The On Cloudrush ($130) is an all-new racing shoe that is designed for speed, mostly on shorter races. The Cloudrush, which replaces the now-discontinued Cloudracer, ... can also be used for speedwork or as a daily trainer, but I would caution against using it for races longer than 10Ks

The Hoka One One Tracer 2 offers runners a lightweight, responsive and fast shoe. Best as a training shoe, but also fine for racing up to the marathon distance, the ... Tracer 2 is excellent for longer workouts. The shoes are more expensive than others in this category but the combination of excellent cushioning and lightness are

The New Balance Vazee Summit Trail v2 is a soft, sleek and fast trail shoe that allows the runner to confidently run as quickly as the terrain will allow. The ... Vazees’ combination of speed and protection will allow runners to handle virtually any kind of terrain

The Salming EnRoute is a soft, comfortable shoe that is ideal for training but not suited for wet, rocky or muddy terrain. Runners wanting to put in a lot of time on ... mild trails will find these shoes suitable, as would those who are just starting to run on trails

The Under Armour Horizon RTT prides itself on being durable and handling trail obstacles with ease. The rugged trail shoe lives up to that promise with solid ... protective layering inside and outside, including a reinforced toe bumper and plate that are smoothly integrated within the design. The $110 price tag is well worth

The Bluetooth technology is simple to set up and easy to use, whether you are going on a long run, short workout or taking a spin on an exercise machine. ...

The Mizuno Wave Daichi 2 professes to be a trail shoe built for all kinds of terrain. But its small lugs do not handle even moderate trail challenges. The lugs ... regularly fail to grip a muddy surface and routinely collect mud and dirt, slowing the runner

The North Face Endurus TR (retails for $130) is a new model intended to deliver maximum cushioning for trail runners. Beyond the comfortable fit, the Endurus ... provides solid traction through dirt, mud, snow and even ice

The Brooks Neuro 2 is a welcome redesign for those who were disappointed in the original version. The shoe is comfortable and sturdy but lacks excitement ...

The Brooks Mazama is a new trail shoe that delivers on its promise of a fast, comfortable ride. It feels light like a road shoe but the sole allows the runner to ... quickly navigate through dirt, water, sand, rocks and other trail hazards

The Brooks PureGrit 5 is a lightweight trail shoe that provides decent grip for moderate trails. The shoe has a comfortable fit and offers several features to ... protect the runner from mud, water and other trail hazards

The Saucony Xodus ISO is a rugged yet comfortable trail shoe that is at the top of its class. The shoes are incredibly comfortable; there was virtually no stiffness ... during my first run with them. The lugs handle all trail terrain — mud, sand, dirt, rocks, etc. — with an unrelenting but reassuring grip for the runner