How I chose the best trail racing shoes

When it comes to finding the best racing shoes for trail running events, I approach every new release with a critical eye and a commitment to honest, no-nonsense reviews.

Every trail shoe featured in this roundup has been thoroughly tested by myself, on real trails, in all kinds of weather, and over various types of terrain that each of these racing shoes should be able to handle.

I like to push running shoes to the edge, to see where their breaking point is.

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Learn more about my review process.

This hands-on approach helps me cut through marketing noise and figure out which shoes actually deliver on their promises.

Alastair Running
Quality, practical running gear reviews. I review road and trail running gear from affordable entry-level daily trainers through to the fastest carbon fiber plated race day shoes. As well as featuring cool new gear from the best running brands, I also create gear roundups to help you choose the best products based on review performance - visit www.alastairrunning.com for all those and more! I also review other lifestyle gadgets and gear from time to time.
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I stay independent and objective, and every review you watch on my Youtube Channel or read right here on this blog reflects my real-world experience. I want to help you find the trail shoe that fits your needs, not just the one that’s trending.

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Affiliate Disclaimer: 'Alastair Running' is reader-supported, if you purchase through links on this site, I may earn a small affiliate commission - thank you for your support! -Alastair
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Trail racing shoes are premium trail running shoes specifically designed for getting the most out of your race day.

That's not to say you can't also wear them for training runs too - they're also great for speed or hill interval training.

This category is probably the most complex so I will be recommending a mixture of my top picks for the various categories of trail racing.

This includes technical, fast trail racing (like Skyrunning, for example), middle of the pack 10KM to ultra distance trail racing, ultra running at high intensity, and vertical kilometer racing.

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