Review of New Trail Running and Hiking Shoes

You Are Here:

Home >> Gear >> Miles Ahead

View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.

Today's Question
I'm looking for the lightest breatheable bivy sack out there, any suggestions? answer

What is the best way to carry water on a hike? answer

Today's Question
What's a good women's analog watch for under $200? answer

What equipment should a new mountain biker buy? answer

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

Outside Magazine August 2004

REVIEW: Mountain Footwear
Miles Ahead
Eight ingenious innovations to help you dial in your run, hike, or scramble

By Kevin Arnold

Intro | The Nike ACG Air Teewinot II, Icebug MR 2, & the Dunham Trail Mix | Adidas Adistar Trail GCS, Salomon Raidrace 2 & Vasque’s Borneo | The North Face’s Ultra Gore-Text XCR & Merrell’s Helium Ventilator


	Get a grip: bright ideas from Nike, ACG, Adidas, and Merrell (Spencer Jones)

TIME WAS, YOU KNEW WHERE you stood with mountain footwear. You had light off-road runners over here, beefier low-cut hikers over there, and sticky-soled approach shoes in the middle. But these days, your local shop is likely to offer a dizzying variety of specialized shoes for everything from quick trail trots to multi-day adventure racing, along with runner-hiker hybrids that—you're promised—can do it all.

The upside to the shoe revolution is choice. The downside is confusion—when you wander into a store and see a huge wall of kicks, it's hard to know where to start. Our advice: Think carefully about your planned activity, local terrain, and climate, then choose a shoe whose features are best suited to what you really do. Size up these 21 excellent choices, which feature an array of innovations to consider when you shop.

Next Page: The Nike ACG Air Teewinot II, Icebug MR 2, & the Dunham Trail Mix

•	Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

•	Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

•	Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.