WATER
MONTRAIL HURRICANE RIDGE GTX
800-647-0224  www.montrail.com  $115
Most waterproof trail-running shoes keep your feet dry with a sock liner made of Gore-Tex—an effective design, but one that adds significantly to the weight of the shoe. Instead, Montrail laminates a layer of Gore-Tex directly to the Hurricane Ridge's nylon uppers, creating a watertight seal while still keeping the entire package from getting too heavy (it weighs 12 ounces). Good news for runners who delight in pounding creek crossings in the rain.

SKREE
MERRELL TERRATOR
888-637-7001  www.merrellboot.com  $85
Got a date with a trail in the High Sierra, where loose dirt and roots conspire to twist your ankles or gouge your arches? No problem if you're wearing a pair of Terrators, which feature one of the best lacing systems in the industry (the laces run through long webbing tabs that cinch the tongue to the side of the shoe, translating into flawless trail control). Granted, they're a bit heavier—12.5 ounces—and stiffer than other models. But when you're sprinting through the mountains, stability and protection trump suppleness and flexibility every time.

EXTREME
FIVE TEN VENTURA SPORT
909-798-4222  www.fiveten.com  $67
The Ventura was designed primarily as an approach shoe, but if you have a penchant for heading off-trail or straight up rock hillsides, the Ventura has the support you need. Five Ten's famously sticky Stealth rubber sole ensures that it'll grip just about anything, the stiff uppers eliminate ankle-sprain fears, and the unique S-shaped lacing system helps keep your toes unbruised by securing the forefoot so your feet don't slip forward. All this protection comes at a price, however: With 17 ounces strapped to each foot, you may feel like you're running incombat boots.

ALL AROUND
NEW BALANCE 903AT
800-253-7463  www.newbalance.com  $100
OK, so your trails are both muddy and rugged. You need a fast, flexible shoe, but you require some stability because your ankles pronate. In short, you want it all. Fine: The 903AT is your shoe. The Scotchgarded mesh uppers shed water, posts beneath the arches provide support, and extra padding in the heel and forefoot absorbs the shock from rocks. The sole's rounded lugs handle mud and soft dirt well, and the whole package weighs 15.8 ounces. The New Balances are pricey for non-Gore-Tex trail shoes, but that's forgivable because they stand up to variable conditions—the very definition of trail running.

Roseann Hanson is an avid runner of trails near her Tucson home.

Photos: Steve Weisbauer