Fall 2016 Trail Running Shoe Buyer’s Guide

The 11 best new shoes for running off-road this fall.

Shoe weights listed in this review are based on men’s size 9.0 and women’s size 7.0.

Photos: Oliver Baker

RELATED: Fall 2016 Road Running Shoe Buyer’s Guide

Brooks Mazama, $140

For years, Brooks offered a couple of trail shoes aimed at training, but it didn’t have a true speed merchant intended for fast racing. That all changes with the Mazama, which is part trail shoe, part badass rally car. It’s a stable-riding shoe that serves up amazing proprioceptive “feel” for the trail while still having enough foam and protection (including a forefoot plate) against roots, rocks and other obstacles. An interior booty keeps the foot locked down and the tongue in place, while the exterior mesh is durable enough to handle the trails. It’s light, agile and energetic, yet it’s willing to be a true mountain mauler in short doses. The sticky rubber bi-directional outsole offers great traction and allows this shoe to be versatile enough to tackle just about any kind of terrain from roads to gnarly technical rocky routes. Overall, it was the hands-down favorite of our wear-testers.

Weights: 9.2 oz. (men’s), 7.7 oz. (women’s)

Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 23mm (heel), 17mm (forefoot)

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