Monday Shakeout: Fall 2025 Trail Shoe Round-Up
By David Salas
In this week's Monday Shakeout David shares a round-up of several trail shoes that have released this year and discuss their pros, cons, and our favorite uses for them. We're excited to talk about some of the companies that we don't see as often!
Trail Running Shoes Reviewed
Salomon Aero Blaze 3 GRVL
Altra Olympus 275
Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 1.5
rabbit High Country
Altra Experience Wild 2
Salomon Aero Blaze 3 GRVL
Price: $139.95 at Running Warehouse (Shop Men | Shop Women)
Stack Height: 40 mm heel, 32 mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Weight: 8.7 oz, 247 g (Men's 9)
Purpose: Daily Training, Gravel Roads, Runnable Trail
The Salomon Aero Blaze 3 GRVL is a more gravel/trail friendly version of the Aero Blaze 3. The shoe is highlighted by its light weight and bouncy midsole. The road version comes off a little bit unstable through the midfoot, but the new Contagrip gravel outsole creates for a more sturdy and reliable ride. The shoe runs very neutral throughout and operates off of a gentle rocker. The fit throughout is a normal to slightly narrow through the heel and midfoot. Forefoot volume is good. The Aero Blaze 3 GRVL is a very intriguing shoe at the price point. Being at $140 makes this a very competitive option for those looking to have a daily training shoe that can take a bit of off roading without sacrificing a nice midsole or weight.
Positives: Versatile across a large variety of footings. Weight. Supercritical TPU very bouncy.
Negatives: Can fit a little narrow through the midfoot. Though it is more stable than its road counterpart, it still runs very neutral.
Altra Olympus 275
Price: $184.95 at Running Warehouse (Shop Men | Shop Women)
Stack Height: 35 mm heel/ 35 mm forefoot
Drop: 0 mm
Weight: 11.1 ounces / 315 grams (Men's 9)
Purpose: Daily Trail Running, Ultra Marathon Trail, Hiking
The Altra Olympus 275 is a maximum cushioned trail shoe that provides a lighter and more supportive upper than the Altra Olympus 6 counterpart. The upper uses a woven kevlar Matryx material and also has an ankle collar design to keep debris out. The midsole is a compress molded EVA and feels sturdy underfoot. The shoe features a wide fit that is also accompanied by a wide underfoot platform. The shoe feels very sure footed underneath. The Vibram Megagrip outsole provides a good stick to the trail underneath you. The lug depth is not listed. Despite not having large lugs, the outsole seems to do just fine through technical sections. The shoe does carry some weight, but this is a very sturdy and reliable trail option for long outings. I do believe that this could easily double as a trail hiking shoe as well.
Positives: Very stable platform with good traction. Cushioning is good for long outings. Excellent fit and lockdown.
Negatives: Does run a little bit heavier. 0mm drop is not for everyone. Foam midsole not the most bouncy, but it is sturdy and reliable.
Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 1.5
Price: $249.95 at Running Warehouse (Shop Men | Shop Women)
Stack Height: 41mm heel/ 35 mm forefoot
Drop: 6 mm
Weight: 10.7 oz, 303g (Men's 9)
Purpose: Daily Trail Running, Ultra Running, Ultra Racing
The Salomon S/Lab Ultra Glide 1.5 comes in with an upper update. The first version had enough complaints to warrant an upper change for the heel fit. The S/Lab Ultra Glide 1.5 reworks the heel for an improved fit experience. The shoe fits pretty snug throughout without feeling overly tight. The width in the heel and midfoot are normal, with the forefoot having a little more width. The gusseted tongue and speed laces give a very secure lockdown on foot. The heel changes do feel noticeable for the better. The lockdown is good with less heel rise and abrasion than the previous model. The midsole is highly cushioned throughout, but does feel very structured. The shoe operates off of a decently sized rocker. There are tall sidewalls and the shoe does feel stable on foot. The midsole and outsole is constructed in a wave like construction to help with alleviating pressure to the foot. The waves feel less noticeable in this version than the previous, I think in part due to a better fit around the foot. The outsole uses 4mm Contagrip lugs that performs well across all footings. The Salomon S/Lab is a trail running shoe for long outings and/or ultra racing.
Positives: Lighter weight for how much shoe there is. Good lockdown. Excellent security around the foot.
Negatives: Despite good lockdown, it still might be too snug for some.
rabbit High Country
Price: $180 at rabbit (Shop Men | Shop Women)
Stack Height: 38mm heel/ 33mm forefoot
Drop: 5 mm
Weight: 11.1 oz; 314g (men's size 9)
Purpose: Trail running, Ultra Trail Running
The rabbit High Country is the first trail running shoe for the company. As part of the launch, they ran across the Grand Canyon using the shoe to prove its ultra potential. They focused on providing a large amount of cushion that is accompanied by good traction and "connection". They are also including a Blumaka insole that is textured internally to prevent slippage or movement of the foot. The midsole is ETPU based and does provide a compliant yet stable ride. The shoe operates off of a gentle rocker, alongside some small "Carbon Trax" that hug the sides of the foot. The upper volume is lower and the upper material a little coarse. The outsole traction is good. The shoe does operate off of a wide platform as well. The shoe feels sturdy underfoot, but could be more comfortable up top.
Positives: The platform is reliable and sturdy underfoot.
Negatives: Upper volume feels low for an ultra shoe, upper material could be more comfortable
Altra Experience Wild 2
Price: $139.95 at Running Warehouse (Shop Men | Shop Women)
Stack Height: 34mm heel/ 30mm forefoot
Drop: 4 mm
Weight: 9.5 oz; 269g (men's size 9)
Purpose: Trail Running, All Terrain, Daily Training
The Altra Experience Wild 2 is a rockered daily trainer that is built up for taking on some trails as well. The Experience lineup features a 4mm drop ratio, deviating from the classic 0mm drop platforms we are used to seeing from Altra. The Experience Wild 2 uses a MaxTrac outsole to give it a little more traction when running off road. The upper is also more trail ready. They increased some of the TPU overlays and made the shoe gaiter compatible. The fit is a touch more snug than other Altra shoes, but still features an anatomic fit. This has a slighlty snug heel and midfoot, with a more spacious forefoot. The midsole runs a little bit firmer, but the rocker is sound and smooth. The Altra Experience Wild 2 is a reliable daily training shoe that can certainly do both road running and trail running if you like firmer rockered rides.
Positives: Lightweight. Good versatility across footings. Rocker is very balanced. Great price for a trainer.
Negatives: Might be a little too firm for some when road running.
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Running-Related Injuries
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NEXT: Ultramarathon Shoes