Recommended trail shoes

I am choosing to do the same thing. I posted a thread here about The North Face 104s and feedback told me to look closer at the TNF Hedgehogs. So I am leaning more towards them.
I hope to see a lot of replies to this thread.
My pack is 20/25 total for 7 days on AT.

My personal favorite at the moment is the Asics Gel Trabuco trail runners. They come in two models, one with waterproof liner and one without. I prefer the non-waterproof breathable version! (Size up one size from your street shoes!)

Good info guys. Looks like I'll just have to try a few. No local stores carry any selection and the although web experience creates a good price point, a good shoe is all about good fit. So far the intel is:
NB 806, 807
Vasque Velocity (very popular)
Brooks Cascadia
Montrail Hardrocks (mixed following)
Innov8 Roclite 315 (Ryan Jordan's pick)
Asics Gel Trabuco
TNF Hedgehogs

Thanks for your help and happy trails.

Decent sized toebox, not the most aggressive tread but reasonable… and super comfy. My favorite shoe.

All the Innov8's I've tried have seemed very narrow, but YMMV.

The montrails have a stiff upper in my opinion, it felt like I had to break it in… but have a nice roomy toebox.

I have a friend who swears by Brooks and another who loves New Balance.

I have not heard good things about NF shoes.

Also buy them via Zappos – free shippling!

http://www.endless.com also has free shipping both ways – overnight, no less! And really, really excellent customer service. I think I'd actually rec. them over Zappos. Not sure how big of a selection they have in comparison but they did have the gel-trabuco, in womens at least. I only looked briefly but it's worth checking out.

I bought a pair last year based on a previous recommendation by William, thanks William! I didn't have to size up from my street shoes but YMMV. Fantastic shoe IMO.

Thanks Angela and Jack. I'll definitely take a look at the Asics, along with endless.com.
Terrain I'm planning hikes this year: AT Damascus northward about 60 miles, and back to the Whites somewhere. Always been in boots, so this will be a big change. I had to get my pack weight down, just too rough on these knees of mine….downhills were brutal last year in the Whites. Nearly a show stopper, so major changes in order.
Thanks again!

I've had good luck in the past with Vasques. I found them to be comfortable and durable.

Brooks fit well but seemed to be lacking in durability for me; it didn't take much (1-2 trips) before some of the lugs started to rip off the tread and a stick went through the sole and out the side of the shoe (somehow missing my foot, thank goodness).

For the last couple of years I was wearing Saucony shoes. I was quite happy with these in terms of fit, comfort and durability but then they changed something about the shoes and they no longer fit right for me. Bummer.

Most recently, I've been wearing a pear of Salomon XT Wings. They offer both a waterproof and non-waterproof version. I haven't done a long trek in them yet but I've worn them for about 4 weeks worth of trail running (4-5x per week) and so far, so good.

Things to keep in mind when selecting a trail shoe besides the obvious fit, comfort, etc.: pronation control (if you tend to get shin splints), waterproof vs non-waterproof (I prefer non-waterproof since they're so much more breathable but if you hike in cold, wet areas mostly, you might like the waterproof version), breathability and shoe volume (if you add thicker sole inserts or need to be able to wear multiple layers of socks at times).

I second the suggestion to go up 1/2 size or 1 size from your street shoe since your feet tend to swell on long hikes/runs.

Good info everyone. I took your advice and ordered multiple shoes from Zappos and Endless. I'll see which work the best and return the rest. Note: Great thing about Endless.com is they have a location very near…my order will arrive today! Basically, order one day and get it the next! (As luck would have it, we're supposed to be in rain for the next 3 days. I'll have to find a mall to walk in…)
Thanks again.

Craig what shoe did you decide to try out? Looks like we are in the same boat as far as knees. Not fun.

Hey everybody! Is it ok to use asics and whatnot on the trail, i always thought tennis shoes had somewhat of a flat bottom/not grippy teeth on the bottom, ONE time in my life i as forced to wear addidas running shoes on the trail, NEVER AGAIN. after sliding down rocks and the trail itself, feeling unsafe on the downhills(feel like you will fall forward) its no option to wear shoes without a good bite on the bottom. SO, do asics and montrails and similar shoes have a good bite to them, or are they slick?

Brian, I ordered the Vasque Velocity VST, the Asics Gel Trabuco, and the Innov8 315. I'll let you know what my experience is.
My knees are the only issue I deal with. I've spent the winter getting my weight down, on my body and my gear. Still have some work ahead, but so far very satisfied with outcome. 2 or 3 pounds to go with my gear, about 10 lbs more from my frame. (My wife makes too many Christmas cookies!)Hope to lose the rest out on the trail!

Isaac, I'm sure others can answer better about their experience with the grip of trail runners. However, in my search, people have reported plenty of grip in their shoe of choice. Not all are created equal though as the technical diversity of trail runners astounds me. Choosing a tarp was much easier!
Thanks to all! I love this forum.

These are trail runners — not road running or tennis shoes, so they are designed specifically to have more traction/grip on the outsole.

I'm not going to lie: when going down wet, steep, slick rocks in the rain in my trail runners do I slide or feel unsafe? Occasionally, but basically everyone else is right there with me regardless of what they are wearing on their feet! I really can't think of any shoe that would have helped me on some of the descents I did this summer – Maine and New Hampshire were not particularly kind to me in the rain!

I have noticed that some feel super grippy when worn right out of the box, more so than others (example: my mizuno's trumped the asics, and the asics actually beat the montrails in terms of grip when they were new)… but once you put the mileage on them they all lose that nice sticky grip feeling. Sadly. Hiking in a running shoe is (to me) just like hiking in a seriously worn down trail runner. When it's slippery you just sort of learn to compensate with your foot placement/how you move.

There is the innov8 mudclaw if you are looking for a seriously aggressive tread… I hated the feel of it though so I never let the ones I ordered leave the house.

Vasque Blur ('07-'08 model). Bomber!

Best lightweight trail shoe I've ever used. Burly construction, breathable [and highly water resistant!], excellent grip and amazing comfort for pack-weights up to the low 30's. Only drawback, for you, is that they run a tad narrow.

I like the Blur too (but a bit narrow), and the Velocity is great, but I have found the excellent grip wears down quickly, especially on rock, but i suppose most shoes would be the same. Mike

I`m throwing the XA Pro, XA comp and XT wings/hawk. and they`re making them in high tops.

Last September my wife and I trekked around Mont Blanc in the Alps and I used New Balance All Terrain 571 shoes. They performed really well. I carried a 15lb pack plus water. We encountered some pretty severe slopes but had very little slippage problems. Mostly the weather was dry but we had snow at the French-Italian border. From casual observation I saw very few other trail runners, but Europeans seemed to mostly prefer heavy hiking boots.

These shoes were comfortable and light and were an excellent choice. Fortunately, we have a great running store in town and were able to have the shoes fitted properly before buying.

Since we are asking the same advice on shoes, I hope you don't mind me asking questions on your thread.

The Inov8s look very tempting. Does anyone have any input on these? Recommended models? The light weight is so tempting. In doing research on them also, I see that particular models are very good with gripping on slippery terrain. The softer rubber wears down faster understandably.Any input is appreciated. Craig I hope again you don't mind me posting in this thread.

I was going to recommend the Montbell Palmland Jogger, but it looks like they are not available at the American stores. Which is really too bad since they, after many different shoes from many companies, have become my favorite hiking shoes. They’re wide, have a Vibram sole that has great lugs and fantastic grip, but are very shallow, with a low center of gravity so that you can almost feel the ground, are very sturdy (you can’t make them dip out to the sides at the ankles, unlike, for instance, the GoLite series of shoes, which I think are potentially dangerous), are completely mesh, so they breathe extremely well (you can also get a Gore-tex version called the Lapland Jogger), and, for me at least disliking the often drug-invoked shoe designs (like bicycle helmets), very simply and soberly designed. I like mine so much yesterday I bought a second pair.

No problem, Brian. I love the sharing of ideas. More equals better choices! I received my order today and walked around the house in the three models I chose. Of course not much of a test, but fresh boxes from the UPS truck means it's Christmas in March! Brian, here's my first impression of the Innov8 Roclite 315's- A very interesting shoe. I could "feel" the ground, not the physical floor but the art of my foot propelling my body across it. Slightly narrow as many say, but a shoe that exercises your feet as you walk. A big departure from my hiking boots! I liked them….although I'd spend some time getting the muscles of my feet in shape before taking to the trail. These guys glide along. Whisper light. Definitely different.
Needing orthotics, my choice of shoes always takes some time. Back in the day, the docs tried questionable practices on those of us born with flat feet. It's the rather unique characteristics of the 315's that may cause me to use this shoe as a training tool.
More to follow as I take the Vasque Velocity VST and the Asics Gel Trabuco out for a spin.
Thanks again everyone.

Great! Now with your Inov8 description its concerning to me how much you feel the ground. What will happen when you where a 20lb pack? Will it cause fatigue and sore feet.

Keep us posted on the Vasque Velocity VST and the Asics Gel Trabuco!

Craig and anyone else interested I ordered a pair of Inov-8 315 directly from them. They must be trying to get rid of the blue/silver color because they are selling them for $47.50
It costs with shipping $59.12

Here's a picture of them and the link. It looks like they have all sizes available.

http://store.inov-8.us/index.php/roclite-367.html

Sierra Trading Post has them also pretty cheap: $59.95
Shipping is $9.95 for $69.90 total

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,2372G_Inov-8-Roclite-315-Trail-Running-Shoes-For-Men-and-Women.html

The mid-height Inov8 370 & 390 have been my go-to shoes for the last couple of years and they really gave my tired, old dogs the comfort they've spent decades searching for…it's like hiking in moccasins! I recently decided to try the low cut version and ordered the 315 from STP, a decision arrived at after doing dayhikes in Teva X-1 Control 2 shoes (also from STP, $54), which are the closest thing to Inov8's comfort and a great shoe.

Monty's right. They're smooth, stealthy walkers. And it's not as though you feel all the little pebbles…there's a good cushion. But they let you glide, like moccasins. I wore them all last night, and the biggest thing I notice is that they exercise the foot muscles. I think they'd be a great training shoe, and once my feet were strong and in shape,I'd really enjoy them out on the trail.
Let me know what you think after you get yours.

This looks to be a VERY nice shoe. Trouble is, where can I find them in a size 10.5? I've looked everywhere! Monty do you have any suggestions? Craig, will do on letting you know how the 315s go. Keep us posted also on your shoe selection.