The best trail running shoes for walking and hiking

When it comes to the great outdoors, these hiking shoes will set you on the right track.

Salomon Sense Ride 2.

Hiking boots were the activewear of their generation. Those apparent fitness enthusiasts prancing about today with somehow immaculate hair and designer sweatpants — designed, that is, to disintegrate at the first whiff of sweat — once would have preferred a pair of Levi 501 jeans, a hooded green jacket from the army-surplus store and a burly pair of trail-walking boots.

Back then, leisure footwear rose halfway up the shin and the feet were perched on meaty soles designed to grip the ice atop Everest. The most dangerous adventure those boots undertook involved conquering the cobblestones of West European capitals, of course. But that was part of the point. The boots usually came in a nice dark leather so they could be the only shoes taken on the backpacking sortie — good for the pub, the nightclub, even the office, and the relentlessly discussed, never realised, overland trek to the Himalayas.

Today the toughest struggle for hiking boots is finding a bushwalker who wears them. The trail-running shoe is now king of the jungle, not to mention the dance floor at the Jungle Bar next to the backpacker hostel. They’re lighter, prettier and more colourful. Where once we wanted waterproofing and thick woollen socks, today we prefer trail shoes that get wet easily but wick away the water almost before you feel damp. And the science of ankle support in boots now seems to be filed somewhere between “dubious” and “unnecessary” if you don’t have lower-leg issues.

But it’s not as simple as buying a pair of running shoes for the next bushwalk. Runners tend to have a steeper offset or drop — the angle of the sole from the heel to the toe. While our friends at Salomon say a high offset can be a good idea on a gnarly, steep trail, a lower angle is generally better for walking shoes.

If you actually want to look at the bush while traipsing through it, we here at the Life section tested four of the best trail-running shoes that still do the job at a gentler pace.

The Hokas and Salomons were given the more brutal bashing during the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker event on The Great North Walk track outside Sydney, while the Saucony and Brooks were forced to negotiate the demanding transitions of a family holiday in New Zealand — from the trails around Mount Cook to the most vicious cobblestones in the cafe strips of Christchurch and Auckland.

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Salomon Sense Ride 2 $240

This is a gentle introduction to modern bushwalking attire. A bright colour scheme, yes, but look underneath and you’ll be reassured by a grip that resembles the familiar tractor tyre of the old boots. With an 8mm drop, this a running shoe — walkers should save them for gnarly tracks. The Quicklace system ensures Salomon’s legendary snugness. The shoes arrived the day before we undertook Trailwalker. With no time to wear the shoes in, we chucked them on and didn’t so much as touch the laces until we took them off at the 50km mark.

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Hoka Speedgoat 3 $230

Hoka Speedgoat 3

Borrowing the nickname of Karl Meltzer — who has run the record number of 160km trail races — this is a serious trail-running shoe. But the 4mm drop and enormous support make it viable for the ultramarathoner and the large middle-aged ambler. We donned them at the 50km mark when the feet were starting to scream (through no fault of the Salomons). The EVA midsole and Hoka’s focus on creating a rocking action in your step improved comfort immediately. But the height of a Hoka takes a little getting used to, particularly on uneven trails. Best wear these in before going bush.

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Saucony Peregrine ISO $220

Saucony Peregrine ISO

Snug, stable and well protected. With enough support for bigger units, the Peregrine did the job on a wet 15km jog in Christchurch, a tramp around Mount Cook and a breakfast in Auckland’s posh Ponsonby Road.

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Brooks Puregrit 8 $220

Brooks Puregrit 8

Puregrit’s retro yet modern woven-knit upper makes it the looker of this lot. But it’s a minimalist shoe, meaning the cushioning is thin and you may not want to take a long walk without some nous on technique. Puregrit also has extra room in the heel and toe. If you love it snug, these may not be your shoe. But we haven’t taken them off for weeks.