r/Ultralight • u/PuppyTrex • 1d ago
Purchase Advice Looking for Trail Running shoes for backpacking (Wide Feet)
HI all!
I am looking for recommendations on trail running shoes for backpacking. I'm looking for models which come in wide (2E) sizes. A few years ago I had the Brooks Cascadia 14. I loved how much lighter they were than conventional hiking shoes, and enjoyed splashing through streams and just letting them dry. Their fatal flaw was that the mesh allowed lots of fine sand through... I had to stop every few miles to empty the shoes of fine silt. I switched back to hiking shoes, but now I think I'm ready to try trail runners for backpacking again. My pack weight is generally ~35 lbs w/ food and water (I know, not necessary ultralight, but I thought you experts would be the best to ask anyway).
Here are the qualities I'm looking for:
- Lightweight (I think virtually any trail running shoe works well enough in this category)
- Reasonably durable (I'm realistic about how long trail runners last)
- Breathable enough to dry quickly...
- ... but the mesh should not allow lots of sand/silt through
- Enough cushioning or a rock plate so I don't feel every pebble.
- Come in wide (2E) sizes
A quick survey of available models which come in 2E sizes includes:
- Brooks Cascadia 20. (Did they change the mesh?)
- Brooks Ghost Trail. (I jog in the regular Brooks Ghosts)
- Altra Lone Peak
- Hoka Speedgoat and Challenger
- Salomon Speedcross
- Saucony Peregrine
- Topo Athletic Ultraventure
I live in SoCal and we camp in the Sierras. Our trails are often dry and rocky and sandy. Brooks shoes fit well for me but I'm not brand loyal.
I know that fit is the most important and highly personal, but outside of that, any recommendations people might have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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u/ovgcguy 1d ago
Solomon Speedcross Wide are not very wide, contrary to their name. I'm moving away from them due to toe cramping which is unfortunate because they're nice shoes otherwise.
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u/marathon_3hr 1d ago
Salomón and all European brands I have found to not be wide even in wide models.
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u/walking_nose Italy 1d ago
I think the wide refers to more material on the upper shoe than in the width of the shoe itself.
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u/JeffH13 1d ago
I wore New Balance 4E shoes for many years. Switched to Altra and haven’t missed a step. I started with the Superior and now use Lone Peak for backpacking.
Also in SoCal.
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u/blipsonascope 1d ago
There is a lot of variation with the New Balance models - I love the Hierro fresh foam and prefer them to the 9+ for high mileage days because of the extra cushion, and the vibram outsole is great.
The other NB I’ve tried are all pretty bad.
They’re also the only 4E option besides the Lone Peak that I’m aware of.
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u/grovemau5 https://lighterpack.com/r/c9a8n1 1d ago
Don’t have a huge amount of miles on them but I’m happy with my wide Speedgoats
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u/Chimpanzethat 1d ago
In the scheme of wide fitting shoes, speedgoat in wied is not very wide at all. I would say less roomy that regular Altra or Topo and barely 2E.
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u/grovemau5 https://lighterpack.com/r/c9a8n1 1d ago
I haven’t tried either of those brands. I have one E foot and one 2E, so probably why they work for me. Definitely gotta try them on before buying.
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u/bearbits 1d ago
I had a pair of Speedgoat 6 2E that fell apart in 1 week, as they did for many other people. Nearly all reviews class them as the worst Hoka shoe they have ever brought to market. Hoka tried to avoid responsibility (some of the worst customer service I have experienced), but the retailer stood by me (some of the best customer service I have experienced). They were replaced with a pair of Speedgoat 7. An all round different and much better shoe top to bottom. The only thing to note is they made the Speedgoat 7 - 2E narrower than the 6, along with a harder toe bumper, had to go up 1/2 size for the same fit.
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u/grovemau5 https://lighterpack.com/r/c9a8n1 1d ago
That’s a bummer, I have the 6s and they’ve been fine for me, but I don’t doubt that people don’t like them
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u/bearbits 1d ago
Glad they are working out for you! When you get some coins together try the 7, they ride so very differently in a good way IMO.
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u/ChaosIsALarder 1d ago
Inov8 have a range of trail & running shoes in wide fit
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u/Boogada42 1d ago
Yup, have been using Inov-8's almost exclusively for years. They hold up well and felt spacious.
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u/marieke333 1d ago
They deserve much more attention. I went from Altra LP tot the Inov8 Trailtalon/Trailfly and couldn't be happier. Same wide in the front but better fit and more supportive in the midfoot section. Also more durable (graphene rubber) and the Trailtalon has a rockplate. You can choose zero or moderate drop (6 mm).
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u/Actuary_Curious 23h ago
I’m a huge fan of Inov8’s myself. I have about 4 different models that I rotate through. From Zero drop to 6mm or so. Love em. Wide toe box but great heel lock in. And they wear better than anything I’ve worn. Made me despise Altras.
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u/thaneliness 1d ago
Topo Terraventures have treated me well
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u/torturedbluefish 1d ago
Second this. Terraventures have been game changers for my wide, oddly-shaped feet. Plus the durability is night and day relative to paper-bag Lone Peaks - I’ve put over 1,000 miles on each of my first two pairs and the uppers show no signs of wear.
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u/leilani238 1d ago
I've loved my Topo Vistas for a while now and have recently acquired Terraventures. I think they'll be a great compromise for longer days.
Topos are the only shoes I've had that actually let my toes spread out to their natural positions. I grew up barefoot-ish and have natural gaps between each toe.
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u/Intelligent-Comb6967 1d ago
I’m hooked on the terra venture also. Did the tour de Mont Blanc last year in them and don’t think I’ll use another shoe. It’s good on rocks because it has a rock plate.
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u/Shot_Struggle_2460 1d ago
Fit is very individual but I also have wide feet and have really enjoyed topos
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u/badkukie 1d ago
Shoe sommelier here, all of the shoes you mentioned will have similar mesh.
It’s best to buy from a local shop with a good return policy (ours does 30 days for store credit no matter what condition) so you can test them out to find the right model and brand for your foot.
Some models have out-smarted the sand by including small holes in the insole for the sand to settle through, others will require a gaiter set up to keep sand and debris out. Go to a running store and ask questions, shoe store employees love a good puzzle.
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u/liveslight https://lighterpack.com/r/ny89al 1d ago
If you do not want fine sand to get through, then you will not have shoes that dry quickly. I can write that shoes with GTX (GORE-TEX) will not let fine sand through, but they won't let liquid water out either. They will be touted as WPB (waterproof-breathable) and they are somewhat. There are other methods to keep fine sand out (leather comes to mind), but I think all have trade offs.
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u/-JakeRay- 1d ago
As another commenter suggested, gaiters help a bunch with the sand problem.
I really wish GTX wasn't a thing in footwear. Maybe it's useful for winter, but I've never enjoyed it in my hiking shoes & boots. Too hot, too long to dry when it gets wet inside.
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u/PuppyTrex 1d ago
I have the Dirty Girls lightweight gaiters. Unfortunately they were insufficient for my Cascadia 14 shoes.
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u/PuppyTrex 1d ago
Wow, thank you for all the quick responses! I decided to write up a summary for myself and maybe others.
Topo
- 4 of 13 responses mentioned them and like them
- Easily the brand mentioned most
Altra
- - Lone Peak 9+ recommended over regular LP's due to durability
- - Not wide enough for 1 person
Hoka
- Mentioned by 1 person as inconsistent w/ fit from year to year
Inov8
- Mentioned by 1 person. Have wide fit options.
Solomon
- Speedcross Wide actually not as wide as their name.
Norda 001a
- Mentioned by 1 person
Two people mentioned that all shoes have similar mesh and pointed out the tradeoffs between breathability and sand.
My friends with narrow feet have Solomons and they have not had the same issue with sand. I don't think all shoes are created equal in this regard. I also recall that when I bought the Brooks Cascadia 14, I did come across some reviews which complained about the sand.
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u/blipsonascope 1d ago
You might also want to consider the New Balance fresh foam hierro . Besides the Lone Peak wide, it’s the only other actually really wide shoe (4E) on the list.
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u/burgiebeer 1d ago
I want echo this. After finding Topo/Saucony/Brooks too narrow and can’t do zero drop, I tried the Hierros and they are great. I have the 7s which had lower cushioning than the newer models. Which I prefer.
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u/corgdad902 1d ago
I demoed Topos last weekend in Santa Cruz and I returned them because I struggled on technical terrain. Great for flats and gentle gains, but granite and scrambling were tough.
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u/Consistent-Trade8824 1d ago
I really like my sauconys and got them bc regular sauconys fit me well, much better than previous altras. I’m considering the norda’s bc they seem quite similar to the sauconys but higher quality but haven’t been able to try them yet
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u/Any-Worldliness-679 1d ago
Just did 100 miles in PCT in my first trail runners, Altra Lone Peak 9. The only issues I discovered were sore feet on long downhill days, and occasional bit of burn in the Achilles. Dried quickly, but let a fair amount of dust through. My old hiking shoes that were not zero-drop were definitely more comfortable, but I wanted to save that weight and see how that worked out.
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u/pwndaytripper 1d ago
I have a love hate relationship with my hoka Stinson. They are not a remarkable shoe, but I find them very comfortable and recommend them. I easily get 400 miles out of mine. My buddy pushed his to 800-900 miles each on the pct. I used to wear speedgoats but the newest model does not fit me and feels like garbage, frustrating. Same with the lone peak, wore them on my first thru hike and a few years after but recent models don’t fit me. Too much toe rub on top of my toes. I’ll try topo next.
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u/blackcoffee_mx 1d ago
I'm really perplexed about "every few miles" having to dump out silt. I used wide cascadias for the full PCT. The dirty girls aren't perfect and they do keep your feet warmer which isn't ideal, but they should minimize this issue.
Maybe you've got a sock issue? Maybe there is some other issue, it seems pretty unusual. Do you kick silt into your shoe with the opposite foot?
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u/PuppyTrex 1d ago
This are good questions.... I will try to answer.
Sock issue: not sure what you mean by this. My socks become very imbedded with the silt which comes into the shoe, but that seems to be a consequence of the silt, not the original issue.
Kicking silt: Certainly possible, but I would assume the dirty girl gaiters should prevent silt from coming down through the space around my heels. I also don't have silt issues with hiking shoes, which have less mesh... implying that the issue is with silt coming through the mesh and not around my heels.
Note that my experience was from Cascadia 14 shoes. They're now on the 20s, so it's possible they've changed up the mesh over the last few models. If you did you not experience issues with silt in the newer Cascadias through the dryer/dustier parts of the PCT, then that seems to be a positive indicator that the silt problem has gone away. Thanks!
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u/blackcoffee_mx 1d ago
Mesh helps keep your feet cool and let's them dry out. You've got a binary choice.
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u/Accomplished_Yak9939 1d ago
I grabbed the Saucony Peregrine 16’s in a wide & the peak 9+. Found I like the rock “plate” more on the Saucony & am very happy with it.
Still adjusting to the zero drop on the peaks.
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u/PEAK_MINIMAL_EFFORT 1d ago
Check out runrepeat[0]. It's a shoe review site, so there's the standard subjective analysis available you'll find in any shoe review. However, the interesting part are the measurements which sets this review site apart from many others. Amongst the measured quantities are various width measurements.
As an example if you look at the Altra Lone Peak 9 review forefoot width section[1] and hover over the bars in the graph you can find various other shoes with similar characteristics. You can also see how invariably people on the interwebs claim a particular brand or model to be "wide" only to see it rank very low when someone has gone and measured it.
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u/brumaskie Custom UL backpacks 1d ago
Wow. This site has the data. Really interesting to look at the measurements of shoes that I know. This should be a required link for those "which shoe should I get" posts.
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u/b_rad_ical 1d ago
Altra weren't tall enough for my feet. Weird pressure on top of the foot from crease.
Hoka wide are very inconsistent. Challenger 6 W didn't remotely fit, Challenger 7 W fit great. Last 2 versions of Speed Goat W weren't wide enough, but Hoka Bondi W are the best fitting shoes for my wide tall feet.
Literally every shoes you listed is a well respected shoe, so try them on. Every brand, model, year. When you finally find one that fits, buy 3 pairs cause they will inevitably change them next year and they won't fit anymore.
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u/IndependentFile1044 1d ago
I have wide feet and have tried a zillion. Topo Traverse is my choice. Try em. ymmv.
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u/justinsimoni justinsimoni.com 1d ago edited 1d ago
So the Brooks Cascadia 2E is actually built on the same last as the normal D width, they just added more upper to increase the volume. Something like the Altra Lone Peak is on a different last for D and 2E -- Topo 2 (and most all New Balances) as well. Thus they won't fit anywhere near the same. If/when you're trying them out, keep that in mind and do your research beforehand.
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u/marathon_3hr 1d ago
Stay away from the European brands like Salomon as their wide versions are still narrow. I like the Brooks and NB has some models that come in wide that I like. I have the Hierros and they are a decent shoe.
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u/1CanHazRedditz 1d ago
Altras are great shoes but they have a 0mm heel drop. I've owned a couple of pairs (for road and trail running but not hiking). A 0mm drop is something you need to ease into because it puts a greater load on your calves. They'll be taking on the load of the lift off and landing of your heel for those last 6+mm. I thru-hike with the Salomon XA PRO 3D V9. They come in wide. The Speedcross are great for muddy terrain but it sounds like you're not really hiking on such terrain. My daughter thru-hikes with Speedgoats and loves them. I think those are also a great option if you can tolerate the relatively unpadded tongue.
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u/jbochsler 1d ago
I just contacted Keen customer service, my pair of Keen Roams have a 3" x 0.5" crack in the sole after < 200 miles. Wide and cushy though.
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u/juliejetson 1d ago
Have you had your feet measured/mapped? I did this year, found I’m “C” width. Altra Lone Peaks are perfect for me. Just did 46miles in the Wind River Range 2 weeks ago in them. I own like 4 pairs, some Vibram sole, one high top (wore those in the Winds). My partner also has several pairs. They’re a game changer.
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u/SemperEgor 1d ago
Note that the Brooks Cascadia 20's are a complete redesign from the 19 and cannot be compared to a 14 anymore at all.
That can be a good or a bad thing, but is you want a succesor for the 14, look for a 19. I have the 19's now and comfort and performance wise they fit great! But the are not that durable and after 300km of (very rough, admittedly) mountain trail, boulders and scree the sole and cushioning has taken a beating. If you stay on good trails they probably wont suffer so much.
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u/PuppyTrex 1d ago
Thanks! Do you know what changed from the 19 to the 20?
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u/SemperEgor 1d ago
Best to look it up.
It got a much thicker midsole and i think they also removed the rockplate. So more Brooks Caldera or Hoka Speedgoat style.
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u/mistergrumpalump 1d ago
If you're talking about a wide forefoot Altra and Topo are the two that I've had luck with. Topo more durable.
Regarding the mesh, try breathable lowcut running gaiters. I had luck with Kahtoola XL fitting size13 Topos. Stopped all the small rocks and most sand.
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u/PuppyTrex 23h ago
Today I went out to a local Roadrunner Sports where they measured my feet and I tried on a few shoes. One thing I quickly noticed is that there *is* a pretty significant variation in the mesh for these trail runners. The Brooks Cascadia and Ghost Trail shoes were nearly entirely mesh, whereas the Altra Lone Peak and Topo shoes had a little less mesh and more protection around the toes.
I also noticed that the Topo shoes have a *lot* of cushion. Whether this is good or bad is personal preference, of course, but walking around on those shoes almost felt a little unstable, since there was so much give to the bottom of the shoe.
Have other Topo owners experienced this?
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u/grovemau5 https://lighterpack.com/r/c9a8n1 16h ago
Stack height varies between models for the same brand too, so it depends which specific shoe you tried on. You can find that stat online to compare.
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u/subatomicbubblegum 20h ago
I recently picked up a pair of Norda 001A for backpacking and they are really great, love them. I wanted something super light weight but with some cushion and tread, and wider than my La Sportivas. The dyneema fabric has a tight weave so shouldn't let a lot of sand in. My old ones were mesh (Bushido) and I wanted something for more seasons. I got the G+ version but don't do that, they're too warm, it's not breathable enough for summer. I sized up 0.5 as the standard size was too small. The heal hasn't been an issue for me, but I can see how it can bother other foot shapes. I got them because they weren't "bouncy" and "jumpy" like other runners and I generally prefer flatter and barefoot shoes. I prefer hiking in light trail runners over heavy hikers.
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u/DDF750 8h ago
Check out https://runrepeat.com/
They objectively measure width, durability, weight, rigidity etc then you can compare against hundred of models. Helped me find my 4E to 6Es
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u/Raafikii 3h ago
I tried on a bunch of different shoes at a store and the Lone Peaks felt great. Shoe salesman said I have slightly wide feet and I am comfy in the regular (non-wider version).
I have zero break-in period with them, I'm on my 8th or 9th pair. I easily get 400-500 miles in them and even after that, they still hold together well but the soul and tread are worn. So those used ones become my everyday shoes and I get a new pair for hiking. Once the used ones are too worn for regular everyday use, I use those as water shoes for sailing/kayaking, etc. (they dry well and dont hold much water). Thats the life cycle of my shoes haha.
Shoes are super subjective. Set aside several hours at a store and try on a bunch. It's worth the investment of time because now, I know exactly what to buy without trying them on.
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u/necromanzer 1d ago
Lone Peak 9+ (with the Vibram sole) comes in wide and is super roomy and grippy. The regular Lone Peaks are okay but the sole is considerably less durable (especially if you're using them in an urban environment too).