TGO Rating: 4.5
Inov-8's Terroc 330 shoes have been my favourites for many years – I wore them on the Pacific Northwest Trail last summer and they’ve been on several TGO Challenges. For this test, Inov-8 provided the very similar Roclite 295.
TGO Rating: 4
The minimalist Trail Glove shoes are part of Merrell’s Barefoot Collection, which is designed to allow wearers to use their feet efficiently, strengthen foot and leg muscles, have better posture and balance and create a closer link with the terrain.
Hoka take the opposite approach to Merrell with these shoes. Instead of a thin sole they have very thick underfoot cushioning – 4.5cms under the heel – that Hoka calls ‘Oversize Technology’.
These clumsily named shoes (I’ll call them Infinity for short) are more conventional in design than those from Inov-8, Merrell and Hoka but the ion-mask treatment makes them stand out from similar shoes.
These trail shoes are lightweight, well-cushioned, very breathable, fast drying and comfortable. They’re also inexpensive.
The Forge Pro is a good trail shoe with excellent cushioning and a sticky rubber sole that is particularly good on rock.
TGO Rating: 3.5
Overall I prefer trail shoes without waterproof membranes, as these make the shoes hotter and slow drying once they do get wet.
TGO Rating: 3
There's nothing really wrong with these shoes – they grip and cushion well and have supportive uppers – but they are noticeably heavier and slightly more expensive than the similar Berghaus Prognosis Tech.
Like the similar shoes from Brasher, Meindl and The North Face, the Vortex XCR are good shoes that perform okay but which are also heavier and more expensive than alternatives that are just as functional.
These shoes are unusual in having a built-in short mesh gaiter. This closes with a zip and a Velcro tab and drawcord at the ankle.
