Best Trail Running Shoe Under $250

The best premium trail running shoe under $250 for serious runners.

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Suited for serious trail runners seeking race-ready or all-day comfort.

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We use primary style, cushion, outsole grip, rock plate, and fit to recommend premium trail shoes with better materials and tuning. These inputs prioritize advanced trail features for demanding runs. Limitation: this price range rarely includes full carbon construction.

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Best Trail Shoe Under $250

Hoka Torrent 2

• Price: $160
• Weight: 9.4 oz (267 g) for men, 8.2 oz (232 g) for women
• Why It's Capable: The Hoka Torrent 2 is designed for technical terrain, featuring a balanced cushioning that allows for a smooth ride while maintaining responsiveness. Its Vibram Megagrip outsole provides excellent traction on slippery surfaces, making it a reliable choice for challenging trails. The shoe also has a lightweight construction that doesn’t compromise durability, allowing you to tackle long distances with ease.

Runner-Ups

1. Salomon S/Lab Sense 8
   • Price: $200
   • Weight: 7.6 oz (215 g) for men, 6.5 oz (185 g) for women
   • Why It's Capable: The Salomon S/Lab Sense 8 is a lightweight, performance-driven shoe that excels on technical terrain. It features a precise fit and a Contagrip outsole with Vibram Megagrip technology, ensuring exceptional grip and stability. The shoe is designed for speed and agility, making it ideal for competitive trail runners.
2. La Sportiva Bushido II
   • Price: $170
   • Weight: 9.1 oz (258 g) for men, 8.0 oz (227 g) for women
   • Why It's Capable: The La Sportiva Bushido II delivers excellent stability and traction on technical trails. Its Vibram Megagrip outsole provides superior grip, while the dual-density midsole offers a balance of cushioning and responsiveness. This shoe is perfect for those who need extra support and confidence when navigating rugged terrain.

Brought to you by TheToolCollective.com

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The Tool Collective are a group of diverse and talented hobbyists on a mission to create thousands of ultra specific, and helpful decision making tools that help others who share our passions and interests. Whether they help with buying decisions, or give you expert level advice for techniques or methods, we will make it. Outdoor sports and recreation is where our tools shine. On top of that we are all die hard fitness gurus. We rarely go a day without hitting the gym or going for long runs. In general, we favor running outdoors as opposed to treadmills and find ourselves running our local trails frequently. Trail running is far different and much more intensive and requires precise shoe choice and gear to help you remain safe and protect yourself from injury. We made a big batch of tools specifically for trail running so other people like us can find the perfect pair of shoes for their trails and running style, as well as get good recommendations for gear and accessories. Enjoy!

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Made with The Tool Collective's signature model. We combine an AI engine which process the user's input choices and runs it through our specifically designed logic and reasoning parameters for that tool to curate a precise and organized output. An enthusiast knowledgeable in the tool category designs the tools inputs and input choices, writes custom logic parameters, and defines the output format and requirements. The AI engine powers the system and creates a lightning fast, highly intelligent decision tool, which is always up-to-date with current pricing and publicly available information on whatever the tool is designed for. Combines all of the internets resources into one.

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