What to run Canadian trails in
There are 153 trail races on the calendar right now and 75 of them are ultras. Typical race day is 18°C with 34% of days seeing rain — which matters more on trail than on road, because wet ground changes which shoe is right far more than wet air does.
| Province | Trail races | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 49 | ||
| Ontario | 37 | ||
| British Columbia | 27 | ||
| Alberta | 13 | ||
| Nova Scotia | 8 |
153 upcoming trail races across the country. Quebec and Ontario carry the most, but British Columbia has the biggest mountains — the terrain matters more than the count when you are choosing a shoe.
There is no single best trail shoe, only a best shoe for the ground you will be on. Hardpack and gravel rail-trail wants something close to a road shoe with a bit of bite. Wet roots, mud and the shoulder seasons want deep, widely spaced lugs that shed dirt. A shoe that is superb in one is mediocre in the other, and no amount of cushioning compensates for the wrong outsole.
What the trail testers picked
Outside tests trail shoes over a full season; OutdoorGearLab runs side-by-side comparisons; iRunFar tests on real mountain terrain.
Saucony Peregrine 16
Best all-around“Agile, responsive, rugged and comfortable” — Outside
Kept as the top all-rounder for another year, and the shoe most likely to be right if you only own one pair.
Hoka Speedgoat 7
Best balance of cushion and grip“Balanced blend of cushioning, traction and stability” — Outside
The default long-day trail shoe. If you are entering one of the 75 ultras on the calendar, this is the name that keeps coming up.
max cushionFind it on Amazon.caSalomon Speedcross 6
Best grip on soft ground“Grip that nothing else can match on soft surfaces” — OutdoorGearLab
Built for mud, wet grass, loose soil and snow. Overkill on hardpack, unbeatable when it is genuinely sloppy.
Hoka Torrent 4
Best value“Handles almost any trail” — OutdoorGearLab
The one to buy if you are not sure trail racing is going to stick.
budget pickFind it on Amazon.caAltra Timp 6
Best zero-drop“Stellar grip, fits well, just the right amount of cushioning” — iRunFar
Zero drop is a real adjustment — worth easing into rather than debuting on race day.
zero dropFind it on Amazon.caAltra Olympus 6
Most cushioning“A tank of a shoe that floats on maximal cushioning” — iRunFar
For very long days when your legs matter more than your ground feel.
If you are buying one pair: take the all-rounder. Specialist mud shoes are excellent on the four days a year the course is genuinely sloppy and tiring the rest of the time. The exception is if your local trails are consistently wet — the west coast in shoulder season, the Maritimes in spring — in which case buy for the ground you actually run on, not the one you hope for.
Then go and find the race
Browse every trail race in Canada, or start with the provinces that host the most: Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia. Every race page shows what the weather usually does on that day in that town, which on trail is the number that decides your outsole.
Good to know
- Can I race a trail 10K in road shoes?
- On dry hardpack, yes, and plenty of people do. On anything wet, rooty or steep you will spend the race managing your footing instead of running, and a slip on a descent costs more time than any shoe saves.
- What does zero drop actually change?
- It shifts load from your knees toward your calves and achilles. Some runners much prefer it. It is not something to try for the first time on race day — give it several weeks of easy running first.
- Do I need a carbon plate on trail?
- Far less than on road. Uneven ground and constant direction changes give a stiff plate much less to work with, and stability matters more. Most trail testers still rank unplated shoes at the top.
Links to Amazon.ca are affiliate links and RaceFinder may earn a commission as an Amazon Associate — it never changes what we list or what you pay. Verdicts belong to the outlets credited above; follow the links for the full reviews, which are worth your time. If you can, buy from a running store near you and try things on.