The trail running footwear game, once largely dominated by utilitarian and beefy options, is more dynamic than ever, spurred by a diverse and innovative collection of performance running brands who have taken different paths into the category.
Some footwear enterprises – Nike, Adidas, Saucony and Brooks among them – were pure road running brands for decades before leveraging their extensive shoe-building knowledge to concoct footwear for the trails.
Others developed trail and road footwear simultaneously in their formative years. Brands like Hoka, Altra and On all drew inspiration from their mountainous birthplaces to unveil compelling trail models alongside performance footwear for the road.
And there are some who weren’t into running at all, but rather mountain brands who made their names in skiing or climbing gear for decades before pursuing possibilities in the trail running market. Coming down from the mountain, companies like Salomon, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Lowa and Rossignol have become growing forces in run specialty shops around the world and the U.S. by combining their extensive experience in designing outdoor gear with an adventurous spirit and distinct perspective.
La Sportiva
Origins: Nearly 100 years ago, Narciso Delladio first started creating rugged mountain boots to navigate the steep slopes of the Val di Fiemme in Italy. That helped La Sportiva establish a reputation for building high-performance footwear for the mountains and empowered its push into categories such as technical climbing shoes and mountaineering boots.
Hitting the Trails: La Sportiva moved into the trail running market in the late 1990s amid swelling consumer desire for trail footwear blending the grip, protection and precision of mountaineering boots with the speed and agility of running shoes. Company leadership viewed trail running as a natural extension of its mountain footwear expertise and yet another way to build compelling products for mountain exploration.
Today’s Top Sellers: Now in its third iteration, the Bushido remains La Sportiva’s best-selling trail running shoe. Known for its aggressive traction, secure fit and stability on technical trails, the Bushido III has earned a loyal following among serious mountain runners around the world.
The Future: La Sportiva launched the Prodigio Pro in the spring, billing the new model as a super shoe for the mountains. This fall, La Sportiva will introduce a sister shoe, the Prodigio Max – its most cushioned shoe ever. La Sportiva athletes are plotting wild adventures, too, led by Tyler Andrews’ daring attempt to capture the FKT on Everest. Andrews plans to use a La Sportiva trail shoe for at least the lower half of Everest.
“There’s a reason so many climbers are trail runners and vice versa. Both sports are about pushing into untamed zones where there are no guarantees, just the chance to test yourself, move through the unknown and come back changed. That’s the energy that’s always driven La Sportiva, and it’s why we’re so excited about where trail running is headed next.”
— Michael Genauer, director of product and planning
Salomon
Origins: The Salomon brand established itself in mountain sports with its first innovation, ski edges, from the Salomon family shop in 1947. It later excelled in the winter sports category in bindings, boots, skis and snowboards.
Hitting the Trails: After designing footwear for adventure racing in the 1990s, Salomon entered the trail running space in the early 2000s with key silhouettes like the Speedcross, XA and XT franchises.
Today’s Top Sellers: Among Salomon’s current trail lineup, the Genesis and Thundercross lead the pack, though brand leadership is encouraged by accelerating buzz coming from the company’s pinnacle athlete-influenced S/LAB category, including models such as the S/LAB Genesis, S/LAB Pulsar 4 and S/LAB Ultra Glide.
The Future: With intention and investment, Salomon is pushing for a deeper presence in the U.S. trail running market. The French brand is the title sponsor of this June’s Broken Arrow Sky Race in Lake Tahoe and has increasingly thrown its force behind trail running dynamo Courtney Dauwalter, including debuting a Dauwalter-themed edition of the S/LAB Genesis alongside Shortney long shorts. Of additional note, Salomon has also maneuvered into the road and gravel categories, most notably with a pair of well-received recent releases in the Aero Glide 3 and its Aero Glide 3 GRVL sister shoe.
“It’s no surprise that trail running is booming and more runners are either approaching the activity and the sport or deepening their relationship within. I’m most excited for how more runners will identify with the trail running community as that definition expands and evolves. Brands like Salomon have an opportunity, and responsibility, to help the everyday athlete flourish within trail running by connecting to the ethos, the impact, the ambition, the experience, the stories and the style.”
—Drew Hartman, sports and community marketing manager
SCARPA
Origins: SCARPA (Società Calzaturiera Asolana Riunita Pedemontana Anonima, which means Associated Shoe Manufacturing Company of the Asolo Mountain Area), has manufactured mountain boots and hiking footwear from its production facilities in northern Italy for nearly 90 years. In North America, the brand first established recognition in telemark and backcountry skiing as well as climbing.
Hitting the Trails: SCARPA entered the trail running category about 15 years ago, fueled by brand loyalists’ growing interest in lighter, faster footwear. Over the last five years, though, SCARPA has invested increased time and energy into the trail running category amid rising participation in the sport.
Today’s Top Sellers: The Golden Gate 2, SCARPA’s entrant into the swelling door-to-trail footwear niche, has been the brand’s most recent best seller, while the eco-friendly Spin Planet has resonated as well with its blend of sustainable materials and quality performance features.
The Future: Powered by input from its athlete team and trail running enthusiasts, SCARPA recently introduced the Ribelle Run 2, its most technically advanced shoe for technical and rugged terrain, as well as the Spin Ultra 2, a model many SCARPA athletes will be sporting at the Western States Endurance Run and Hardrock 100 this summer.
“We are excited to bring loyal SCARPA customers the same experience and performance in trail running as they have become accustomed to in our more well-known categories. It’s exciting to be able to both offer existing customers outstanding products in a newer category and to expose new customers to a brand like ours that has such a heritage in authentic mountain footwear.”
— Mark Mathews, VP–sales
Rossignol
Origins: Founded in 1907, Rossignol gained its notoriety in the ski and snowboard categories, manufacturing everything from skis and boards to boots, bindings, Nordic ski gear, apparel, helmets, packs and eyewear.
Hitting the Trails: Rossignol is new to the trail running marketplace – like really new. inspired by its motto – “For the Mountains, and a Mountain for All” – the brand debuted its first two trail running models, the Vezor and Venosk, in early 2025. At last summer’s UTMB, numerous racers wore the Vezor, which generated early intrigue for Rossignol’s debut trail running styles.
Today’s Top Sellers: Given its approachable $140 price tag and versatility, the Venosk has emerged as Rossignol’s best seller. And yet, the Vezor, Rossignol’s most technical shoe, has earned strong early accolades from athletes and media testers while helping to elevate Rossignol’s profile in a competitive space.
The Future: At UTMB later this summer, Rossignol will highlight its next big drop, the Vercors, a high-cushioned shoe for longer distances slated to be released next spring. Rossignol also plans to continue building upon its apparel collection for runners, a category it began investing in last year.
“Rossignol has built a reputation over nearly 120 years as a leader in mountain sports equipment, so [trail running] is a really logical next step for the brand in a very adjacent category. We’ll obviously have to earn our place by making great product, but we feel that the heritage of mountain running that surrounds the Rossignol global headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans, France, and our U.S. headquarters in Park City, UT, combined with the fact that so many of our athletes and employees are avid trail runners, gives us an edge to speak to the category from an authentic place.”
— Evan Pengelly, Nordic and trail run category
manager
Lowa
Origins: Founded in 1923 by a Bavarian cobbler named Lorenz Wagner, Lowa built its reputation across the 20th century on hiking and backpacking footwear, though it also pioneered innovations in ski boots. (One interesting historical note: Wagner was replaced as the mayor of Jetzendorf, Germany, in 1933 due to his lack of loyalty to the Third Reich. Later during World War II, his factory was forced to make footwear for the German military.)
Hitting the Trails: With the marketplace clamoring for lighter, more agile trail footwear, Lowa debuted its first trail running shoes in 2023, eager to connect with a fast-moving demographic not being served by the brand’s traditional hiking boots.
Today’s Top Sellers: Lowa hit the market with three silhouettes – the speedy Citux, a daily workhorse called the Amplux and the long distance-oriented Fortux. The Fortux has established itself as Lowa’s starlet, a versatile all-rounder for long runs and light hiking.
The Future: Lowa is continuing to grow its trail running footwear catalog with new styles like the Madrix and updated models like the Amplux 2. The brand is also offering wear test opportunities at local trail races and sponsoring TrailCon, the trail running industry conference happening later this month in Olympic Valley, CA.
“We see tremendous potential in trail, not only to deepen relationships with existing customers by becoming their second or third Lowa purchase, but also to expand our reach to a younger, more athletic audience. It’s an exciting long-term opportunity that brings both strong sales potential and increased brand visibility.” — Peter Sachs, GM
