Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Offering versatile cushioning and grip for varying terrain, the women's Craft Endurance trail-running shoes provide great grip on moderate trails while still feeling agile on roads or easy terrain.
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Imported.
View all Craft Women's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
---|---|
Trail-Running Shoe Type | Light-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 9 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 34 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 25 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Engineered mesh |
Midsole | TPE (Thermo Plastic Elastomer) foam |
Outsole | Rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 10.9 ounces |
Gender | Women's |
6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Women's | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 |
UK | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 |
EU | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.75 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.75 | 41.5 | 42 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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The BEST thing about these shoes is the amazing bounce and springiness with every step. You can feel them helping with your turnover. Out of the box, these shoes are easy to wear; I didn't have to break them in. The mesh upper is very flexible and the toe box has ample wiggle room. My only concern with the mesh upper is on the front edge by my toes; I haven't tested these shoes on rocky downhills, and I don't know if the very front part is thick enough to protect your toes against particularly rocky terrain. If you normally don't run down rocky hills, it shouldn't be an issue. For reference, I normally wear light stability shoes on the roads and felt like these had enough support for me at least for up to 8-9 miles. For longer runs I like to wear shoes with a bit more support, and these don't quite have enough arch support *for me* for a trail half marathon. But, they'd be fine for a 10-15k on the trails.
I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. I was very impressed with these trail running shoes. They felt light & had great traction. I ran for miles with these shoes & did not experience foot fatigue. The mesh uppers were flexible & offered great breathability. The only downside I found was the sizing. The shoes ran slightly small. I highly recommend these!
Loved the extra support in these; typically experience pain from high arches and creaky knees when I run and had neither with this shoe. Held up well in variable terrain, including mud (didn’t slip). It’s a unique looking shoe but I think it’s better in person in terms of aesthetics!
Im still deciding on these. I went for a run around my neighborhood when I first tried them and the tongue was really stiff. Wore them for a week to break them in and thats helped but havent run in them again. Worried about getting on the trails and having chaffing on the top of my foot. Pros: Light weight, wide sturdy base, good bottom grip. Cons: shoelaces come undone, stiff tongue.
I have a pair of Saucony Peragine that I really loved for trail running, but as I was training for a 50 Miler, I noticed my feet getting sore on very long runs. As the race is on varied terrain, I wanted a hybrid max cushion shoe. I ran a few miles with the Craft Endurance, and they felt amazing. This weekend confirmed how much I love these shoes. I ran a 24 hour format race. My strategy was to start with the Saucony and then switch to the Craft. (It was very wet and muddy so I knew a shoe change would be needed.). I ran 5 hours in the Saucony and my feet were aching. I switched to the Craft Endurance and ran another 11 hours. My feet were thankful. The course was muddy with some roots and rocks, and a section with a lot of sand. The Craft Endurance handled everything superbly. I am going to buy a second pair so I can rotate if ever needed again.
I really like these trail runners. They’re super responsive, comfy, and breathable. I feel like they got more comfortable, the longer I ran. At first I felt like the tongue was flimsy and a little odd, but it ended up not being a factor at all. These shoes do have a pretty aggressive stack (I was running in Speedgoats before trying these) so on real technical terrain, that could be a factor. My feet were not fatigued at the end of my run and I felt great!
So far, these shows are great! I love the unique styling and they fit well. The only thing I did not like were the insoles. They seem awfully weak and sort of cheap for an otherwise high quality shoe.