Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Built to provide lightweight traction to go fast on uneven terrain in wet conditions, the men's ASICS Fuji Lite 5 trail-running shoes provide impact absorption and have outsoles with advanced grip.
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Imported.
View all ASICS Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
---|---|
Trail-Running Shoe Type | Light-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Maximum Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 4 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 32.5 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 28.5 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Synthetic textile/polyester mesh |
Lining | Polyester |
Midsole | FF Blast |
Outsole | ASICSGRIP |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 2.6 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria Contains recycled materials |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 12 | ||||
EU | 40 | 40.5 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50.5 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.9 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.4 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12 | 12.2 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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First time I pulled the shoe on, the tongue stitching tore. Very poor workmanship
I really like this trail shoe. It's nice to find a simple, but responsive trail shoe in this world of over stacked, and over engineered shoes. Things I like: Lightweight, flexible, responsive, low stack height, good traction, comfortable cushioning, and it's fast. Great ground feel and connection to the trail. Things I don't like: Below average rock protection (no rock plate), and the upper does not breath well, which is why I gave this 4 stars vs 5. It gets hot with 70+ temps, but it does keep dirt and dust out well. Runs a tad small, so went up a half size which was perfect for me. A no thrills trail shoe that just works for most trail conditions. For the price, it's a no brainer. Would use up to a 50k without hesitation or a fast short trail race. My surprise favorite trail shoe for 2024.
I’ve been struggling to find some shoes that work for me as both trail and road shoes and are comfortable (thank goodness for REI’s generous return policy!). Unfortunately, the trend is toward shoes that are “gimmicky,” featuring wide toe boxes, built in rocker, zero drop, or other do-dads that are supposed to work miracles to improve your running, but for me fall short. After trying and failing to make any of these nonstandard running shoes work, I decided to try something decidedly more old school. These totally fit the bill! Things I like: plush cushion, plush uppers (especially around the ankle where I find many new school shoes overly stiff and uncomfortable), excellent tongue and laces, good tread for both road and trail. Things I don’t like: Jackson Pollack-esque color-way. If you are sick of over-hyped, over-engineered under-performing shoes, give these a try. They are excellent!
I've owned the 2/3, and now the 5. I love the comfort and added cushion of the 5, but I felt like the upper and lock down, and toe guard on the 2/3 were much better for all-around trail running. I get way too much play in the upper of the 5 owing to the lace-loop setup (stretches a lot), and there is very little protection for the toes. I could take the 2/3 on rocky terrain and off-cambered terrain with much more confidence than the 5. Endurance of both uppers and midsole are amazing, and I even was able to resole my 2/3 with Vibram Megagrip outsole (w/deeper lugs!). I've seen a prototype/sample of the 6. Looks more aggressive, but still not sold on the upper/lacing. I'd like to see them combine the Lite and Speed into one all-mountain racer/VK shoe (a la the TNF Sky 2).
I like these shoes. They are comfortable and lightweight and have enough toe box room for my feet which are standard width I think. I mostly run desert trails which include many rocks. Cushioning is good. These are in my regular rotation with Gel Trabucos and Gel Kayanos.
Better cushion and pronation support than cumulus, which were my previous everyday sneakers. Better standing cushion support than other runners I’ve had in the past as well. Recommend for pretty much any use.
Awesome shoe! I was looking for a shoe with lower drop and not to much stack height. The Fuji Lite 5 delivered. It grips the trail well and I can feel the trail. Not to many miles yet but so good so far.
Although the shoe looks good, fits well and is comfortable, the first time I put them on, the tongue in the right shoe tore about a quarter inch.
Great fit, super comfortable. Tread is extremely grippy for trail/treadmill running. I wear around town as well.
Love the fit, the look, the stack height, the outsole, and it has the perfect amount of cushioning.