Salomon Mens Speedcross 6 Quiet Shade/Black/Pearl Blue 9.5 Medium

Why it's worth it

The Speedcross 6 uses 6mm chevron lugs in Contagrip TA rubber, and it grips soft ground better than anything else here. If your trails are wet clay, snow, or churned-up singletrack, this is the shoe that keeps you upright.

Nothing else in this guide handles mud like the Speedcross. Those 6mm chevron lugs are deeper than anything on the trail runners above, and they're spaced to shed muck instead of packing it in. OutdoorGearLab rated it best in class for traction on soft, muddy, and wet terrain in its trail shoe roundup, and RunRepeat's aggregation of user reviews put it first in the mud and soft-terrain category. Owners running snow and ice say much the same.

The fit is the other half of the appeal. Salomon builds this shoe snug and locked-down, with the Quicklace system pulling the upper tight in one motion. On a steep, greasy descent, your foot doesn't slide forward into the toe. It's a precise, secure feeling that people either love or find restrictive, so it's worth knowing which camp you're in before you buy.

From our review of 8 hiking boots and trail running shoes, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +Nothing else in this guide handles mud like the Speedcross
• +The fit is the other half of the appeal
• +It's more durable than aggressive-lug shoes usually are

What to know

• –Those deep lugs are a liability on dry, hard-packed trail and pavement
• –The snug last doesn't suit every foot