The Best Trail Running Shoes of 2021 (So Far) msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Other brands have made shoes from recycled materials before, like Adidas’ Parley collaboration, and On Running has announced the Cyclon, a subscription-based recyclable shoe for later in 2021 (though it will only ship when regional demand has been met), but the Index.01 is the first full-circle shoe to hit the market.
How it Performs
The Index.01 is a comfortable everyday trainer that blurs the line between performance and lifestyle. The clean, off-white aesthetic features Salomon’s new nitrogen-infused TPU Infiniride midsole, and a polyester upper. I found that Infiniride feels softer underfoot than most of Salomon’s other models. The polka-dot outsole provides decent traction on most days, though the middle of the shoe doesn’t have as much grip on wet surfaces as the stickier patches on the heel and toe. The polyester upper is very soft and comfortable, and it’s a roomier fit than Salomon is known for.
Best for Dry Trails $120.00
The responsive Torrent won over longtime Speedgoat fans with its lightness and soft midsole.
Testers appreciated all that protection on our notoriously rugged local trails, but noted it complicate the lacing system, making it more difficult to quickly get the right fit. The lace pocket on the Wildcross follows the top-loading entry of the S/Lab Ultra and Ultra Pro. “I am a perpetual shoelace tension seeker,” said one tester, “I was unable to get that quick, one-pull tighten that I can achieve in the Speedcross. It took a little longer, albeit not long, to achieve the right tightness during the run.” Once they were able to dial in the fit, however, testers found that the shoe felt very secure.