Try This Running Shoe Rotation: 6 Trail Shoes + 1 Road Shoe

What does your running shoe rotation look like?

• Do you go a million miles until the shoes fall apart?
• Or do you cycle through a couple of pairs at a time?

On average, most running shoes deliver optimal performance for 300 to 500 miles. .
After that, it's often a slow and steady decline to the shoe graveyard...also known as your closet overflowing with retired running shoes.

• Sure, there's probably some outliers that last longer thanks to changes in new shoe materials and design. 
• But most shoes start to break down, beginning with their first out-of-the-box run.

If you're a running-shoe junkie, like cycling through running shoes, or run different terrain, what's your running shoe rotation look like?.
Check out this runner's 2024 running shoe rotation = 6 trails shoes + 1 road shoe...

Prior to 2013, I wore any running shoe available with the best price tag.
.
With one shoe, I:

• Ran on the beach, trail and road
• Mountain biked and rode gravel...

...until they fell apart. Then I'd find another extremely discounted shoe to put through the wringer. 

✅I finally got serious about proper shoes in 2014. 

• That’s when I began wearing the Saucony Peregrine trail shoe almost exclusively. 
• At the end of 2019, I began wearing the La Sportiva Lycan I and II until it was discontinued several years later. 

👟Thus, in 2023, I had to find another go-to trail shoe and tried many, including:

• Nike Wildhorse 7 
• La Sportiva Jackal

During that time, I didn’t find a trail shoe that I absolutely LOVED.
.
Until July 2023 when I got my first Altra Lone Peaks. 

🏃‍♀️‍➡️For six months, I ran trails exclusively in the Altra Lone Peak, plus other Altras for the road, which you can read about in these Rundown stories: 

• My Favorite Running Items of 2023 (so far): Part 1
• Favorite Running Items (Part 2): Check Out My Top Picks 
• Favorite Running Items Part 3: Shoes, Shorts, Bands & More!
• Favorite Running Items Part 4: Stuff to Make You Strong & Cool

😲Why was I obsessed with this shoe?

• Zero drop. 
• Little cushion. 
• Wide (even though I have narrow feet).
• I was all in because of a recent torn ankle ligament from walking and talking at the same time.

After healing, I wanted to be as stable and connected to the ground as possible with enough room for possibly taping my ankle during runs (I only ended up taping once or twice). 

• The low cushion and zero drop of the Altras was the answer. 
• Thus, the Lone Peaks served as my training and race shoes for the December 2023 Cloudland Canyon 50k trail race. 

❌It was the perfect running shoe...until it wasn't
.
After the race, however, when I ran in the Lone Peaks, bursitis in my left heel flared. When I ran in shoes with a higher stack and drop, such as the Nike Pegasus trail, the burn of the bursitis was non-existent.

After the Lone Peak vs. Pegasus Trail experience, I saw my sports physical therapist and shelved the Altras.

• But when you run in a favorite shoe for a long time, it's hard to quit. 
• That was my cue from the Universe to build a solid running shoe rotation plan for 2024.
• Instead of my one-shoe-wonder strategy, I decided to run this year in a mix of running shoes.

Check out my running shoe rotation....

A close running friend had been running in Topos for a few seasons, so I went with her recommendation and tried on the Topo Ultraventure at the Jus’ Running store in Asheville, N.C.

✅Immediately, I loved:

• The natural toe box, similar to the Altra Lone Peaks
• The soft, flexible upper
• And the comfortable cushion 

They were so comfortable that I threw caution to the wind, ran three miles in them upon purchase, and the very next day raced a trail 25k. 
.
It turned out to be a fine decision, and I continued wearing them for 50k training.

• Purchase date: March 2
• Size: 7.5 
• Longest run: 31 miles
• Races run in the Topo Ultraventure 3: March 3 Conquer the Rock 25k, June 8 Laurel Highlands Ultra 50k

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• Yes

Adding the Speedgoat to my rotation was an easy decision because of its consistent ranking as “best trail shoe.”
.
Yet, it was not love at first run, because...

• After about eight miles, my toes would become tingly...
• Despite having ample space between the tip of the shoe and my longest toe. 
• Yet, I kept slowly building up the miles in them, and eventually my toes no longer tingled. 

In fact, they have become one of the favorites in the rotation, so much so that I even bought the next model, the Speedgoat 6 (see below).
.
The cushion and support instills confidence, making me feel as if I could go forever without my feet tiring.

• Purchase date: Feb. 5
• Size: 7.5 
• Longest run: 20.3 miles
• Click to read: A WeeView of the Men’s Hoka Speedgoat 5

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• Yes, I already have (see below)

After reading fellow WeeViews Rundown writer/ shoe expert Holly’s review, I added the Hoka Torrent to my rotation for these reasons:

• Lightweight and breathable upper, good for hot, humid runs
• Dries quickly, good for creek crossings and wet trails 
• 5 mm drop 
• Responsive
• Handles a variety of trail terrain well 
• They’re made from recycled materials - I have a soft spot for the environment 
• Fits true to size

All the reasons for my purchase held up. I choose these for single-digit trail runs involving speedwork.
.
❌The only con: The fit

• The upper doesn’t hug the foot the way I like. 
• It feels like empty space around the top and sides of my feet, and tying them differently hasn’t helped. 

It doesn’t make the feet slide or feel unstable—I just don’t enjoy the spacious feel. 

• Purchase date: Feb. 5
• Size: 7.5
• Longest run: 10 miles

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• No

Click to read Holly’s Hoka Torrent 3 Long Review on WeeViews

When La Sportiva announced they were designing a trail-running shoe designed with the assistance of professional female trail runners, like Clare Gallagher, I quickly got on the waitlist for the U.S. release.
.
The most notable feature of these shoes is the built-in gaiter...

• Which is a stretchy piece of fabric that wraps around the ankle and heel, meant to keep out debris. 
• I’m not sure I needed a gaiter, even with the gnarly Pennsylvania trails I run, but I liked the concept. 
• If anything, the gaiter WITHOUT a pull-on tab makes it difficult to put on the shoe. 

Is it a deal breaker? Not necessarily.

✅What I like most:

• Cushioned heel
• Responsiveness 
• Enough wiggle room in the toes 
• Fits true to size
• Purchase date: March 23
• Size: 39 Euro/ 7.5+ U.S.
• Longest run: 13 miles

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• The question is, will there be future models? If so, I probably won’t buy them, but I am curious about the women’s La Sportiva Prodigio, also a 2024 new release. 

Have you tried the Levante? If so, click to leave a WeeView!

OK, OK, I know that the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 and 5 have been released.
.
So is it even worth mentioning this old model? 

• Yes, because it’s the only shoe that has carried over from my 2022 rotation. 
• Plus, like the Speedgoat, it is consistently ranked as one the the “best trail running shoes,” and I would have to agree. 
• Besides, once these rack up enough miles, I’ll add the latest model to my shoe rotation. 

✅What I love:
 

• Fit
• Cushion
• Versatility - good for road to trail 
• Sometimes I wear them on dirt road runs even if I don’t get on any trails 
• Big drop for when I’m craving it (10 mm) 

• Purchase date: sometime in 2022
• Size: 7.5, which is snug. Next time I’ll size up to 8. 
• Longest run: 10 miles

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• Yes, soon!

Have you tried the Pegasus Trail? If so, click to leave a WeeView!

The Speedgoat 5 won my heart and soles, so I had to try the 6. The cushion, support and traction feel the same. 

Some differences between 5 and 6:

• The 6 has a pull-on loop, which I always appreciate 
• There was no break-in period with the 6
• The upper feels stretchier
• The toe box is a bit roomier

Cons:

• The lamination on the upper is peeling after just a few runs! See pics below.
• The sides of the heel collar sit higher than the 5s and press a teeny tiny bit right below my ankle bones, which doesn’t happen in the earlier version. 

• Purchase date: Sept. 9
• Longest run: 12.43 miles 
• Size: 7.5, with plenty of space. Next time I’d like to try size 7 to compare. 

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• Yes

Have you tried the Speedgoat 6? If so, click to leave a WeeView!

While at the Jus’ Running store in Asheville, N.C., I tried on the Endorphin Speed.
.
Even though I felt like I was walking on a happy, fluffy cloud, I left without them.
.
A couple days later, I got them online.
.
For the record, I have only owned a couple of road-specific running shoes in the past decade. They include the:

• Altra Escalante in 2023
• Brooks Ghost in 2017
• Saucony Cortana in 2014

Going for a high-cushion shoe with a nylon plate was a stray from the norm. But, gosh, they felt OH-SO good running around that store.
.
I knew I would love them for the handful of road miles I log each year, about a three to five mile run once every week or two.  The majority of my runs are on single track trails, anywhere from 25 to 50 miles per week. The limited number of road runs feel AMAZING in this springy, cushy shoe. 

• Purchase date: March 5
• Size: 7.5 
• Longest run: 5 miles 
• Races run in the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3: April 2024 Mount Summit Challenge

Will I include future models in my rotation? 

• Yes, but I will probably size up to an 8. 

Have you tried the Endorphin Speed? If so, click to leave a WeeView!

To sum up, I love having a solid running shoe rotation and plan to for the rest of my running years.
.
Maybe next year I’ll actually log how many miles per shoe I get. Or maybe not.
.
As for 2025, here’s what I think the rotation might include:
 

• Nike Pegasus Trail 5 or 6
• Hoka Speedgoat 6 and 7
• Topo Ultraventure 4 or 5
• La Sportiva Prodigio
• Saucony Peregrine, because I loved them once - maybe I’ll rekindle that flame
• For roads, I’ll keep using the same pair of Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, because they have very low mileage 

Stay tuned for next year’s running shoe rotation review. 
.
Until then, Happy running! 

Share yours in the comments or Create a Weeview and tell us more about your favorite running shoes.