Gravel shoes: the next growth category in running?

For years, cyclists have had three main types of bikes to choose from: bikes built for the road, gravel and mountain. We runners have been stuck in the two-category world for a long time (trail and road), but in 2026 we may be about to see an explosion of gravel as a new shoe category.

In March, Salomon brought out the newest (fourth) edition of the AeroGlide, and has released it in two different versions–regular (road) and gravel (GRVL). With this update, Salomon, among other brands, is adding to one of the fastest growing segments in running. So what’s this gravel-running trend all about?

What is a gravel shoe?

Gravel shoes combine the best attributes of road shoes with the off-road advantages of trail. They are generally lighter and softer than a traditional trail shoe, but have better grip and bigger rubber outsole lugs than a road shoe. (This is similar what we’ve seen with gravel bikes, which have road bike geometry, but with bigger, wider tires for better traction.)

If you’ve been following trail shoe technology, you’ll notice similarities to a category of shoes that already exists called “road to trail.” Salomon and other brands are intentionally separating these shoes into another segment to create a clearer picture for customers. Road to trail has traditionally been loosely defined and difficult to categorize, but with the running boom we’ve seen in recent years, more runners are looking for products that help them with their specific needs. Salomon believes the gravel categorization will help clarify things for customers.

A gravel shoe isn’t meant to be exclusive to gravel or dirt paths. Since this style of shoes is more responsive, with a softer midsole, shoes like the Salomon AeroGlide 4 GRVL perform very well on harder surfaces, such as pavement, but with an outsole that’s aggressive enough to tackle buffed-out trails and long gravel roads with ease. If you’re planning to run serious technical trails with roots, rocks and aggressive elevation gain or loss, you will want a trail-specific shoe; something like the Salomon UltraGlide 4 has a full rubber outsole with 5-mm lugs. A shoe like this will be more protective on rocky terrain, and will have better grip than a gravel shoe.

Gravel vs. road

Taking a closer looking at the AeroGlide 4 and the AeroGlide 4 GRVL, the differences become quite apparent. Starting with the upper, the GRVL edition of this shoe gives us Salomon’s signature QuickLace system, which is found on their higher-end trail shoes, such as the UltraGlide. The GRVL upper is also a bit more protective, with a less flexible fabric and more overlays around the toe box to keep mud and dust from entering the shoe. In the road version, we have a traditional lace-up closure and a softer, more breathable upper. There are also fewer protective overlays, to keep weight down. These are both excellent shoes, and these key differences can help customers decide which one will best fit their needs.

Which shoe should I get?

If you do most or all of your running on paved surfaces, and you don’t plan on going off-road anytime soon, I’d recommend sticking with the standard road version of the AeroGlide 4. If you enjoy running on mixed terrain, gravel, dirt and trails, as well as roads, the AeroGlide 4 GRVL would be my choice.

If you are looking for one shoe to tackle all different sorts of surfaces, gravel shoes will be a great choice to keep road miles enjoyable while giving you enough traction to keep you confident on all your runs.