Winter shoe review: new models and updates for your winter running needs
Find the perfect shoe for running in whatever conditions winter brings
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photos: Matt Stetson
This review covers road and trail shoes, for the simple reason that even if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool road runner, a trail shoe can be a great choice for snowy conditions; it all depends on what constitutes typical winter weather in your area.
A note about Gore-Tex shoes: It’s very much a matter of personal preference, and we strongly recommend experimenting to see what works best for you. However, while most reviewers like Gore-Tex for hiking, dog-walking and errand-running in winter weather, some opt for a non-Gore-Tex shoe for hardcore winter running, because they are lighter (Gore-Tex adds about 28 grams to a shoe’s weight) and because running generates more foot sweat than walking, hiking or getting in and out of the car. Shoes with a weather-resistant coating, such as those from Under Armour, Merrell, On and Saucony, below, may offer the perfect compromise.
Salomon
Speedcross 6 GTX
Best Winter Trail Shoe
Category: Trail
Men’s: 320 g (11.3 oz.)
Drop: 10 mm
Stack Height: 32 mm
Lug Depth: 5 mm
$210
Speedcross is a high-performance shoe whose features (i.e., the Contagrip outsole, with large, widely-spaced lugs and soft rubber for unsurpassed traction on sloppy surfaces, as well as the foolproof QuickLace system) are best suited to steep, technical mountain running, extremely muddy conditions or snow-covered trails—it can even handle wet slab. The previous version of the shoe was made slightly wider through the forefoot and narrower through the arch, to the relief of many runners who loved the shoe’s traction but found the fit confining. Fit, stability and comfort are also aided by the seamless upper (which offers plenty of protection at the front and along the sides) and the rigid heel counter.
This shoe will be most useful for training and racing in cold, wet, muddy conditions. (And might we add that it’s a great-looking shoe?)
Brooks
Caldera 6
Category: Trail
Men’s: 312 g (11 oz.)
Women’s: 281 g (9.9 oz.)
Drop: 6 mm
Stack Height: 26 mm
Lug Height: 4 mm
$190
The Caldera 6’s super-wide midsole is made of Brooks’s nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 cushioning material (the brand’s softest foam), and your foot sits deep in the shoe’s raised sidewalls, for a plush, protected and stable, yet still highly responsive, ride. The 6 has been given a new, quick-drying mesh upper, and has an internal wrap system in the midfoot to keep you locked in—a plus when the footing is tricky. (For serious trail runners, there are gaiter tabs on the tongue and at the front of the laces, a Velcro tab at the back of the heel, and even a place to write your crew’s names on the medial heel.) The redesigned outsole has multidirectional lugs and a split along the centre of the rearfoot, for stable landings and excellent traction in a variety of conditions. Our tester found the toebox height a bit confining, but overall gave this update high marks. Note: a Gore-Tex version will be available soon.
Merrell
Agility Peak 4 GTX
Category: Trail
Men’s: 270 g (9.5 oz.)
Drop: 6 mm
Stack Height: 30 mm
Lug Height: 5 mm
$220
This highly cushioned shoe has a Gore-Tex membrane for maximum protection from the elements. One of its best features is the excellent locked-in fit that can be achieved, thanks to the extremely wide lacing system, and the collar is well padded for maximum comfort. The deeply lugged Vibram outsole performs really well on just about any type of terrain and conditions, and has flex grooves in the forefoot and a rearfoot split that provide stability while letting you feel the contours of the trail. The shoe’s thick midsole and embedded rock plate are highly protective, and it also has a gaiter ring and a webbing loop. (Our review of the non-Gore-Tex version of the shoe appeared in the 2022 Trail Special issue.)
Under Armour
HOVR Machina 3 Storm
Category: Neutral cushioning
Men’s: 340 g (12 oz.)
Women’s: 283 g (10 oz.)
Drop: 8 mm
Stack Height: 33 mm
$200
With its dual-density HOVR midsole (firmer in the front and softer in the rear) and mesh Energy Web (the fine lines in the midsole are actually supportive, and not just cosmetic), the new Machina is a great choice for an all-around daily trainer; the Storm version will keep you warm and dry during those chilly late-fall workouts, while still letting your feet breathe.
The shoe has a very well-padded collar, a cushy, 3D-molded sockliner for step-in comfort and plenty of carbon rubber on the outsole for maximum traction and durability in challenging weather (though it’s the same outsole that’s on the non-Storm version of the shoe).
Like all UA HOVR shoes, the Machina 3 Storm has an embedded chip that works with the MapMyRun app to deliver real-time form coaching through your Bluetooth earbuds.
Puma
Voyage Nitro GTX
Category: Trail
Men’s: 340 g (12 oz.)
Drop: 10 mm
Stack Height: 34.5 mm
Lug Height: 3.5 mm
$200
The Voyage Nitro, now available in Gore-Tex, is not the lightest shoe out there, but it still is a comfortable, well cushioned shoe that handles winter conditions on the trails very capably while keeping your feet dry and warm. It’s reasonably easy to get on and off, in spite of having an integrated tongue, thanks to the stretchy upper and webbing loops on the tongue and heel; the broad, flat laces stay done up well and keep you locked in, in all weather. The lugged outsole is less aggressive than some other shoes, but perfect for packed snow.
The nitrogen-infused midsole is plush and responsive, and the shoe fits snugly without being confining, and true to size. It’s altogether a solid choice for winter trail running.
On
Cloudvista WP
Category: Trail
Men’s: 305 g (10.8 oz.)
Drop: 9 mm
Stack Height: 27 mm
Lug Depth: 2.5 mm
$200
This popular road-to-trail shoe by On is reasonably light and well cushioned, and has On’s proprietary waterproof inner membrane to keep your feet warm and dry on short to moderate runs on hard-packed trails, gravel or snow. (The lugs are minimal, so best to opt for something more aggressive for technical trails.)
The protective upper has a TPU-reinforced toe and sides and reflective accents, with lots of padding around the collar, and the tongue is slightly more padded than in the regular, non-waterproof version of the shoe—and, unlike the regular version (which is white), it comes in dark grey, so you won’t mind getting it dirty on the trails. The shoe’s spongy foam sockliner gives it a very comfortable feeling on step-in, though the fit is a bit skimpy. The very thin laces are fiddly, and we’re concerned about the prominent stitching along the inside of the collar and tongue, which seem likely to cause chafing and premature wear and tear.
Like all On models, the Cloudvista’s midsole is the brand’s signature Helion foam clouds and Speedboard embedded between the midsole and upper, which provide a moderately firm but responsive ride. It has a split outsole, which helps with stability on uneven terrain.
New Balance
Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 GTX
Category: Trail
Men’s: 319 g (11.3 oz.)
Women’s: 262 g (9.2 oz.)
Drop: 8 mm
Stack Height: 28 mm
Lug Depth: 4.5 mm
$220
The Hierro is an excellent all-round trail shoe with lots of great features; it’s built for comfort, with a soft, stretchy, seamless, breathable upper, and v7 has been made lighter than v6 (though you won’t notice much of a difference in the Gore-Tex version). The tongue on the 7 does not come up as high as it did in the previous version, sparing you some potential chafing at the front of the ankle. There are some protective overlays on the upper, as in the past, that add to the feeling of security the shoe provides.
The Fresh Foam cushioning material offers just the right amount of squish without compromising forward propulsion, though we found the ride a bit on the firm side under the forefoot. The redesigned Vibram Megagrip outsole gets high marks for traction and durability.
Salomon
Pulsar Trail GTX
Category: Trail
Men’s: 285 g (10 oz.)
Drop: 6 mm
Stack Height: 33 mm
Lug Depth: 3.5 mm
$190
The Pulsar Trail is a moderate-terrain performance training shoe with a three-pronged propulsion blade embedded in the midsole that, in combination with the responsive Energy Surge midsole foam and the shoe’s rocker, is designed for speed.
The brand’s QuickLace system is a nice feature, because it guarantees a good lockdown and your shoes will never come undone on the trail (though, as with any shoe, you may need to tighten them up a few kilometres into your run the first time you wear them). The shoe’s lug design (contoured at the front and sharply angled at the back) favours climbing. The Gore-Tex version of the shoe will aid your transition to winter’s cold, moderately snowy conditions (but see our notes on Gore-Tex shoes, above).
It should be noted also that the Pulsar Trail GTX is unusually light for a Gore-Tex shoe.
Under Armour
HOVR Sonic 5 Storm
Best Long Run Shoe
Category: Neutral cushioning
Men’s: 286 g (10.1 oz.)
Women’s: 255 g (9 oz.)
Drop: 8 mm
Stack Height: 25 mm
$150
The Sonic is a mileage shoe, with a generous amount of HOVR cushioning and a very flexible forefoot for your easy recovery runs and long runs (though without the added height of a high-stack trainer, which would make it less stable). The Storm version has a windproof and waterproof, breathable upper that makes it an excellent choice for cold, blustery, wet fall and winter runs.
The shoe has a rigid TPU heel counter at the back, which contributes further to stability, and is well padded below the collar; there is lots of carbon rubber on the very durable outsole (which is the same as the regular version of the shoe) for traction in wet conditions.
Like all UA HOVR models, the shoe has a chip embedded in the sole that connects to the MapMyRun app for personalized, real-time form coaching.
Saucony
Peregrine Ice+ 3
Best Winter Road Shoe
Category: Neutral cushioning (road or trail)
Men’s: 300 g (10.6 oz.)
Women’s: 258 g (9.1 oz.)
Drop: 4 mm
Stack Height: 26 mm
Lug Depth: 3.5 mm
$200
No shoe can really be guaranteed to keep you upright on ice without microspikes; but the Peregrine Ice+ does a decent job. It has the brand’s new PWRTRAC ICE outsole, which has smaller, sticky rubber lugs, spaced further apart than the previous version’s Vibram outsole, so snow and other wintry gunk don’t get jammed up underneath. The outsole is split at the back of the heel for better landing stability—though with such a low heel-to-toe offset (4 mm), the shoe will appeal more to midfoot and forefoot strikers, so this may not really be much of a selling point.
The shoe has a warm, protective upper that sheds water and fits snugly but true-to-size for cold winter runs on roads or trails. There’s plenty of padding around the heel, with good flexibility in the forefoot and a firm but decently responsive ride on a PWRRUN (EVA) midsole, and it still has the EVA sockliner for additional comfort on step-in. There are protective elements around the toe and sides, a webbing heel loop and gaiter ring at the front. Our only quibble is that it still only comes in black.
New Balance
Fresh Foam X 880 v12 GTX
Best Daily Trainer
Category: Neutral cushioning
Men’s: 303 g (10.7 oz.)
Women’s: 241 g (8.5 oz.)
Drop: 10 mm
Stack Height: 35 mm
$210
Now you can enjoy New Balance’s most popular shoe in all weather, all winter long, for all types of runners, from beginners to experienced marathoners. The 880 has a dual-density midsole, which is a big trend in trainers—you get the plush Fresh Foam X under the heel to cushion your landings (and tapering toward the front), and the slightly firmer, denser and very responsive Fuel Cell foam layered under the Fresh Foam X at the forefoot, for fast toe-offs.
The upper is a plush knit, with a Gore-Tex lining, a very well padded tongue and collar and broad, flat laces that stay done up well; there is even a D-ring to attach a gaiter at the front, which you rarely see on a road shoe (since road runners rarely wearing gaiters—though perhaps they should?) The thick rubber outsole is practically indestructible, and provides good traction in wet conditions.
Merrell
Long Sky 2 Shield
Category: Trail
Men’s: 268 g (9.4 oz.)
Women’s: 221 g (7.8 oz.)
Drop: 4 mm
Stack Height: 23.5 mm
Lug Depth: 5 mm
$180
Now you can run trails year-round in all conditions with confidence, thanks to the Long Sky 2 Shield from Merrell, which boasts a windproof and water-resistant, breathable mesh-and-TPU upper. The shoe is remarkably light, and the Vibram outsole has deep, widely spaced lugs that will shred even the sloppiest terrain. This is a shoe for the serious, experienced trail athlete who likes a low drop and the challenge of winter weather.
The upper also has an elasticized heel loop and a gaiter ring at the front, and for those who care about what shoe companies are doing to reduce their impact on the environment, the laces, tongue webbing, TPU components and mesh footbed cover are 100 per cent recycled.
Nike
Pegasus Trail 3 Gore-Tex
Category: Trail
Men’s: 316 g (11 oz.)
Women’s: 265 g (9.3 oz.)
Drop: 9.5 mm
Stack Height: 24.5 mm
Lug Depth: 3 mm
$210
Nike’s popular road-to-trail shoe is now available in a waterproof version, so you get the comfort of the Pegasus in a shoe that can handle not only variable terrain, but dodgy weather as well.
The Gore-Tex version of the Peg Trail 3 seems almost identical to the regular version in every way except for the stretchy fabric heel collar, as opposed to the regular version’s padded collar (to form more of a barrier against rain; the brand refers to it as a gaiter, but that’s overtstating things a bit), though there is still plenty of cushioning below it. It still has a moderately firm React foam midsole (the same material used in the last few versions of the regular Pegasus), a padded, gussetted tongue, a lacing system that nicely distributes the load over your instep and a webbed heel loop to pull you securely into the shoe. There’s also plenty of protection for your toes at the front, and some fairly minimal support around the outside of the heel. Note: there is a 4th version of the regular (non-Gore-Tex) Pegasus Trail.
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2022 issue of Canadian Running
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