This season’s batch of shoes were tested in Coastal California’s rolling trails and steep wilderness areas, as well as throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Colorado Rockies, wet Pacific Northwest forests and technical New England terrain.
Cool weather and muddy trails can be a runner’s heaven, but they require a bit more toughness from your socks. We’ve been testing the following styles, any of which are well suited for your autumn trail adventures.
Topo Athletic shoes tend to occupy the lower and lighter weight end of the spectrum, but a new model this fall offers a high-cushioned option to their growing trail line.
A pleasant combination of low and springy, with excellent responsiveness and grip when you’re pushing the pace.
A durable and highly functional backpack with capacity for full trail days or ultralight overnight outings.
A vegan-friendly protein-enhanced recovery drink mix from Tailwind Nutrition, sold in portable packets or larger serving bags for home use.
A lightweight and easy to use sleep system for fast packing, lightweight overnights, or quick setup and takedown before an early morning adventure run.
A comfortable slim-fitting multi-purpose athletic shirt with excellent stretch capacity as well as strong moisture wicking and odor control properties.
A lightweight long-inseam shorts option to keep you simultaneously covered and cool, designed to wick and shed moisture quickly in warm conditions.
HOKA One One picked up Jim Walmsley shortly after his first foray at Western States in 2016 – the one that was infamously derailed by the missed left turn. He’s been involved with shoe development and prototype testing since then, and the EVO Mafate is an example of how his contributions have improved the performance aspects of existing HOKA models.
An extensively updated version of Jetboil’s iconic backcountry water heating system. The new Flash has design updates that make it more stowable, more ergonomic, easier and faster to use than previous editions.
A soft dual-purpose casual and activewear button-down constructed entirely from post-consumer products.
Springtime socks have to be ready for anything: cold mornings, mid-day heat, sudden thunderstorms, or muddy trails. Here are some of our favorites from this spring’s sock bounty.
Two new running packs from Orange Mud for 2018 made for fast and light movement.
Two leading entries in the newly emerging utility belt category, the Naked Running Band and UltrAspire Fitted Race Belt are mesh and elastic waistbands that are chock full of pockets and attachment sites to carry your essentials on the run.
This Spring, Altra has introduced two noteworthy “half updates” to their popular Superior and King MT trail models.
This first update to the Mazama is generally focused on the upper, while the midsole and outsole remain relatively unchanged. The primary changes include a thinner mesh that has enhanced breathability and improved water drainage compared to the original, as well as a 3D rubber print that provides added structure and targeted stretch regions for improved fit and abrasion resistance.
From an activity tracker standpoint, the Ionic is simply impeccable. It combines wrist-based 24/7 heart rate monitoring with calorie tracking and sleep metrics to provide a wealth of fitness analysis. It’s also a full-fledged smart watch, which opens the door to cool add-ons like third party apps.
The Flight RKT shoe was developed in collaboration with Rob Krar and is a sleek model designed for fast training or race efforts.
Two cold-weather running pant styles; one is lightweight and versatile, the other is rugged and ready for extremes. Both provide great winter running options for those who dislike wearing tights.
The Runventure 2 features a couple of design tweaks and borrows a bit from Topo’s other running models, while maintaining the same ruggedness and comfortable fit of its predecessor. It is the lightest shoe in the Topo trail running lineup, and the only one built on a zero-drop platform.
A lighter weight version of Cotoipaxi’s popular Fuego down jacket, the Fuego LT combines natural goose down with synthetic insulation, plus solid exterior wind and water resistance. The resulting packable jacket can be a midlayer for harsh winter conditions, an outerlayer for aerobic activity, or a casual do-everything piece for all seasons.
Two versatile, durable, and multi-functional travel and storage options to keep you organized throughout through race weekend. The Kodiak is the size of a carry-on suitcase and can either be carried as a duffel bag or worn as a backpack, while the Bear III is smaller and designed for convenience at aid stations or the finish line.
The debut vehicle for The North Face’s new Ventrix material, which provides dynamic insulation that increases ventilation when you’re active, and retains heat when you’re going slower.
A lightweight, durable and easy to use traction system for ice and snow.
Altra’s entry in the waterproof/breathable jacket category, the Wasatch is a lightweight shell that combines soft interior lining with a strong weatherproof exterior and mild stretch capacity for full range of motion.
Two non-traditional sleeping bag options for your next camping excursion.
Fall brings cool weather, colorful trails, and a harvest of new running socks to explore them with. For the most part, the themes this autumn are thinner socks and taller ankle heights – and some of our choices have their own colorful flair to celebrate the changing of the seasons.
Patagonia’s lightest and most compressible jacket to date utilizes an innovative new insulation material called PlumaFill that provides excellent warmth to weight and maintains its loft and positioning even with extended use.
If you’re like me and prefer to run with a soundtrack, you likely have a drawer full of various headphones that didn’t quite work out. I heard about the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium, a bone-conducting Bluetooth headphone that, at first glance, would solve many of my problems with standard-issue earbuds.