Full Quiver - Spencer Imbach
Check out what's stayed in my rotation for trail shoes
Spencer Imbach's expert gear recommendations on Rendezvu
Products in this list
- BITR H1 by Mount to Coast — When Thomas Neuberger of Believe in the Run first tried the H1, he remembers thinking, "yeah, this one's different." In fact, he liked it so much he asked if we could collaborate on a special edition shoe. The BITR H1 pulls from Thomas's 16 years of shoe nerdery to include his color-inspo, design input, and his favorite ever structural feature, a high collar. As Thomas says, "the design matches the running experience - the shoe simply sings."
- Unisex - S/LAB Trail Running by Salomon — These have been my go-to for years for the reliable fit, versatility, and cushy support for long days on the trail. Their fast, durable, and a great race day choice for any ultra.
- 001A - M - White Gum by Norda — Highly regarded as one of the best all around trail shoes of all time. The balance of stability and speed is shocking as this shoe somehow seems to have the best of both worlds. They take a good 50 miles to break in and don't let the price tag full you - easily worth 500+ miles.
- H1 by Mount to Coast — These are incredible! The H1 is their "hybrid" which is essentially a lighter version of the trial shoe without vibram - though still plenty of traction on trails with the VersaGrip which also holds up better for road/gravel. The fit and lightweight feel of these is top notch, and they even go the distance as well (Jamil wore these for 600+ miles during his Strava chipotle challenge). Think of these as a more budget option of the Norda 001!
- Men - Trail Running by Salomon — The Genesis is my go-to as a trainer on trails, or for any shorter trail race under 2 hours. It's not as cushioned as the S/Lab, but the tradeoff is a more nimble feel with reliable traction and durability for faster, technical trail runs. The Salomon quickLace system is as good as it gets and enhances the secure fit of this dynamic daily driver.
- Brooks Men's Cascadia 19 Trail-Running Shoes Gray 11.5 by Brooks — When I'm just looking for some easy miles these have proven themselves time after time. The main draw here is comfort although with a sacrifice in speed/propulsion. Perfect for easy recovery runs or even Long Slow Distance bigger days where you need a reliable shoe for continuous movement and fatigue reducing comfort.
- 001A Shoe - Women's by Norda
- M1 by Mount to Coast — Tested these out in a local 50k last weekend, and will be putting some big miles on them at Grindstone 100miler in a month!