Today, we’re going to be reviewing 3 best trail running shoes for bunions for men and women.
You’ll agree with me when I say that trail running is 100% different and more difficult (especially with bunions) than road or track running.
But what makes trail running that different?
Well, the answer is simple. Trails are uneven, have rocks, branches, or even glass shards hidden under dead leaves.
So without good protective trail running shoes, you’ll end up harming your feet and you might just not be able to enjoy trails anymore.
Below, we’ve reviewed 3 of the best trail running shoes that are roomy enough for your bunions to “run” comfortably.
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3 Best trail running shoes for bunions
Asics Gel Venture 7
With great fit and comfort, this Asics Gel Venture is wide enough for your poor foot with bunions.
This great-looking shoe is supremely lightweight. It’s the successor to the Gel Venture 6. With a durable mesh and synthetic upper, the Gel Venture is breathable and built to last.
It’s fully lined in the interior with a plush collar and tongue to provide you with comfort next to your skin and give you a great in-shoe feel.
It also features a removable footbed in the bottom for some added cushioning and comfort giving you the opportunity to swap it out with your own custom orthotic if you want to.
The midfoot design is made with lightweight foam with rearfoot gel cushioning to help absorb impact and shock with every single stride you take. The shoe features a handy back pull tab and a removable insole.
It’s all on a trail-specific outsole that’s flexible featuring reversed lugs at the front and the back to help make up and downhill climbs easier.
The bottom of the shoe features a very durable AHAR (Asics high-abrasion rubber) outsole that is trail-specific to keep you nice and steady over a variety of terrain while offering excellent flexibility.
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Altra Olympus Trail Running Shoe
Before you start, here’s our comparison of Altra and Topo Athletic.
The Olympus is one of the best options for bunions, hammertoes, and neuromas.
Upper
In the front, there’s a reinforced toe bumper so you get a little bit of extra protection. A feature that really stands out in the toe section of the shoe is the wide foot-shaped toe box.
So, the Altra Olympus gives you a much larger toe box to allow your feet to splay out naturally, gives your bunions enough room, keeps your big toe pointed forward, and lets you get a natural stride and more propulsion from your step.
Compared to those traditional aggressively-shaped trail shoes, the Olympus is going to give you a much wider and more comfortable design.
With maximum cushion and an innovative zero-drop platform and still remaining lightweight for those long-distance trail runs, the Altra running Olympus is built to tackle any trail.
The upper is constructed with a mesh upper mesh which is super lightweight and extremely breathable and it also has a more contemporary look.
It’s going to allow you to dump heat quickly when you’re generating a lot of it from those long runs.
The back of the shoe has a neat little gaiter trap designed to work with the Altra trail gaiters which are sold separately.
But for those times when you may be kicking up some loose rocks or dirt and you don’t want them getting inside the shoe, you can use that gaiter trap so they attach really easily and securely to the shoes.
And when you don’t want to use that, you just flip that tab up and it’s like it’s not even there – it’s really convenient to have that gaiter trap.
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Midsole
The midsole gives you great shock absorption and cushion. It also gives you a lot of rebound and puts a spring in your step so you can keep moving quickly and easily on the trail.
Like I said before, it’s built on a zero-drop platform, which means that the heel and the toe are elevated at the same distance from the ground so there’s no angle from the heel to the toes.
This gives a really natural feeling shoe and promotes a natural stride. This zero-drop feature is meant to reduce the impact on your joints over a long run, which will increase your endurance and reduce your fatigue.
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Outsole
Taking a look at the outsole, the Olympus has the Vibram Megagrip outsole and it’s built with really aggressive tread patterns that put the key-grip areas in those spots where you’re going to get the most pressure or impact on the trail.
That Megagrip is a really durable, flexible, and sticky compound that’s going to give you optimum traction on wet or dry terrain while remaining flexible and durable overall.
The Olympus is a little bit softer on those areas where you don’t need much of that sturdier rubber. That being said, it’s a really unique and interesting design on the outsole.
With a maximum amount of cushion but still remaining on that zero-drop platform, the Altra Running Olympus is a very well cushioned and comfortable shoe for those long-distance runs.
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Salomon XR Mission
The Salomon XR Mission is a neutral trainer, so make sure it works for you and your biomechanics.
It features a wide toe box while its SensiFlex panels give plenty of extra room for your bunions and toes to spread.
The XR Mission is a follow-up to the XR Crossmax and it’s designed to be a door-to-trail running shoe. It’s designed to be a short to middle-distance running shoe that offers a great performance on both roads and trails.
It’s also light and flexible and should appeal to a wide range of runners who enjoy the trails and roads.
The XR Mission serves as a great first trail shoe for those making the transition from the roads.
One of the features that really makes it stand out is the Quicklace System, which only takes a few tries to get used to. You just need to tuck the laces into the lace pocket and you’re all set. Getting them off is even quicker.
Testers have found the Mission to perform well on both roads and trails. The shoe even provides great traction over some very muddy terrain. The Mission also provides a lot of cushioning for a very smooth ride.
One of the really cool things about this shoe is the women’s model is designed completely independently from the men’s.
That means women are going to get a shoe that’s customized for their biomechanics. And after all that, the XR Mission is a really good-looking shoe available in some great color schemes.
So, these were our three best trail running shoes for bunions.
