Winter shoe buyer’s guide: new & innovative models for 2025-2026

This story appears in our November/December 2025 print issue, available on newsstands, or on our members-only site, here.

Arc’teryx
NORVAN 4 NIVALIS

Category: Trail
Unisex: 290 g (10.2 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 6 mm
Stack height: 25 mm/19 mm
Lug depth: 6.5 mm
$300

This is a fully weatherproof shoe designed for late fall/winter/spring mountain running in places like the Pacific Northwest, where you’re likely to encounter a lot of slush and mud—the ideal conditions for this shoe. Its sock-like, integrated ankle gaiter gives it the appearance of a boot, but it’s lighter than many trail shoes, and feels like a shoe. It has a smooth, seamless, waterproof Gore-Tex upper to keep your feet warm and dry (perfect for trail running in late fall/winter/spring), a Vibram Litebase outsole and large, deep, well-spaced lugs for maximum traction and grip. (Though we haven’t been able to test it in icy conditions, there really isn’t a shoe on the market that functions well on smooth ice without a traction device of some kind, and most types should work fine with this shoe.)

The single-pull, invisible lacing system and lace garage make it easy to adjust the fit in the middle of a run (even if your hands are cold).

There’s just enough EVA cushioning in the midsole to cushion your landings, while maintaining excellent stability and ground-feel. (The shoe has the same midsole as the Norvan LD4, the Gore-Tex version of which we reviewed in the September/October 2025 issue.) The ride is definitely on the firmer side, and the fit is relatively narrow and long.

La Sportiva
PRODIGIO MAX

Editor’s Pick: Best Trail Racing Shoe

Category: Trail
Men’s: 295 g (10.4 oz.)
Women’s: 260 g (9.1 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 6 mm
Stack height: 37 mm/31 mm
Lug depth: 4 mm
$205

This new high-stack ultra racing shoe from La Sportiva has a little more structure than the Prodigio Pro, with a wider forefoot and two types of plush, responsive cushioning in the midsole. (With this shoe, the brand introduces XFlow Endurance, which is nitrogen-infused eTPU.) Our tester found the midsole both responsive and bouncy; the shoe is comfortable, stable and fast, with excellent ground feel despite the high stack. It promotes smooth, effortless running—just how you want a racing shoe to feel.

The TPEE polyester upper is reinforced with TPU. The fit is comfortably snug through the midfoot, with a roomy, comfortable and well-fitting toe box and protective TPU toe cap.

There are two types of rubber in the outsole, with a softer, stickier type under the forefoot and a firmer rubber under the heel.

Note that the shoe fits small; you’ll almost certainly need a half size bigger than your usual.

Columbia
KONOS ELEVATE

Category: Trail
Men’s: 334 g (11.8 oz.)
Women’s: 272 g (9.6 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 34 mm/26 mm
Lug depth: 4 mm
$160

Columbia’s latest trail shoe fits comfortably and well and looks beautiful. It has a thick wedge of cushioning in the midsole and is best used for easy, casual trail runs in moderate conditions, though it can handle some degree of technicality in terrain; the plush upper features a well padded heel collar and tongue. The brand’s Adapt Trax outsole is surprisingly effective, and the Konos Elevate could also work well as a winter road running or walking shoe.

With only four eyestays on each side, the shoe’s lacing system made getting a good lockdown a bit of work (most shoes have five or six), but once you’re laced up, you’re good. Our main issue is the midsole’s lack of responsiveness; it’s also a little heavy for runs where you want to go fast. (But we’d fully support getting it for short trail runs or hikes and casual wear.)

Altra
FWD VIA 2

Editor’s Pick: Best Long Run Shoe

Category: Neutral cushioning
Men’s: 301 g (10.6 oz.)
Women’s: 247 g (8.7 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 4 mm
Stack height: 37 mm/33 mm
$200

The update to Altra’s innovative, 4-mm drop FWD Via road shoe preserves the things that made it special, while tweaking a few things to make it even better. This is a highly cushioned, low-drop shoe for runners who want something very comfortable and plush for daily training and long runs, that’s not too high, and it more than succeeds in just about all areas.

The upper is a very breathable engineered mesh, with a thickly padded and gussetted tongue, and the brand’s new Altra EGO P35 midsole cushioning is softer and more resilient than the version in the original shoe. Altra’s Original Footshape fit is the roomiest of the brand’s three shapes, and will particularly please runners with wider feet.

The shoe has a rockered sole for smooth heel-to-toe transitions, and the 4-mm drop encourages a midfoot or forefoot strike without being too radical a change for those who may be accustomed to higher-drop shoes. Definitely a solid choice for a well-cushioned and forgiving long-run shoe.

Under Armour
HALO RACER

Category: Neutral cushioning
Unisex: 343 g (12.1 oz.)
Offset/Drop: 5 mm
Stack height: 34 mm/29 mm
$215

The UA Halo Racer is part of a trio of new offerings from Under Armour and a suite of products that also includes apparel. The shoe collection comprises a daily trainer/long run shoe and a gym shoe, in addition to the Racer, and all use UA’s proprietary, olefin-infused HOVR superfoam in their midsoles, which is more resilient and long-lasting than regular EVA.

The Racer has a breathable upper, a generous midsole and a pronounced rocker—all of which are designed to work in concert to propel you to new heights in running, training and general fitness. However, our tester found the fit a bit large, with an excess of space in the toe box. The cushioning in the heel is quite comfortable, but up front, it feels a little firm. There was also an issue with the laces, which are too short. The shoe is a little heavy for racing and, in our opinion, more appropriate for easy jogging or casual wear.

Adidas
ADIZERO EVO SL

Category: Neutral cushioning
Men’s: 224 g
Women’s: 188 g
Offset/Drop: 6.5 mm
Stack height: 38 mm/32.5 mm
$180

The Evo SL is a more scaled-down, conservative (but still high-stack, though unplated) version of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 marathon racing shoe. It’s the lightest training shoe in the brand’s lineup, but with a more substantial engineered mesh upper and Lightstrike Pro midsole cushioning throughout the length of the shoe. It could work for daily training, workouts or even short races. It also has an attractive athleisure aesthetic, and can take you from your workout straight to brunch, if you feel so inclined.

Our tester found the shoe light and snappy and appropriate for a variety of uses; they also enjoyed the lightweight upper and laces. They found the traction provided by the Continental outsole on a variety of surfaces to be better than average, and it seems durable. There were some issues with fit, the shoe being slightly too small, and with a tongue that didn’t want to stay put. You’d be advised to go up a half size, if you plan to use the shoe for runs of longer than eight to 10 km.