There's a ton of hype about these two different types of shoes lately. The hiking shoe is about twice as heavy, twice as durable, and twice as good at protecting your toesies from roots and rocks and other things you might bump into on the trail. The Trail Runner is kind of like a sock in a lot of ways. It sort of molds to your foot. It's super lightweight, ultra grippy, and you trade off things like being able to support a heavy backpack for long distance and just durability in general for being lightweight and grippy. This Salomon Speed Cross has about 50 mi on it. It has a lot of wear for only having 50 mi. That's cause it's a really soft rubber sole and an incredibly aggressive tread pattern, which is great for gripping on trails while you're running, but not very good for standing up to the test of time. This is a pretty well worn out Merrell Moab 3. I put about 800 miles on these, and I'd say they held up pretty well. Even in their blown-out state, the hiking shoes are just a lot stiffer than relatively unused trail runners. My best guess for why trail runners are really having their moment in history right now is because a lot of people were wearing hiking shoes or hiking boots or really big beefy adventure footwear for walking around on nature trails or maybe even a weekend trip, but not carrying very much weight. And it is really nice to put on a pair of trail runners for a light day hike because it just doesn't bog you down. If you're not a very clumsy person who's not kicking into stuff all the time, then you don't need all the extra protection on the toe or heel or even the sole of a hiking shoe. So, why not opt for something lighter weight? If you're trying to choose between trail runners or hiking shoes, just be honest with yourself. Are you trying to go running or just looking for a super lightweight shoe? Then it's trail runner time or at least, you know, give them a shot. But if you're looking for something durable and versatile, the hiking shoe still can't be beat. Anyway, if you like this video, check out my channel. And if you want to come along, subscribe. But either way, I'm stoked you're here, and I'll see you next time.