I still remember my first pair of trail running shoes. A black and lime green pair of Nikes. I picked them like I pick a bottle of wine. They looked cool, they weren’t the cheapest, but they had the biggest discount.
They were also my road running shoes. When I first started trail running, I had no idea that there were special shoes you had to buy. I thought that was just for bowling. The reality was these shoes were excellent for 95% of my running.
The more I got into trail running, inevitably, the more I got into the gear. Nek Minnet, I’ve dropped $250* on a pair of shoes (this was 2018, so accounting for inflation, that’s about $35,000 now).
Did these fancy, schmancy pair outperform my road runners significantly? Maybe. But they weren’t twice as good. The trails I ran were not technical and usually had a good mix of roads. I was doing the equivalent of driving around town in my flash new 4WD without ever heading off track.
Now I’m not saying don’t buy a nice new pair of trail runners. But getting sucked into the trail running marketing is way too easy. The industry is booming; more money is pouring in, which means bigger marketing budgets. Pros are pimping out the latest models, as you would if you get paid to run.
I’m saying, be clear with what you need from your shoes and gear. This is especially important if you’re just getting into trail running. It’s tempting to jump in head first – you could quickly drop $1000+ on your new hobby without taking a single step!
I run a mix of road, compacted gravel and dirt mountain bike trails, 4WD tracks, and grass paddocks. Often I’m running from my back door, 2-3K on the road just getting to from the trails.
Yet, I found myself pounding the pavement on the way to the nontechnical trails in a flash pair of shoes with MEGAGRIP and a featherlight upper that inevitably lasted about 400 km anyway. Not a great return on investment.
With a little bit of flexibility, shopping around, and good fortune, you can save yourself a few pingers for your post-longrun hazies.
Here are my tips for getting the best bang for your buck:
Learn your size in each brand.
Now I know retailers have to make a buck, so support them as much as you can, but at the end of the day, they’re not paying your bills, and if you’re on a budget, they’re unlikely to get your money anyway.
Buy last year’s model.
A magic thing happens every year. This year’s model is now obsolete. There is now a better, lighter, stronger, cooler, sexier model.
This is fantastic news – up go the 50% signs, and you can grab 2 pairs for the price of one. If you’re a high-mileage runner, go to town and see if you can get enough pairs to last until the new models are now old news.
Facebook marketplace is your friend.
The best part is you can try different shoes to see how they fit and feel for super cheap. If you like them, you can find a new pair down the track, and they will feel even better!
I found my shoe dealer there. We are the identical size shoe, and he is a running shoe nerd. He reviews all the latest shoes and then sells them off when he is on to testing the next shoe—no word of a lie. When I need a pair of shoes, I DM him asking what he’s got to offer.
Learn what you like
If you don’t know what you like, how do you know what to buy? This is more relevant if you’re new to trail running.
Buying the shiny object is tempting, but figure out what you need first. Buy the cheap one, and abuse it. Find the limits of the product. Figure out what you wish it had. Figure out what annoys you about it.
I started trail running with a knock-down clearance bright red and grey Camelbak. It took a 3L bladder, and I could cram everything in it. I still remember turning up to my first trail race, the Northrange Catchment Ultra. I felt like a laughing stock.
Everyone had these sleek-looking vests, and I looked like a 3rd former on their first day of high school. The pack did the job. I finished the race. A vest wouldn’t have changed my experience or got me there much faster. I was just stoked to run 50 km with my mate in a new part of the country.
Now I get the argument for buying quality products. You’ll only have to buy them once etc. However, nothing is worse than dropping some decent coin on a product that doesn’t quite do what you hoped.
Best Sites For Deals
NZ Trail and Road Running Gear For Sale (Secondhand)
This Facebook group has either saved me thousands or cost me thousands – cause ya boy just can’t say no to a deal
Further Faster Clearance
Rebel Sports
Check out these deals on trail shoes.
New Balance 410s – Great road & trail combo shoe down to $69
New Balance Nitrel – Another great all round shoe with good toe protection down to $89 from $159
New Balance Summit Unknown – If you’re after a few more bells and whistles, you can still find a steal – $129 down from $219.99
On public holidays they frequently have 30% off storewide. This is a great time to go in-store and buy your gels and waffles etc. You can find them cheaper online, but it usually comes out even when you add shipping.
I hope this has helped you in some way – even if it’s just laughing at me for being a bit of a gorse pocket – Drop your go-to site in the comments for others to see.
PS: None of the linked products are affiliates, just examples.
