Women's Trail Running Shoes Awards for 2013 announced by OutdoorGearLab

News Release / 01.03.2013

OutdoorGearLab.com revealed today the results of the 2013 Editors’ Choice Awards for the Women's Trail Running Shoes category, listing this year’s best and best value for Women's Trail Running Shoe.

The OutdoorGearLab Review Editors chose the following winners after extensive field testing in the eastern Sierra, western Wyoming, and trails around the greater Reno, Nevada area. We took seven pairs of women's trail running shoes ranging from traditional to barefoot/minimalist and put them to head-to-head tests to figure out what was the best in the following categories: protection, traction, comfort, breathability, durability, and weight. We think some of the most important aspects of a trail running shoes are that it fits well, is comfortable, and offers the type of support a runner is looking for. Even though all the shoes we reviewed were of high quality, we did find that some styles of shoes are better for certain applications than others. Each underwent extensive side by side tests to evaluate these key performance metrics. View the complete 

The winners are:

Salomon Speedcross 3 - Women's winner of the Editor's Choice Award for 2013. According to Gear Editor Sarah Hegg, "The Salomon Speedcross 3 has great traction and exceptional protection. With a zero-drop and moderate midsole cushioning, they strike a balance between traditional shoes and the trend towards minimalist shoes."

Saucony Peregrine 2 - Women's winner of the Best Buy award for 2013. This award is given to a product that balances an extremely high score in our tests and a very reasonable price. According to Sarah Hegg, "The Saucony Peregrines are lightweight and responsive, making them a great racing or general trail shoe. They have an aggressive enough tread and protection to tackle the roughest trails, but they perform well on pavement too.While they did not score the highest in any one category, they did perform well overall and therefore received the Best Buy Award for being an excellent deal as well as an excellent performer."

Vibram Spyridon LS - Women's winner of the Top Pick award for 2013. This award is given to a product that excels at a specific application. According to Sarah Hegg, "If you want the most “barefoot” feel while still getting protection and performance, then this is the shoe for you. Its key feature is a Kevlar-like fabric between the outsole and midsole that helps to disperse shock when running over rocky terrain."

OutdoorGearLab LLC is a company headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming dedicated to creating world’s best outdoor gear reviews. The company’s website, is a free resource for people who love the outdoors and participate in activities such as hiking, climbing, backpacking, and camping. The company performs side-by-side testing of outdoor gear and publishes the results in comparative reviews. Each product is scored across a range of weighted categories, competing products are ranked, and awards are provide to top performing products.