Anyone familiar with trail running shoes?

Question

Can they be used as just sneakers

Answer 1

Trail shoes are worth the investment for running in the trails.  They protect your feet and provide the support too.

The soles are more aggressive and have better traction so it can grip the dirt/rocky surfaces better than the road runners. Most have rock shields to protect your toes (in the toe box area). They are a lot lighter than the used to be, so it does not feel like your running in hiking boots.  Wearing trail running shoes definately helps you gain confidence running in trails.

Here is a link for a trail shoe guide:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,71...

Answer 2

Trail shoes are made for the conditions found on the trail:  they will be water resistant, they will be stiffer, they will deeper ridges to better grip the trail.  They tend to be heavier then other road shoes.

They work find on the road with those limitations in mind.

I wouldn't play basketball in them or run a road marathon in them, but they are great for whenever you need a tough shoe.