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When Burrell lined up for the race up and down Pikes Peak, the modern running shoe industry was just emerging, in conjunction with the original running and jogging boom of the 1970s. But even by the late 1970s, when the Western States 100 got started in California, trail running shoes weren’t yet a thing.

The modern version of trail running can trace its roots back to races like the Dipsea Race north of San Francisco (1905), Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado (1956) and numerous mountain races throughout Europe, including Switzerland’s Sierre-Zinal village-to-village race (1974). Hill (or Fell) running has continued to have a dedicated following in the isles, and one of the first modern trail-specific running shoe, the Walsh PB, came out in 1970 and was designed to race over the sport’s steep, harsh terrains. Various forms of trail running have existed for centuries in Indigenous cultures and since at least the mid-19th century in Scotland, England, and Ireland (there are tales of regional races dating back to the 11th century). They weren’t remotely built for trail running, but then again, neither were the shoes on anyone else’s feet. When Buzz Burrell ran the Pikes Peak Marathon for the first time in 1975, he laced up a pair of white split-leather Adidas Olympia shoes. The supershoe revolution is the latest evolution of trail running footwear, the most recent chapter of a history that echoes the ups, downs, bumps and bogs of the terrain the shoes are designed to conquer-and is far from being over. This year, Nike is launching its long-awaited Zoom X Ultrafly Trail, while Adidas-Terrex, New Balance, Salomon, Saucony, and Hoka all have trail running supershoes in the prototype phase on the feet of their athletes at the various races of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and Golden Trail World Series. Several other brands are now expanding the field. The North Face was one of the first brands to bring a trail supershoe to market, models designed for long-distance trail running with carbon-fiber plates embedded within hyper-responsive foam midsoles. “It’s more that you’re not going to break down your muscles much earlier, and that allows you to run well longer and helps you recover better.” “It’s not just that they’re giving you the benefit in the moment, which they are, I think it’s more that it just helps save your legs more,” Schide says. Combining a new proprietary blend of hyper-responsive Pebax foam with a curvy carbon-fiber plate, the shoes provide an ideal mix of shock absorption, energy return, protection, and traction.

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Schide attributes her performance and her quick recovery at least partially to The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro shoes she wore. She credits her success to more experience, enhanced training, and learning how and when to push harder during races.īut the other factor that can’t be overlooked-for Schide or anyone racing on the trails-is the advancement of trail running shoes.

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It was the latest in a series of strong results for Schide, who has been on an upward arc in recent years. Schide finished second behind Courtney Dauwalter, both coming in under the course record. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!įive days after one of the best performances in the history of the Western States 100, Katie Schide said her legs felt so good that she was ready to run again.