GoKawiilOnce upon a time, there were just running shoes, give or take a racing flat or a track spike. Runners laced up one of the few models available and made it work, whatever the terrain. However, in 2026, it’s all very different.
There are now have running shoes tailored to every type of run: daily trainers, carbon racers, easy-day recovery shoes, speed session super trainers, tempo shoes. Trail running isn’t immune to the endless subcategories, and the newest niche is gravel shoes—a subset of trail running shoes designed specifically for mixed-terrain runs across compacted gravel paths, forest roads, hard-pack trails, and regular old roads.
You might think that these are just repackaged trail running shoes with smaller lugs. But gravel shoes are surprisingly versatile—especially for a newbie trail runner who spends a lot of time on roads. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest footwear trend. (Check out the rest of our outdoor buying guides, including our guide to hiking boots or if you should wear hiking boots or trail runners.)
Updated March 2026: We added a new pick and a link to our new gravel shoe buying guide. We also updated links and prices.
What Are Gravel Shoes?
If you’re recently been scouting for the best running shoes for trail, chances are you’ll have stumbled across gravel shoes. You’d be forgiven for wondering what they are. Gravel running shoes are basically hybrid running shoes built to handle multiterrain runs. They’re designed to let you run off-road—just not too far off the beaten track and certainly not onto the trickiest mountain slopes.