10 Best Shoes For Spartan Races (Review) In 2022

Our best and first pick of the best shoes for Spartan Race are these New Balance Men’s Nitrel V1 FuelCore. A versatile pair of mud run shoes, they’re ideal for a variety of intense and demanding terrains with the improved rugged all-terrain outsole.

You’re also protected from sharp ground and the toe cap protection system prevents injury. The no-sew construction also prevents fraying, while the stretch fabric ensures a comfortable fit that’s wide enough for most Spartans to prevent strain and discomfort. If you are into running, make sure you also check our guide to the best neutral running shoes.

If you’re looking for one of the most superior OCR shoes around, the Inov-8 Men’s Terraclaw 250 fits the bill entirely. Our premium pick of the top Spartan Race shoes, these deliver everything you could ever need from your trail footwear.

Despite having a traditional lace up design, you’re still getting an excellent and secure fit that’s bound to support you across uneven and treacherous terrain. As for protection, the layered toe cap keeps you from bashing your toe on rocks and The Wall, while also ensuring you don’t tread on sharp rocks or sticks when wading through water.

The Altra Women’s Lone Peak 3.5 boast a thick, solid sole for enhanced cushioning and protection and is great for all shapes and sizes of feet. It performs superbly in a variety of situations and also helps you improver, too, with a design that improves the natural foot position, toe splay, and comfort.

For long, treacherous races, this is essential for durability, and the absence of a break-in period ensures you can use them as soon as they arrive at your door. It’s MaxTrax TrailClaw lugs provide security, and the Zero Drop platform is gives you greater balance by keeping you as close to the ground as possible. Find more great products like this by checking out our guide to the best Zero Drop running shoes.

The famous lug pattern is the staple of the Salomon Men’s Speedcross 4 CS and ensures you can tackle and overcome both soft, casual, and more technically demanding terrain like you’re running on air. They’re suitable for a variety of environments, and use strategically placed weather-resistant to keep you dry, while the anti-debris mesh ensures breathability and keeps stones and debris out the shoes.

Its quicklace system provides a consistent snug fit to offer better stability and give you the best grip necessary. The large toe box also ensures excellent comfort even on longer trails. However, anyone buying this should remember they’re a little too narrow compared to standard fits, so half a size up may be the best place to start.

With perhaps the coolest name on the list, the La Sportiva Men’s Wildcat are an excellent pair of Spartan Race shoes suitable for both moderate and technical terrains to ensure you can use them all year-round.

They are well-cushioned to ensure comfort but also incredibly stable to provide the vital protection from over-pronation during when hitting your stride. For hard ground, they also boast shock absorbing capabilities to protect your sole whether you’re running marathons, off-road, or backcountry courses, and the FriXion AT sole gives you greater grip when racing over less-than-reliable surfaces. You may also like to check our guide to the best approach shoes.

The Reebok Women’s Trailgrip RS 5.0 is our choice for the finest and most appealing shoes for a Spartan Race if you’re looking for superb value. There’s all-terrain stability to keep you secure and prevent injury across a variety of surfaces. This is made possible by the active traction lug tread pattern that allows for excellent grip on both flat and inclines to maximum safety.

The low-top style may not protect your ankles as much as other options around, but it actually ensures better stability on uneven ground. The closed-=weave mesh upper ensures protection but also breathability, which is essential for the intensity you need to deal with.

If you’re searching for a shoe that offers speed and flexibility, the Inov-8 Men’s X-Talon 212 is an ideal option for your next Spartan Race. It’s designed to perform in a plethora of harsh environments and across all terrains while the lightweight construction and design will reduce fatigue and increase comfort.

Despite the light materials, it’s still sturdy and durable enough to cope with the most intense obstacle courses around, and the no break-in period allows you to get outside immediately. However, if you run on hard ground with little give, you may have troubles with lesser padding, at least compared to similarly priced options. For more sporty footwear check out our guide to the best stability running shoes.

Much like its male counterpart, the Inov-8 Women’s X-Talon 212 is a speedy, flexible option for different terrains however, it doesn’t seem to suffer from the same padding issue. The all-terrain purpose ensures versatility, and the abrasion-resistant construction provides that crucial level of durability you need to tackle arduous and demanding courses.

The deep cleats provide reliable traction on both soft and hard ground perfect for unstable terrain and protects you from slipping or injury. However, while they’re great on the ground, the drainage system is slightly lacking, which could pose a problem.

Our final women’s shoe is the Reebok Women’s All-Terrain Thrill, which delivers on its name over and over again. Using a locked-in style, the heel remains on place to provide support and security, preventing injury whatever the terrain.

To keep your feet dry (or as dry as they can be) the built-in drainage system is one of the best we’ve come across, and the underfoot Rock Guard ensures protection when racing across backcountry and cross-country trails and keeps your foot from looking something akin to a mangled chicken once you take the shoe off. Don’t forget to also check our guide to the best non-slip shoes.

The Salomon Men’s S/Lab Sense Ultra 2 aren’t the most expensive pair of shoes available, but they’ll still cost you quite a bit. For top-quality Tough Mudder shoes, you can justify such an expenditure, though, and just a glimpse at their features will raise more than a few Spartan Eyebrows.

The Profeel film challis supports the foot during energy transfer, while the EnergyCell Plus midsole design provides a more comfortable transition from heel to toe. Its Quicklace system is also reliable and minimizes stoppages to tighten or re-tie, while its toe box is spacious enough to handle downward slopes without cramping your feet.