Trabuco Max 4 vs Sense Ride 5

The Trabuco Max 4 is ASICS at its most cushioned: a max-stack trail running shoe built for long days on your feet rather than chasing fast times. With a tall, soft platform underfoot it soaks up rocky, root-strewn ground and keeps your legs fresher deep into an ultra or a back-to-back training block. At 315g it is a properly substantial shoe, so this is not a nimble racer and it never pretends to be. What you trade in weight you get back in protection and comfort. The 5mm drop sits low for a max-cushion shoe, which keeps you closer to the ground than the stack height suggests and helps with stability on uneven terrain. It is a neutral shoe with a wide, planted base. In our view this is one to reach for when the run is measured in hours, not minutes. If you want a lighter, snappier trail option the Hoka Speedgoat 7 is the obvious rival, but for sheer cushioned comfort the Trabuco Max 4 holds its own.

The Salomon Sense Ride 5 is the trail running shoe you reach for when you do not want to think too hard. It is a do-everything door-to-trail shoe with a moderate 8mm drop and enough cushioning to soak up long days without turning your foot into a marshmallow. At 286g it sits in the middle of the weight range, so it is not a light and racy trail shoe, but it is not a heavy tank either. What you get is balance. The grip handles wet grass, packed dirt and light rock without complaint, and it rolls happily onto tarmac for the road sections between trails. It is neutral, so it suits runners with a fairly stable gait rather than heavy overpronators. If you want one shoe for mixed UK trails, muddy commons and the occasional path run, this is a smart, honest pick. Chasing a fast time on technical mountain terrain? Look at something more aggressive like the Saucony Peregrine 16.