Speedgoat 6 vs Ultra Glide 3

The Hoka Speedgoat 6 is the do-everything trail running shoe that most runners reach for first, and for good reason. This is a max-cushioned trail workhorse built to swallow big miles on rough ground without beating up your legs. At 278g with a 5mm drop it is not the lightest trail shoe out there, but the deep, protective ride and grippy, aggressive-lugged outsole make it a genuine one-shoe quiver for anything from a muddy local loop to a mountain ultra. We rate it as the safe, sensible pick when you want cushion, grip and durability over outright speed. If you want a plated racer for shorter, faster efforts the Hoka Tecton X 3 is the sharper tool, and the newer Speedgoat 7 refines the same recipe. For most trail runners chasing distance and comfort, though, the Speedgoat 6 remains one of the most trustworthy trail shoes you can buy.

The Salomon Ultra Glide 3 is a soft, high-cushion trail running shoe built for one thing: keeping you comfortable when the miles stack up. This is not a nimble mountain racer. It is a long-day cruiser for runners who want to switch off and let the shoe soak up the ground on runnable trails, canal paths and gentle single track. At 285g with a 6mm drop, it sits in that easygoing daily-trail zone, closer in spirit to a road-to-trail shoe than a technical fell weapon. The Contagrip outsole handles dry hardpack and light mud well, though it is not built for deep bog or scrambling. We rate it as one of the more forgiving ultra-distance trail shoes going, a shoe you reach for on tired legs and back-to-back weekends. If you want protection, softness and a relaxed ride over big distances, and you are not chasing course records on gnarly ground, the Ultra Glide 3 is an easy shoe to recommend.