Agility Peak 6 vs Peregrine 14

The Agility Peak 6 is Merrell's do-it-all trail running shoe, the one you reach for when the route mixes mud, rock and long slow miles. It sits in the cushioned-but-planted camp: a generous FloatPro midsole under an aggressive 5mm Vibram Megagrip outsole, with an 8mm drop and a 38mm heel stack that soaks up rough ground without floating you off it. This is not a racer and it does not pretend to be. It is a dependable daily trail trainer built for grip, protection and staying comfortable when the run drags on. We rate it as one of the best value all-rounders in its class, and RunRepeat's 84/100 backs that up. If your trails are technical, wet or steep and you want one shoe that copes with all of it, the Agility Peak 6 is an easy shoe to recommend. Compared with the pricier Hoka Speedgoat 7, it trades a little plushness for a firmer, more connected feel underfoot.

Saucony has since moved on to the Peregrine 16, but the 14 is still an easy trail running shoe to recommend if you can find your size. It's low, flexible and grippy, with a rock plate and deep lugs, the kind of shoe you can take down a muddy bridleway on Saturday and up a rocky path on Sunday. Reviewers liked it. RunRepeat rated it highly for value and versatility, and most testers rated the grip well above average. Not everyone agrees on the wet stuff, though: iRunFar found it only adequate in mud and slippery on wet wooden bridges. The bigger catch is a firmish, fairly thin ride that gets tiring on long days. Think of it as a daily trail shoe rather than an ultra shoe. Fewer UK retailers carry it now that it's been replaced, so check sizes before you get attached.