The original version of this story was published on iRunFar and written by guest author Aran De Mingo of TRAILRUNNINGReview. The data for this article was collected by iRunFar and analyzed by TRAILRUNNINGReview.
Shoe choice is perhaps one of the most discussed topics at any ultramarathon, especially one like the Western States 100, a race with unique characteristics that make it different from nearly any other event. It’s easy to speculate — based on a general visual survey at the start line — about what brands and shoe models people are wearing. This article, however, offers quantitative data.
After documenting the shoes of every runner of the 2025 Western States 100, with video taken a few miles from the start, we have definitive numbers about the shoes that both those at the front of the pack and everyone else are wearing. We note that many runners switch shoes at some point during the race as the trail traverses different types of terrain over 100 miles. So this analysis represents what entrants wore in the first part of the race.
While it is unsurprising to most that Hoka dominates this analysis, several other brands hold a reasonable market share as well.
2025 Western States 100: Most Common Shoe Brands
For this study, we analyzed the shoes worn by the 369 runners at the 2025 Western States 100. To understand the data, let’s consider the race’s unique context and characteristics. The Western States 100 is the oldest and most prestigious 100-mile race in the world. It has approximately 18,000 feet of elevation gain, which, compared to other races of the 100-mile distance, is relatively low.
Additionally, the race has much more descent than ascent: some 22,000 feet. With the exception of a few spots, the trail surface is non-technical.
Overall, this means it’s very runnable, and one of the main characteristics of the race is thus a fast pace. Consider that Caleb Olson won the men’s race in 14:11, and Abby Hall won the women’s race in 16:37.
As expected, HOKA, the leading brand in the trail running market both in Europe and the U.S., saw the most shoes on the start line. Moreover, its dominance in such races is imposing, capturing 32.6% of the market share.
HOKA’s shoe characteristics perfectly match what most runners are looking for in an event like Western States: cushioning, comfort, a competent Vibram outsole, and fast options with carbon plates in the HOKA Tecton X model, as well as the new HOKA Mafate X and HOKA Rocket X Trail models.
In second place, shoes from the American brand Altra made up 12.9% of the start line. Altra has been exponentially growing in recent years and now consistently ranks on the podium in many long-distance races, such as Western States and UTMB.
In this case, the brand’s zero- and low-drop characteristics and FootShape technology position them as a very good choice for completing such races. While not as visible among the top finishers, Altra is prominent in the rest of the pack.
Salomon, with 7.7% of the field, closes out the top three most commonly worn brands. The French brand remains a staple in all trail running races worldwide. Nevertheless, Western States is likely a race style that diverges somewhat from the brand’s usual approach to trail running and the shoes in its catalog.
Rounding out the top five, we find two major sports and running brands that don’t seem to wield as much influence in trail as in other areas: Nike with 6.3% and adidas Terrex with 6.0%. Their presence here is somewhat higher than in other trail races, likely thanks to their brand context and reputation for fast asphalt shoes with carbon plates.
The rest of the top 10 brands are somewhat lesser known in Europe but more relevant in the United States. They are:
- Brooks: 5.2%
- Saucony: 4.4%
- Topo Athletic: 4.4%
- La Sportiva: 2.7%
- NNormal: 2.7%
Two of the historic giants of trail running, Brooks and Saucony, have led the trail running world for many years, but have had to share the market in recent years with newer emerging brands.
On the other hand, we see the relatively new Topo Athletic, a brand with similar characteristics to Altra, with low-drop shoes with wide toeboxes. La Sportiva, although known for having a more mountain-focused shoe catalog, which differs significantly from the style of Western States, made its new Prodigio Pro model a good fit for this race.
Lastly, NNormal has certainly been one of the biggest market introductions in the past 2 years. The brand has a small shoe catalog, mainly consisting of two models, the Kjerag and Tomir. Brand co-founder and ambassador Kilian Jornet ran and took third at Western States using the shoes.
Most Common Models
Given a cursory glance around the 2025 Western States start line, it’s no surprise that HOKA was at the top of our list. Indeed, the HOKA Speedgoat 6 was the most commonly used shoe model. HOKA’s star shoe in recent years was chosen by 7.4% of the runners, likely due to its versatility and adaptability, offering a great balance for different terrain, a solid midsole, and quality finishes and materials.
Two other HOKA shoes tied for second place with 6.0% of the field each. First is the Mafate Speed 4. This is the most robust shoe model from the French brand, with a more aggressive outsole, a higher profile, and more cushioning and structure overall.
Meanwhile, the Tecton X 3, a shoe designed for this type of race, was seen with the same frequency. With a carbon plate, the lightweight and reactive shoe is the choice of HOKA’s top runners, and Jim Walmsley won the race in a prototype in 2024.
Finally, other notable models in the top five were the adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, Topo Athletic Ultraventure 4, Salomon S/Lab Genesis, and Nike Ultrafly.
In addition to the mentioned commercial models, we note that top runners wore numerous prototypes and custom models at Western States. Among the most visible brands in terms of prototypes was Nike, with what seems to be a new version of the Ultrafly 2. HOKA athletes sported several custom and prototypes.
Finally, we saw very interesting prototypes from Brooks with an innovative shoe concept for the brand.
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