Nike - Kiger 10

I picked up the Kiger 10. Initial impressions are good. Nikes fit me well. I was thinking about running it as my 2nd shoe for Tiger Claw. However, I think it's going to be my UltraFly and Speedgoats as a potential swap shoe if needed. Either way, the Kiger feels great on the runs I have done. I'm using it tomorrow as well.

For real. These high stack trail shoes are fine for gravel or packed out dirt but any amount of rocks/roots and these just feel like an ankle roll waiting to happen. I’ve turned my Topo Ultraventure into a road shoe at this point for the same reason. I’m really hopeful the pendulum will swing back to shorter stack heights. Not asking for a second minimalist movement, but come on. I want someone to focus on proprioception in a trail running shoe. I’m looking at the Nike Terra Kiger 10 and it’s checking a lot of boxes, but Nikes are so narrow they don’t work for me.

Nike Terra Kiger 10 is a pretty solid upgrade. Cheaper than many on this list as well. 

Long trail runs- Zegama 2 Short trails 5k or less - Kiger 10 Wet trail & Raining- Puma Voyage Nitro 3 Seasons Disc Trail short races(10k or less)- don't have anything with carbon plate and have been thinking about getting Puma Deviate Elite Trail or Adidas Agravic speed Ultra. Not sure which one to get🤷🏼‍♂️

Wildhorse10 is a pretty cushioned shoe as well. Of course you can go fast in it but I bought my Wildhorse with the longer slow days. If you are thinking more of a responsive fast shoe and like Nike then I would recommend looking at the Kiger10. Kiger is a light and responsive shoe, shorter stack and gets good grip. They switched to Vibram on the Kiger10

Idk where your prices are at but I see Kiger at $120-170 (color dependent) on Nikes website and Ultrafly “on sale” for $230. The Zegama is $160-$190 depending on color

I love my Nike Kiger 10s. Kigers have been a favorite of mine for awhile as it fits me very well and it’s a light shoe with lower stack and good feel. They been very durable for me as well and on the Kiger 9s I was getting over 500 miles out the shoe easily

So first: Run Repeat does in-depth reviews which includes measuring and confirms stack height and drops. Their [Zegama 2](https://runrepeat.com/nike-zegama-2) review indicates 4 mm is accurate. Second: From a feels perspective: just recently tried on the wildhorse (9mm drop) and then the Zegama (4 mm) and then afterwards put my Kigers (4mm) back on. Was not a long run with the wildhorse and zegama but the zegama defintilty felt lower and more normal to me than the wildhorse just much more cushioned than the Kiger feel. So if you are looking for lower dropped cushioned shoe then I think Zegama fits the bill. If you want less cushioned and low drop then Nike Kiger is a nice shoe and gives a really good ground feel.

Altra Timp 5 - daily training Salomon S/Lab Genesis - also daily Nike Terra Kieger 10 - shorter races Altra Olympus 275 - long races and long training runs. A couple 50ks in these

They feel good at speed except when it is wet. I did slip a bit on some wet/muddy sections. The lugs are not all that deep as you know, but if it’s really wet nobody is headed for a PR anyway. Trails around me are almost all technical.

Norda 005, Agravic Speeds, Catamount Agil, Merrel Skyfire 2, Kiger 10 Kjerag 2 and Salomon has some new Pulsar models planned this summer.

Kiger 1-8 terrible on wet rock. Kiger 9 = pretty good. Kiger 10 = Vibram. Also Kiger 10 is significantly lighter than the 9 as it switches from React to Cushlon. Also one of the rare shoes that uses a thin rockplate which I prefer as I don't sink or distort over stones.

For me Kiger 9s. They just work for my footshape and cost $70 and last 1200 km. Kiger 10 they changed the foam so won't be durable like React.

Kiger is indeed great, totally underrated shoe.

Altra escalante racers for all distances on road and nike kigers for trails. I actually prefer a slightly tighter shoe for trails bc it feels more secure on the technical stuff.

Altra lone peaks in a 14 alternated with a Nike Kyger in 14. I tend to stick a shoe when I know the fit.

Like any surface change, mix trail runs in gradually, starting at shorter distances/whatever you're doing now. Your ankles will thank you, and it'll give you some time to build the stabilizing muscles that don't get as much work on pavement. (Though I guess this partially depends on what gravel you're running on, too.) And, what u/medicore_remnants said about hiking, though I'd add that the goal is \*often\* to keep perceived effort mostly even across uphill/flat/downhill segments. That can mean hiking uphills, but doesn't have to be. (I also know trail runners who are very specific about uphill hiking form for efficiency — long strides and a solid hip bend for loading. I wouldn't sweat it.) I run in Nike Kiger/Pegasus Trail (with extra love for the Kigers — they're an amazing shoe and everyone I know who wears them swears by them, but that's also selecting for folks who liked the feel). Beyond that, I'll let other folks take over on shoe & preparation recs (and assume you'll be wise about HM training). For finding trails: whatever you use for hiking. AllTrails, Gaia, Avenza, Hiking Project, Google Maps, Strava, etc. It's all good. TBH sometimes I'll just look at a topo and pick a place that looks like it'd be fun/has trails. >I really want to do a half marathon at a national park. Lastly, and taking unsolicited advice as usual, I suspect I won't be the only one to say: consider setting some intermediate goals along the way. It's easy to get excited about a long race somewhere amazing (and I have done so!!), and just as easy to lose momentum when it feels too far away, either by date or by fitness. Having ways to celebrate milestones along the way (longest/furthest runs, most elevation, fastest split of a given distance) or to be in community with runners (run clubs, running shorter trail races, volunteering for the longer ones, etc.) is a great way to feed that joy and build momentum.