Trail Shoes, Explained: Lugs, Plates and Drop
What lug depth, rock plates and zero-drop actually change underfoot, and which of them you can ignore.
Lug depth is the first thing to match to your terrain. Around 3 mm suits hardpack and gravel; 5 mm and above is for mud, loose rock and wet grass.
Rock plates protect against sharp stones at the cost of some flexibility. If your trails are rooty and rocky, you want one. On smooth fire roads you won't miss it.
Drop matters more on trail than on road, because steep descents load the calves and Achilles differently. Zero-drop shoes like the Lone Peak take a few weeks to adapt to; build up slowly.
If you can only own one, a cushioned all-rounder like the Speedgoat 6 handles most of it well.
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