Most Comfortable Road and Trail Shoe

I've been running for quite a few years, but recently I've come across two shoes that are truly different and extremely comfortable right out of the box. One is a road shoe, the other a trail shoe. Here are my picks for most comfortable road and trail shoes...

MOST COMFORTABLE ROAD SHOE

Skechers Go Run 2

I love the feel of this shoe on my foot! Almost like a comfy slipper. The stretchy upper is awesome. Lots of room in the toebox for your toes to spread out. Extremely flexible and lightweight. It has a slight heel to toe drop (4mm) that seems about right for me. Just enough cushioning to protect, but still feel the ground. I've only owned this shoe for 2 weeks, so maybe my proclamation of "most comfortable road shoe" is a bit premature...but that's how much I like this darn shoe!  For a fuller review, see Runblogger's review here. Pete was even involved with testing the shoe and suggesting refinements. the Skechers' team did a great job with this final product (the original Go Run had some issues, this one seems "perfect").

MOST COMFORTABLE TRAIL SHOE

Altra Superior

I have really grown to love the Altra shoe company. The notion of having a whole line of shoes that are zero drop is pretty cool. Plus, all of their lasts are anatomically correct--with nice wide toeboxes. That's what a foot needs!  My only complaint with my Altra Instinct was that it lacked flexibility...and it was a little heavy. Still, a nice shoe. When I got the Altra Superior, their newer trail shoe, I was pleasantly surprised by it's flexibility, traction, and comfort. Still a bit heavy, but not noticeable on the trails. What is noticeable is the extremely comfortable fit. They feel great whether you are walking or running (important for an ultra runner). As with all Altra shoes, the zero drop is great for trail running and staying close to the ground. The rock plate, which is flexible and removable, is a nice added feature. This shoe has a mixture of features that almost make it the perfect trail shoe: reasonable cushioning, nice traction, good rock plate, flexible forefoot, wide toebox, and zero drop (still wish it was a little lighter, but I'll make do). Not sure about that classic back "rudder" thingy...but it doesn't seem to interfere with anything, and it looks sort of cool. Sorta.

Here's the Super Bowl commercial for the Go Run 2 shoe...