can throw at them. With the latter camp in mind most manufacturers now produce an off-road shoe that, as well as providing traction on rough ground, also offers complete protection from H2O. We've put 10 of them to the test.Asics Gel-Eagle Trail Gore

hybrid road/trail shoe than a pure off-roader. The midsole is stable, cushioned and protective, providing a smooth ride on road, and is fine for longer runs on hard, dry trails. The Lava Run's Vibram – a durable rubber usually found on walking boots

AdidasA3 Twin Strike (cushioned) £100 Nova Runner (cushioned) £50 AsicsMesa Trail (off-road) £55 BrooksAdrenaline GTS (stability) £75 MerrellFlash (cushioned) £65 NikeAir Structure Triax (stability) £70 Air Thielsen (off-road) £70 Air Trail Pegasus

BrooksBrooks Trance NXR (stability) £100 Brooks Glycerin 3 (cushioning) £80 Brooks Vapor 6 (stability) £60 Brooks Adrenaline (off-road) £70 EtonicEtonic Zeta (cushioning) £70 MizunoMizuno Wave Ascend (off-road) £60 New BalanceNew Balance 906 (off-road

Weight 355gEvaluation The Mizuno Wildwood is a throwback to a time when manufacturers met the needs of the off-road market by modifying road shoes. Bolt on a rugged outsole and a more durable upper and hey presto, you are in the trail business

(off-road) £60 New Balance752 (cushioned) £65 765 (stability) £65 780 (off-road) £50 880 (cushioned) £60 905 (off-road) £70 NikeAir Max Moto (stability) £75Air Spiridon (performance) £80 Air Zoom Swift (performance) £80 ReebokPremier FSM (stability) £80

AdidasAdistar Trail (off-road) £90 Adidas Adistar Control (motion control) £90 Adidas Brevard (motion control) £70 Adidas Response Control (stability) £60 AsicsAsics Gel Tioga (off-road) £45 Asics Gel Trabuco (off-road) £65 BrooksBrooks Epiphany

RACINGPremier Competition OFF-ROADPremier Trail 2002 MODELSCUSHIONEDBoston Road DMX | Medallion DMX 10 STABILITYPremier RoadRACING3D Speed Racer2001 MODELSCUSHIONEDFusion C Fusion VIcon 3 DMX 10 Miramar 2 DMX 6Sky DMX LiteSTABILITYAztrek 2001Canton Road

AsicsAsics Gel Orient (off-road) £55 EccoEcco RXP 3040 (stability) £85 Ecco RXP 1000 (stability) £60 Helly HansenHelly Hansen Trail Beater (off-road) £80 New Balance854 (stability) £70 North FaceNorth Face Vapor Light (off-road) £70 Puma

Weight 370gEvaluation While a number of firms are producing fast, grippy shoes that have obviously been designed as pure off-road shoes from the ground up, others still produce trail shoes that are closer to their road running models