Fastest Shoes From the 2025 Western States 100

The 2025 Western States 100 was everything we expected: fierce competition, scorching heat, and a spotlight on cutting-edge trail running shoes. On the men’s side, Caleb Olson, wore the yet-to-be-released Nike Ultrafly 2, while Abby Hall, won the women’s event in the now-available Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra.

As one of Outside’s lead trail shoe testers, I can’t think of a better proving ground than 100 miles of altitude, searing temperatures, and punishing descents with a mixture of more technical and highly-runnable terrain. Every athlete on the starting line had spent thousands of hours dialing in their gear, eventually putting complete trust in a shoe they believed would give them peak performance on race day.

Compared to road running, trail running is the wild west—there are no shoe regulations in any form. This turns races like Western States into an incubator for shoe companies to advance their tech and give their athletes unique advantages. (Nine out of 10 athletes in both the men’s and women’s fields are sponsored by shoe brands.)

That’s why while most were focused on the battle for podium spots, my eyes were locked on the runners’ feet. As expected, a few unreleased prototypes made appearances, but most of the top-ten finishers opted for shoes you can already buy. Here’s what the fastest runners of the 2025 Western States 100 trusted to carry them to the finish line.

Fastest Shoes at the 2025 Western States 100 – Men

Caleb Olson – Nike Ultrafly 2 (Unreleased)

Caleb Olson took the lead around halfway and never looked back. He just missed Jim Wamsley’s course record by two minutes. On his feet, Olson wore the highly anticipated and yet-to-be-released Nike Ultrafly 2. Building on their success with road super shoes, Nike released the Nike Ultrafly in 2023.

While Nike has held details regarding the second iteration of the Ultrafly close to their chest, photos have been leaked, giving insight into what we might expect. What we can see from spy shots is a more sculpted midsole with Vibram outsole rubber. It’s safe to assume that the midsole will be Nike’s Peba-based ZoomX with an embedded carbon plate.

Chris Meyers – Brooks Cascadia Elite (Unreleased)

After briefly taking the lead just before the halfway point, Chris Meyers held strong to finish second overall, clocking the now-fourth-fastest time in Western States history and beating the greatest of all time, Kilian Jornet. On his feet was a yet-to-be-released version of the Brooks Cascadia Elite.

While details on the shoe are scarce, it raises some intriguing questions for me, particularly around the midsole. Brooks was among the first brands to experiment with supercritical foams in the Aurora BL, yet has been slower to adopt PEBA (or A-TPU)—now the industry standard in high-performance midsoles.

Given its name, the Cascadia Elite is likely a mid-stack shoe rather than a max-cushioned model, if it leaned toward the latter, it would probably fall under the Caldera family. Regardless, this is one of the unreleased shoes I’m most curious about. To some, Brooks has fallen behind in supershoe space in recent years, and this could signal a much-needed step forward.

Kilian Jornet – NNormal Kjerag 2

While most runners opted for shoes with stack heights over 35 millimeters, Kilian Jornet went the opposite direction, choosing a lower-profile, more responsive option. On his feet: the NNormal Kjerag 2, the latest model from his own brand. With a 26mm/20mm stack height (2.5mm higher than the original), it was by far the lowest-profile shoe among all top-ten finishers, men and women alike. Realistically, Jornet may be one of the few runners strong enough to withstand 100 miles of pounding in a shoe with so little cushion.

What the Kjerag 2 lacks in plushness, it makes up for in speed, precision, and ground feel. A new supercritical TPE foam midsole gives it a noticeable boost in responsiveness over the original, while the updated upper features a thinner, single-layer Matryx fabric for reduced weight and improved breathability.

Jeff Mogavero – On Cloud Ultra Pro

Finishing fourth overall, Jeff Mogavero not only delivered a breakout performance—he also broke Caleb Olson’s 2024 record for the fastest Western States debut. Just two weeks before the race, On released its latest high-end trail shoe, the Cloud Ultra Pro, which Mogavero wore to make debut history.

Having tested the Cloud Ultra Pro myself, I can say it’s well-suited for the smoother, faster terrain of Western States. It reminds me a lot of On’s Cloudboom Strike road super shoe, but with the addition of a grippy trail outsole. The midsole features 38.5mm in the heel and 32.5mm in the forefoot of PEBA-based Helion HF Hyperfoam, paired with a firmer, more stable foam layer closer to the ground. Sandwiched between the two is an X-shaped plastic plate that adds a touch of stiffness and a ton of propulsion. The result is a lively, responsive ride that rivals even the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, though it may feel a bit treacherous in really rocky terrain.

Fastest Shoes at the 2025 Western States 100 – Women

Abby Hall – Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 

In a commanding, nearly wire-to-wire performance, Abby Hall proved she’s fully back from her 2022 knee surgery. Her shoe of choice? The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra. Originally designed for Tom Evans ahead of his 2023 Western States win, the Agravic Speed Ultra has become one of the most talked-about trail racing shoes.

We were so impressed during our own testing that we awarded it Outside’s 2024 Editor’s Choice, and it’s still one of Run’s top picks in 2025. With a gas-infused, ultra-responsive Lightstrike Pro midsole and embedded, curved Energy Rods, it’s the closest thing you’ll find to a road super shoe built for the trails.

Fuzhao Xiang – Hoka Rocket X Trail (Unreleased)/ Hoka Mafate X

In a repeat runner-up finish, Fuzhao Xiang of China laced up a yet-to-be-released version of the Hoka Rocket X Trail, a shoe purpose-built for the demands of gravel racing. A trail-specific version of Hoka’s Rocket X road super shoe, it features a new A-TPU (aliphatic TPU) midsole foam and a carbon plate tuned for off-road performance. A-TPU is quickly emerging as the next-generation superfoam, favored over PEBA for its superior energy return.

In a press release celebrating Xiang’s performance, Hoka described the shoe as “designed specifically for the demands of gravel racing,” which suggests it’s best suited for smooth, runnable terrain rather than technical trails. Interestingly enough, Xiang wore the Hoka Mafate X (one of Outside Run’s favorite high-cushioned trail shoes from year) until the Foresthill aid station at mile 62, before switching into the Rocket X Trail for the remainder of the race. Hoka says it plans to release the Rocket X Trail in limited quantities in fall 2025.

Marianne Hogan – Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4

Just a few minutes behind Xiang, Marianne Hogan secured third place overall, her second time narrowly making the podium at Western States. On her feet was the newly released Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4, a lightweight, race-day shoe built for speed. It features a dual-density midsole with a bouncy supercritical foam over a firmer base for added stability.

Unlike most of the high-stack models on this list (with the exception of the NNormal Kjerag 2), the Pulsar 4’s 35mm/29mm stack height is relatively modest for a 100-mile race. Given the distance, I might have expected Salomon’s more cushioned S/Lab Ultra Glide to be the go-to choice, but Hogan clearly made a good decision.

Final Thoughts

As a shoe reviewer, I’m always fascinated by what the pros wear when it counts, and equally curious about what the unsponsored runners choose when they can run in anything. As such, we’ve noted in our chart below which runners were not sponsored by a shoe brand as of the start of the 2025 Western States 100.

I’m also always interested in which (stock) shoes show up in high concentrations among the top runners. This year, the clear standout was the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, worn by six of the top ten men’s and women’s finishers. (Five of those six runners are sponsored by the brand.) Based on our own testing, it’s easy to see why it remains one of the most capable trail super shoes currently available (excluding prototypes), and its strong showing at Western States only reinforces that reputation.

Races like Western States also offer an exciting preview of what’s coming next from top brands, as sponsored athletes often wear yet-to-be-released models or full-fledged prototypes. On the course this year, we spotted upcoming shoes like the Nike Ultrafly 2, Brooks Cascadia Elite, Hoka Rocket X Trail, as well as unknown prototypes from Craft and Scarpa. Two unreleased shoes that especially caught my attention were the Cascadia Elite and the Scarpa model, both of which remain largely under wraps, but I’m eager to learn more.

Fastest Shoes at the 2025 Western States 100 – Top 10

Men’s Top 10

Women’s Top 10