PB-breaking super shoes are no longer just for the roads and the track. The best carbon plate trail shoes are built specifically for off-road racing, whether you’re wanting to nab a podium finish or conserve energy over several hours. Just look at some of the world's best trail races and you'll see these top-end off-roaders on the feet of athletes including Tom Evans, Kilian Jornet and Jim Walmsley.

Unlike the best carbon plate running shoes for the road, these premium trail shoes have to balance speed with stability to help you tackle trickier terrains with confidence. We've put a number to the test to bring you our winning pairs below. Keep scrolling for the full reviews.

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The main purpose of using a carbon shoe on the trails is the same as on the roads, says Isabel Gerhaeuser, regional product line manager for EMEA at Saucony: 'you want to have speed and efficiency'.‘However, the plate itself, at least what we [at Saucony] are using, is different to what we are using on the road side of things. [This is because] when you run on the road, it’s just straight and there are hardly any obstacles. When you run on the trails, you hit things like rocks, roots and so on.