6 Best Running Shoes For Spartan Race (OCR) in 2025

We ran fearlessly with Speedcross 6 and discovered it’s the best running shoe for Spartan obstacle course races. This solid and sturdy trail shoe crosses muddy paths and steep slopes with ease, offering secure lockdown, reliable traction, and protection underfoot for a comfy and worry-free Spartan experience.

This rugged pair performs best in soft and wet terrains. With 5-mm lugs sticking out, Speedcross 6 is extra grippy. The aggressive pattern supported our wall climbs and mud crawls. The design cleverly sheds off mud, too, so we didn’t have to bring the dirt home!

The tongue and mesh upper offer a lot of padding for a more comfortable experience. The Quicklace system effectively secures lockdown, which is why we had no issues with lace bite and debris sneaking inside the shoes.

Underfoot, our heel sits comfortably on a generous amount of cushioning (36.5 mm), whereas the forefoot remains low for better ground feel and control. This leads to an inclined platform with a 14.1 mm drop.

Because of its steep drop, it suits heel strikers best. We recommend midfoot and forefoot strikers to find a lower drop shoe for an enhanced running experience.

In our runs, the Salomon S/Lab Genesis made conquering Spartan courses a breeze with its airy build, adaptive nature, unwavering traction, and high surface feedback. Its minimal yet supportive construction proves it’s the best lightweight pair among our lab-tested Spartan OCR running shoes.

We feel quick on our feet with its exceptional lightness. Our scales show it’s only 8.8 oz (249g), a figure that’s hard to match for the 10.2 oz (289g) average trail shoe. What also keeps the feeling light is its ultra-breathable MATRYX upper that showcases strong ventilation, earning an impressive 4/5 rating in our smoke test.

The S/Lab Genesis enhances agility with its flexible design, accommodating free movement for burpees, climbs, and crawls. It feels fluid whether we twist or bend our feet. Our bend test confirms it's 4.8% more malleable than average. Control is further improved by the 4.5-mm deep and sticky chevron lugs, which efficiently shed mud for safe and stable strides.

The ride feels ground-connected, proven by its moderate 121/87 SA ratings in our shock absorption test. On foot, we could easily adapt to various surfaces and felt in control of our strides.

However, the shoe costs $199, which isn’t appealing for buyers on a budget since the average trail shoe costs only $148.

We conquered all obstacles—from climbing, crawling, running, and jumping—with the ASICS Gel Excite Trail 2. Its flexible build enhances our agility, its strong shock absorption boosts comfort, while its traction keeps our movements controlled. Proving its versatility and reliability in the lab for its $85, it’s our ultimate budget shoe for an effortless Spartan race finish. 

GET2 offers a lot despite being 42.6% cheaper than the average trail shoe. One obvious example is its generous cushioning, reaching a stack height of 37.7/27.6 mm. Not only that, it also reduces the impact of each landing effectively, with its high shock absorption score of 124 SA.

Its uncomplicated midsole boosts a sense of nimbleness as we perform various exercises. In our flex test, it emerged as a whopping 32.9% more bendable than average, making it adaptive for a wide range of movements. 

Its remarkable traction seals the deal, as we felt its grippy outsole bite any surface. We ran fearlessly through the mud and climbed walls with the 4.0 mm lugs keeping us steady. For reference, the average trail shoe’s lug depth is only 3.5 mm.

GET2’s focus on versatility makes it less responsive than other trail shoes. Those who prefer more explosiveness for race days should consider a shoe with higher energy return.

The Altra Lone Peak 9 gave us peak agility as it delivers the best zero-drop experience for Spartan races. It has a grounded and stable sensation that allows intuitive maneuvering, supporting any exercise we perform—from climbing obstacles to dropping on the floor for burpees. It keeps the ride all-natural and ensures generous room for toe-splaying.

Its low and firm cushion boosts surface sensitivity, ensuring secure and stable strides. Our lab reveals a true zero heel drop compared to the 7.5 mm average, and a balanced 23.6 HA foam measurement, enhancing control during multi-directional movements since the foam won't compress unevenly.

From lunges to lifting weights, we could move freely in this pair as its wide toebox gave us breathing room to adapt easily. It features a square-shaped silhouette, confirmed by our gel mold when the big toe area emerged at a massive 85.3 mm.

We felt the LP9+ version’s reliable traction, whether on dry or wet ground. We ran fearlessly around the arena and climbed walls like a gecko. In the lab, we measured its sticky lugs to be 3.8 mm deep and positioned strategically to enhance traction.

However, we warn caution that this version is stiffer than the previous versions, losing its barefoot feel. Those who value flexible midsoles should keep exploring.

Hoka Tecton X 3 helped us earn the Spartan title with security and ease. It allows us to move effortlessly with its turbo-charged midsole, climb properly with its grippy outsole, and stay comfortable with its world-class impact protection. Both our lab results and feet can confirm that it offers the best shock absorption among Spartan shoes.

Every stride in our runs and every jump we perform on each obstacle didn’t feel harsh on the legs because the midsole offers exceptional muscle protection. We measured the stack at a massive 37.8/30.9 mm, ensuring all types of runners and foot strikers won’t run out of cushioning. In our shock absorption test, we verified the foam’s strain-reducing capacity with solid scores of 139 SA (heel) and 120 SA (forefoot).

Pushing the pace feels easy because the midsole offers strong and instant rebound. We validated Tecton X 3’s springiness with very high energy return scores of 69.9% (heel) and 70.2% (forefoot).

Its Vibram outsole feels steady with 4.0 mm deep lugs that stick well to the walls we climb and on the dirt trails we run on. It’s well-suited for race environments with its confidence-inspiring control.

However, Tecton X 3 lacks the flexibility for performing workouts like lunges and burpees with ease. Those seeking maximum agility should find another shoe.