WSER 2026 Shoes
The 2026 Western States Endurance Run (WSER 100) was a historic, record-breaking year with unseasonably cool weather and two new course records by Jenn Lichter and Vincent Bouillard.
The footwear on display at the front of the pack read like an unreleased product roadmap—prototypes completely dominated the podiums for both the men and women.
Here are the specific shoes worn by the Top 10 Men and Top 10 Women finishers at the 2026 Western States 100:
Top 10 Men's Shoes
Rank
Finisher
Shoe Brand & Model Worn
1
Vincent Bouillard
Hoka Tecton X Prototype (Custom refined version)
2
Francesco Puppi
Hoka Tecton X 3
3
Ryan Montgomery
La Sportiva Prodigio Pro
4
Thomas Cardin
Kiprun Kipsummit Race
5
Zach Miller
The North Face Vectiv Pro 4 (Prototype)
6
Adam Peterman
Hoka Rocket X Trail
7
Jeff Mogavero
On Cloudultra Pro
8
Canyon Woodward
Mount 2 Coast M1 (Custom)
9
Will Murray
Brooks Cascadia Elite / Cascadia 19
10
Hiroki Kai
Hoka
Top 10 Women's Shoes
Rank
Finisher
Shoe Brand & Model Worn
1
Jenn Lichter
Nike Kigerfly (Prototype) / Nike ACG Ultrafly
2
Riley Brady
Nike Kigerfly (Prototype)
3
Marianne Hogan
Salomon S/Lab Ultraglide 1.5 (Prototype variant)
4
Caitlin Fielder
Adidas Terrex Prototype
5
Lotti Brinks
Hoka Tecton X Prototype
6
Tara Dower
Altra Mont Blanc Carbon (Modified; no BOA system)
7
Fuzhao Xiang
Arc'teryx Sylan Pro 2 / Norvan LD4
8
Fiona Pascall
Adidas Terrex Prototype
9
Hau Ha
Kailas Fuga EX Pro
10
Hannah Allgood
Adidas Terrex
Key Footwear Trends from the Race:
The "Kigerfly" Explodes: Nike's unreleased trail super-shoe prototype swept the top two positions in the women's field under Jenn Lichter and Riley Brady.
Hoka Dominates the Men's Podium: Hoka secured a 1-2 finish on the men's side. Winner Vincent Bouillard ran in a highly personalized Tecton X proto, while second-place Francesco Puppi relied on the newly available retail Tecton X 3.
Plates & Super-Foams are Mandated: Nearly every shoe in the top flights featured carbon or composite plates paired with ultra-responsive, high-stack midsoles, proving that "road super-shoe" tech has officially fully integrated into premium trail racing.
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