Winter can be a confusing time for runners. Conditions can be highly variable — cold and dry, cold and icy, cold and slushy, or randomly temperate.
Protection from the cold and grip on slippery surfaces are essential, but over the course of a single run, one might traverse pavement, puddles, and powder. Spikes can be useful, but are overkill for runs that aren’t exclusively on snow or ice. Yet typical trail shoes can be insufficient for the frigid conditions.
In 2022, Tracksmith debuted the Eliot Runner — a low-profile shoe with a Pebax midsole and insole. Its classic look, combined with its high-end features (and price tag), appealed to many. I wore my first pair into the ground as a daily driver, but often chose other shoes for distance runs because they lacked ample cushion.
Tracksmith expanded its shoe range in 2025 with its Eliot Range trail shoe and the Eliot Racer carbon super shoe. Their latest offering, the Eliot NDO (which stands for “No Days Off”). It’s meant to solve the confusion about winter shoe choices. It provides a merino liner, Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole, and a weatherproof membrane. It’s designed to be warm, grippy, and versatile without too much added bulk.
In short: The Tracksmith Eliot NDO ($240) adds warmth and weatherproofing to the chassis of a sleek daily running shoe. This gives it cold-weather chops but also creates a tight fit. The liner and membrane help with keeping out cold and moisture. The shoe is a great option for those looking to glide over hard-packed snow or trudge through powder, though it is not robust enough for winter trail duty.
Check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Winter Trail Running Shoes and the Best Trail Running Shoes.
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Traction
8.0
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Waterproofing and Weather Protection
8.3
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Warmth
8.5
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Fit and Cushioning
7.5
- Lugs: 3 mm
- Drop: 9 mm (34.5 mm heel/25.5 mm forefoot)
- Weight: 9.5 oz.
Pros
- Warmth and weather protection
- Excels in unpredictable winter conditions
- Stylish
Cons
- Expensive for a highly specific shoe
- Narrow fit
- Not quite trail-worthy
Tracksmith Eliot NDO Review
I tested the Eliot NDO through the very snowy month of January in New England. I took it on runs in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire to test out its potential as a winter warrior.
Here were my impressions on the shoe’s fit, function, and overall performance after numerous runs in cold, snowy conditions.
Fit
The Eliot NDO is snug. This is intentional. Adding a merino liner to the Eliot silhouette did not result in a corresponding adjustment to the shoe’s width. On its website, Tracksmith asserts that the snug fit is “to both maximize comfort and keep your foot seamlessly shielded from mess.” I found the width of the shoe to be in line with the standard Eliot. However, the wool liner reduces the shoe’s interior space, tightening the fit slightly.
It is a marginal difference, but I noticed it as soon as I put the shoe on. As someone who prefers a roomy toebox I worried this would be a source of discomfort. It also meant that, unlike the original Eliot, this shoe won’t be a daily driver for me. To me, the fit is slightly too tight for all-day wear.
This shoe isn’t necessarily meant for that, though. It’s meant to provide warmth and traction during winter runs.
Warmth
I run hot (as many people do during activity). Moving increases metabolic rate and circulation, generating heat even in cold conditions. By the end of most of my winter runs, I’m sweaty.
The extremities, however, can be the exception. My fingers and toes often remain blocks of ice for the duration of a run, only warming up when I finally return home. I’d insulate more, but thick socks and heavy footwear don’t lend themselves to fleet-footed outings.
The addition of weatherproofing and a merino liner adds a little weight, but not much. The original Eliot Runner weighs 9.2 ounces, while the Eliot NDO is 9.5 ounces.
The liner, however, adds a surprising amount of warmth. It has a bootie-like opening that requires loosening the laces and using two hands. I ran in fairly frigid conditions in the Eliot NDO on multiple occasions — once in New Hampshire with a feels-like temperature of 3 degrees and once in Boston with a feels-like temperature of 8 degrees. In both cases, I was impressed with how toasty my feet remained.
In part, this is a testament to the snug fit. The same feature that makes the NDOs slightly difficult to get on also effectively traps heat.
Protection
The seamless liner also does a good job of keeping the elements out. I ran on a couple of inches of fresh powder in New Hampshire, while it was actively snowing. Snow kicked up onto the uppers, and I expected it to eventually permeate the liner. There were a couple of wet spots around the ankle where snow may have caught on to my socks and seeped in, but for the most part, my feet remained dry.
The weatherproof membrane plays a big role in preventing wet and cold from getting past the woven upper. I didn’t go so far as to submerge my feet in icy puddles, but whether I was trudging through powder or zipping across packed-down snow, moisture remained on the outside of the NDOs.
Traction
Whether running through powder or snowpack, the NDOs provided sufficient traction. The Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole with 3mm lugs did not slip. On my Boston runs, I saw quite a few people out in micro spikes, but I never felt the need to go that route. It was nice to feel like my lightweight runner could hold its own against metal spikes in slippery conditions.
The New Hampshire run was quite hilly. I thought I might slip when the incline or decline got too great, but the shoes gripped the snow-covered road nicely.
That said, the Eliot NDO is more geared toward a daily trainer than a robust trail shoe. If I were heading out into the woods, I’d opt for my HOKA Speedgoat GTX Spikes, which feature a toecap and integrated spikes on a Vibram Megagrip sole.
Tracksmith Eliot NDO: Who It Is For
Rarely has a shoe jumped so high in my estimation from initial impressions to eventual performance. I was worried the Tracksmith Eliot NDO would be too narrow and unsupportive. However, I ended up appreciating the cozy fit and, perhaps because I was primarily running on snow and not pavement, the support issues I had with the original Tracksmith Eliot didn’t arise. The ride felt nimble and stable, with a surprising warmth-to-weight ratio.
Still, the Eliot NDO lacks some features, which limit its use cases. It’s too warm for mid-summer jaunts, and isn’t as versatile as more dedicated trail running shoes. But for a general-purpose winter runner on unpredictable but mostly flat surfaces, this might be the best shoe I’ve tried. If I’m headed out on a cold-weather run from my front door, these are the shoes I’ll be grabbing. If I head to the woods in warmer weather, that equation changes.
The Tracksmith Eliot NDO is capable of supporting you through snow, slush, and cold miles. It’s an excellent all-purpose winter runner if you don’t mind a snug fit.
