Are these the best trail running shoes I can buy under $30?

Yes, but it depends on how serious you are about running and how much you plan on doing. Generally, you shouldn't get running shoes from jcpenny or other places like that. It would be better to try to find a local running store if you want better shoes/products. Also you should try on running shoes before buying to help prevent injury, this is another reason to buy from a local running store since they will be able to find shoes that fit properly and give support in the correct places depending on how you walk/run. If you want to shop online, you can try a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/" rel="nofollow"http://www.runningwarehouse.com//a they have great prices on running stuff and have free 2 day shipping and free return shipping so you can try on your shoes and if you don't like them just send them back without paying a cent.