Signed up for the Lakeland Trails off road runs (Cartmel 10k, Hawkshead 15k, Staveley 17k, Keswick 15k and Coniston 15k). So looking to get a pair of trail running shoes. Any recommendations? So far thinking of the Salomon SpeedCross 2; or something from inov8 – perhaps the terroc 330.

Anybody used either of the above or suggest any others?

i used inov8 roclite 315's for a 100k off road ultra, love them to bits, still used a few days a week on trail runs

If you are near Kendal get yourself into Pete Blands, good sound advice from guys that actually run.

Got the Salomon Speedcross 2, Love them!

Very comfortable, the lacing system is genius, very comfortable and the grip is outstanding to the point of being almost unbelievable.

They doo ware fast though, but in my view worth it.

+1 for Salomons (Best lacing system)

La Sportivas are good too worth a look
Maybe Montrails too

Don't what ever you do buy Inov8's without trying on and being sure on the fit.
I'm generally not fussy at all with my running footware but Inov8's just seem to not fit some people at all well. (Heal cup problems seem common)

Don't what ever you do buy Inov8's without trying on and being sure on the fit.

To be fair, the same advice should extend to any brand/shoe… 10-20K off-road in the wrong shoes is going to be a rather unpleasant experience.

Try as many brands as you can and see which just fits your feet best, don't worry about the brand name

If you are near Kendal get yourself into Pete Blands

+1

Or Lakes Climber / Lakes Runner in Ambleside.

yep, get to a decent running shop and try loads on. if they're not interested in helping you out then find another shop that is.

say what you're after, and if they just show you all the off road shoes, go elsewhere. you want somewhere that will narrow down based on your specific requirements.

+2 for Pete Blands

Thanks for the replies – a trip to Pete Blands this weekend I think

Don't what ever you do buy Inov8's without trying on and being sure on the fit.
I'm generally not fussy at all with my running footware but Inov8's just seem to not fit some people at all well. (Heal cup problems seem common)

Same probs here. Go to a shop and try lots on. Everything else I've tried has fitted (Adidas, Montrail, Brooks, Salomon, Walsh) just not Inov8.

+1 for not getting inov8 without trying them ! Seemed fine in the shop, but when i r run 4 more a few miles, they kill my feet ! I dont have problems with any other shoes !

inov8 shoes I've found are more narrow than any other running shoe I've had (asics, saucony, nike).
I bought a pair in the wiggle sale and I'm hoping they'll expand with use.

I bought a pair in the wiggle sale and I'm hoping they'll expand with use.

Its a design feature for fell racing shoes to be tight fitting. Firstly to stop slippage when contouring and also to expel water when they get wet.

Shouldnt be uncomfortably tight though! I find Walshes ridiculously tight by Inov's slightly wider, funny heel cup though.

I have wide feet which doesn't help.

If its for trail running with a bit of fell dont rule out Nikes with the waffle sole.
Most of the shoes above are for out and out fell running where lots of grip over steep terrain is required.
For trail running I would wear a standard running shoe but with an aggressive tread. Inov8 do a good range of these also but as above fit is important.

I got some of these before Christmas
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180446095136

if they suit you – They're ideal for the sort of trails you're talking about
Bargain prices too for old model years

I have a pair of Asic gel trabuco and while i dont do that much running on steep hills I have found them excellent grip and comfort on easier gradients and varied terrain

Inov 8 seem to have very successfully gotten themsleves a brand that everyone recommends – often for good reason but they aren't the silver bullet.

There are stories of them falling apart, although I had a pair for about 3 years that didn't. They are a narrow fit though and they have minimal padding, which might be your thing, it might not.

The Salomons tend to be quite well padded, as is the Asics Tiburon (sp), it depends what you're after.

I went from my Inov 8 Mudrocs to Mizuno Wave Harrier 2s – I wanted something with a bit more cushioning yest still with a lightweight / thin sole. I tried on some Terroc 330s which were heavier and tighter around the foot compared to the Mizuno's. The Mizuno's are quite wide in the toe box.

Apparently the sole's on Walsh's wear out quickly.

+1 for pete blands. Got a pair of walsh's, they do wear very quickly – a pure mud/soft ground fell shoe. Got a pair of addidas swoop 2, soooooo comfy, grippy and cheap (PB again). Can only say what the others have said, if your trail running – a trail shoe i.e slighty wider, more cushioning, not such an aggesive sole….

I pronate and found Montrail Leona divides offer good support for my gimpy feet needs.

One tip that seems to work for the Inov-8s is to heat the heel cups with a hair dryer until really quite hot. Put them on with some thinner socks and go for a long run. Worked for mine and i had wicked problems with the heel cup – they have quite a firm plastic surround in them.
We've been sponsored by (in no order) – montrail, vasque, salomon, inov-8 and la sportiva so i have an extenbsive collection of half worn shoes. I now choose Salomon (and have to pay for them as well FFS!) and love my new Speedcross for proper running races, expedition races i still stick with my non-goretex XA Pro 3D.
I still rate Vasque though and Montrail. They just don;t fit me.

Apparently the sole's on Walsh's wear out quickly

The soles on pretty much any uber-agressive pure fell running shoe will wear quickly, particularly if you spend any time at all running on the road. I used to have a pair of New Balance fell shoes with a Walsh-type sole. Running a mile or so along the road to the start of the fell section was always an entertaining experience – particularly in the wet.

As has been said above, a more general trail running shoe may be your thing if more of your time is spent on mixed terrain running than on pure fell work.

If you've done most of your running on the road just be aware that you can get problems with your ITB's if you start doing longer distances on uneven ground without building up to it. I found this to my cost last year when I went from 4 mile cross country runs straight to 8 with nothing in between. I had no fitness problems in doing that but started to get pains in the sides of my knee and a bit of internet research revealed that both uping distance too quickly and running on uneven surfaces were often the triggers for it. It seems to have calmed down now and hasn't affected my cycling so I'll probably give it another try once the evenings are lighter. There are stretches specifically to help with the problem as well.

Adidas Kanadia Trail from Sports Direct? Cheap and useful crossover shoe.

As above I never got on with Inov-8 and my wide feet till someone on here pointed out I'd only ever tried the Performance Last. They do two: Performance (narrow) and Endurance (wider).