Hi all, I’m considering taking up trail running to help out with my fitness, can anyone recommend some suitable and comfortable shoes please .

Thanks

Go and try them on and see what fits and then buy them on the Internet.

Loads of people use Inov8 though. Probably start with something like the Roclite it’s not got too aggressive a sole.

And what do you mean by trails?

I’m surrounded by mountains where I live so hopefully once I get my fitness up I’ll be running up those.

Salomon Speedcross.

Confortable and waterproof.

STW running thread, may help

Hi,

I do a fair bit of trail and fell running here in the lakes n dales. I find it really helps fitness wise. Much less faff than biking.

Try n start slowly to avoid overuse injuries. Stretch a lot n find a good physio !

Shoewise I use Walsh PBs and some Inov8s. Personally I didnt get on with Salomon shoes as I felt they did not offer much grip on anything wet. Very comfortable though. Plenty of shoe reviews on line. Find a local club for advice.

Enjoy. It will be a pain / pleasure thing…

Paul

I like Innov8, although recently I’ve started using Addidas TerreX-King shoes. they’re nicely fitting, very grippy, and (for me) comfier over longer distances.

Speedcross are slippy on wet rock ime. La Sportiva Mutants have similar grip and cushioning, but are way more surefooted if they fit your feet. The higher gaiter-style closure also helps keep grit and stonelets out of your shoes. Inov-8 do a good job too.

You’re always playing a sort of balance game between cushioning, trail feel and all-round grip if that makes sense. The lower and thinner the sole, the more trail feel you get, but the less underfoot cush. Grip tends to come down to a combination of how toothy the sole is and the rubber compound – a bit like mountain bike tyres really.

Oddly, Hoka One One, despite being constructed with a sole the height of a bouncy castle, are a lot more stable than you’d think and a lot of off-road ultra-runners use them for the comfort and shock absorption, though they feel odd to start off with. Wouldn’t be my first choice on more technical ground, but good for longer distances.

Local running club is a good call.

I’m considering taking up trail running to help out with my fitness

It’s a minefield because we all have different feet but with the right shoes you’ll fly.

Check your gait. Take into account your BMI/running experience/injury experience maybe heel drop and decide if you need light/flexible/cushion/pronation/stability/support. Be prepared to try loads.

if you have any sort of biking background your cardio will be significantly better than your musculoskeletal so take it (very easy) for many weeks. Forget about pace and distance just do what feels comfortable.

Have had quite a few pairs of Inov-8 they’re minimalist but they don’t last very long.

Asics also very good but they have a shoe for week of the year.

Last 3 pairs have been Brooks which are pretty much perfect (for me)

IME Speedcross overrated, as above dont offer much grip and not that comfortable.
Walsh, very narrow but extremely grippy, really only suitable for Fell running as oppose to “trail” grass mud etc, very knarly.
Inov8 very good, bit more of a compromise than Walsh and do a shoe for every eventuality.
Saying all that I would go for one of the big brands who do a “trail” shoe such as Adidas, Saucony, Asics etc. They are usually very good with a better midsole for hardpack etc. I run in Hoka’s (long story) and they so some off road shoes that I have ran on all surfaces (including some hard core stuff) and they are OK but very high so I wouldnt recommend them unless you have to wear them.

Luckily when I mail ordered my first pair of trail running shoes they were fine for me, they were a pair New Balance, when they wore out I looked at the revised model as the model I had was withdrawn and they were a different shoe and it was awful!

I did pop in the local Runners Surgery in Snow and Rock but they didnt have great stock in, but do price match when asked.

I ended up ordering a few different pairs from Wiggle and walking around the home and testing them, ended with some Innov8’s. So moto is, try some pairs and see what works!

Didn’t get on with speedcross – much too narrow.

I bought a cheapy pair of Asics Fuji-somethingorother from decathlon which have been great and, I realised, lasted 5 years now which is ridiculous because I don’t run all the time but have done some significant trail running in them. I should replace them but they keep going….

I think Addidas are the same folk who make Speedcross (aren’t they part of the same mega-corp?) so if speedcross are too narrow, the same will probs be true of addidas as well. FWIW, I’ve pretty narrow feet, and they fit like a glove, and I use the narrower version of Innov-8 that are available as well.

Also, even if your trails aren’t that gnarly, these sorts of shoes are pretty good for grassy trails and field edges this time of year as well.

I got a pair of Speedcross 4s last year. I find they are excellent, slightly narrow fit but grip is amazing in all conditions.

I use Inov-8 Race Ultra 290s. These have been replaced in the range with Trail Talon 275s, but they look like pretty much the same shoe.

I find these a good compromise between cushioning and “trail-feel” and are fine for doing a bit of road running to get to the trail as well. I wouldn’t want to run through super sloppy mud in them but for hard packed to soft ground they’re a good allrounder and a good introduction if you’re used to road runners.

Having said that, I prefer pretty minimalist road running shoes as well and use Nike Zoom Streaks, which have the same 8mm drop as the Inov-8s.

Some of the Adidas Terrex series are really good, better grip than the Salomons I have. I also have a pair of Saucony’s which are worth a look.

I think Addidas are the same folk who make Speedcross (aren’t they part of the same mega-corp?)

No, they haven’t been part of the same company for over 10 years.

What rocketman said – take into account lots of things, go to a proper running shop that do trail stuff (a lot of the bigger/chain stores are great for road shoes but crap for trail), get a gait analysis and try lots of things on.

I’ve gone through Saucony Xodus, Mizuno Wave Harrier, Montrail Bajada and a couple of others over the past 6 years. Currently have Saucony Peregrine for trail and a pair of Inov8 X-Talons for fell stuff. All of those felt ‘right’, where the Speedcross (and a few other Salomon shoes) ripped my arches up.

It’s a personal thing. I’d go to a decent shop and try on a few different brands and seewhat feels right.

Lots of people use inov-8, I used to as well. Since going Walsh a few years back though, inov-8 feel like running in tackety boots.

Walsh PB are *almost* as grippy as a mud claw in the wet stuff, but don’t feel like you’re running in a platform shoe. I don’t bother with different shoes for different conditions any more, the PB’s are nice to run in whatever the conditions. I even keep my 2nd-newest pair for road running!

They don’t last well, that’s about the only down side for me.

Some great advice above. To add my two penn’th (and reiterate some of the above advice):

Go and try them on and see what fits and then buy them on the Internet.

Give the shop some business for letting you try on shoes. A good shop should let you run on a treadmill or similar and watch your gait – different shoes are built around different lasts, so it’s a case of finding the one that works best with your foot. I’ve got long, narrow feet and wear Scarpa hiking boots (Italian – nice and narrow) and Brooks trail shoes. Salomon used to be quite wide – this may have changed, reading the Speedcross comments. New Balance also do width fittings.

Shoe cushioning and tread will vary depending on use: decide how you want to use the shoes. Personally I go for a bit more cushioning and shallower tread because I also run on-road to get to off-road stuff, and I’m not running in the mountains.

Thanks for the replies so far guys , loads to think about there. I will be trying before I buy so I’ll be looking for a localish shop , somewhere in Cardiff will probably be my best bet. Thanks again.

Confortable and waterproof.

Personally I wouldn’t touch a waterproof shoe. If your out properly in the hills your feet are going to get wet whatever your wearing at that point you want a shoe that lets water out, not one that retains it!

Re Gait analysis – I don’t know any good runners that have found it necessary. If the shoe feels comfortable it is comfortable

Agree on both points Dunc

No, they haven’t been part of the same company for over 10 years.

ah right, cool.

Try them on in a shop, and buy the most comfortable middle of the range ones you can find.

Personally I’d forget recommendations – there’s not that much difference between different shoes, at least not when you’re starting out. Some will be marginally better in mud, others on loose scree or whatever, but it’s not as huge a difference as companies would have you believe and is nothing like as important as your ability.

Any thoughts on the Columbia trans alps and the inov8 rocklite 280 trail shoes ?

I’m still using my Speedcross 4s, my first pair of trail shoes. Wearing pretty well after a year, they dry quickly, I like the lace system. Grip on wet rock/tarmac isn’t the best as others have said. The one thing that would put me off buying another pair is that the insole slips around and bunches badly when it gets wet, which is quite a lot! Could glue it in place, but quicker to dry if you remove the insole. Not ideal.

Go and try them on and see what fits

and

Give the shop some business for letting you try on shoes

Are the two best bits of advice.

Any thoughts on the Columbia trans alps and the inov8 rocklite 280 trail shoes ?

I’m using the Roclites. Great for multi-surface trail running, including resaonably sloppy mud. Noticeably harsher on the road for obvious reasons. Nice and light though.