I know I need to try them on but narrow it down a bit for me!
They need to grip on dirt and also steep wet pavements. If they could be puddle splash proof that would be good too.

Saucony every time for me although latest colours are a bit enduro….

How XC are we talking here? I’ve found my Salomon Speedcross are great for the trail races I’ve done. I have some Saucony Exodus which I find okay till it gets really muddy as the grip doesn’t clear too well.

Not Salomon if wet pavements are involved.
Brooks Cascadia are my second pair.

Only run in Hoka now due to injuries but Nike Pegasus would suit IMO, great all rounder, quite narrow and the waffle outsole will give you enough grip for a bit of path/light XC.

Brooks Cascadia and Nike terra kiger have been great for me.
I’ve got some adidas at the moment too (adizero xt5) but I’m not as keen on them despite loving their Adios road shoes.
The Cascadias are great on or off road and the Nikes too but they suffer more in muddy conditions than the cascadias

Recent convert from Salomon to On Cloudventure which are great trail shoes.

Can anyone reccomend a shop near Guildford, Kingston or Epsom to try your suggestions?

Not Salomon if wet pavements are involved.

I’d second that, I only have a short warm uo from my house to the ‘trails’ and if it’s wet then I take it very steady wearing Speedcross. S-Lab Wings are a better bet on more mixed terrain.

Can anyone reccomend a shop near Guildford, Kingston or Epsom to try your suggestions?

Sweatshop in Teddington

In addition to the Brooks Cascadia, Pearl Izumi do a really nice N2 Trail, however they are going to stop making them so get them while you still can.

Most road shoes with a bit of grip will be fine until it gets wet, then you may need to consider something a bit grippier.

I’ve got some Asics Gel Fuji Trainers that work well on and off road. They are fine until the mud gets thick and consistent, then I go for the Inov8 Roclite 295s, although my runs rarely require the need for those, these days.

Personally, I wouldn’t bother with splash-proof: I find, even on cold days, wet feet don’t really get cold as they are doing all the work.

The big disadvantage of waterproof shoes is that if you go ankle-deep, there’s nowhere for the water to escape and you’ll have sloshy-feet for the rest of the run. Best go to a specialist shop to try on a few makes / types as everyone’s foot shape and running style are different – one person’s cushions of joy are another’s instrument of torture. Many off-road shoes are fairly minimalist, so if you’re a heavier runner / heel striker they might not be suitable, whereas if you’re running on hard-packed trails, then a more cushioned shoe with offroad grip may be better.

Are there any good deals on any of the above at the moment? As I’ve run more regularly this year my bargain Karrimor Sports Direct specials have given up the ghost – in fact I said I’d change them in March but carried on.

I do mostly xc/bridleway/trails with a little bit of pathway so need a good all rounder with a high in step.

Brooks advocate here. I’ve been using Ravenna VI in most conditions but I’m not off road enough to justify dedicated trail shoes. Brooks fit me prefectly.

Barely a mention for Inov8? Are they seen as being too gnarly? Because given the requirement for grip on wet pavement, I’ve always found the grip on wet rock of my Roclites to be incredibly good – can’t think I’ve done much running on wet pavements, but they should be equally good there.

As mentioned above, I really wouldn’t recommend waterproof shoes – much better to have shoes which drain well, accept you’re going to get wet feet and wear good socks which work well when wet (generally wool ones)

How many miles should a pair of shoes last?
I bought a pair last year and they certainly haven’t done 200 miles. They’ve been worn on gravel paths and mud so no big rocks or anything. Last week the sole seemed to offer no support to my big toes or the balls of my feet.
I would say they’ve done more walking than running.

I usually get 800-1000km out of my trail shoes, but then I’m fairly light and a cheapskate. You should certainly get at least 500km out of them. I run on mainly rocky / sandy trails in central Spain, no mud but fairly wearing.

And I vote for La Sportiva Raptors, lovely shoes. Although I’m currently using some New Balance Leadvilles, which are slightly better in the wet.

Work out primarily what your offroad surface is going to be. I have pair of Saucony Peregrines but rarely use them, as most paths I run on are ‘made’ and I find road shoes perfectly acceptable. But if you are properly offroad / cross-country then you’ll want something with a decent tread, but they won’t be great on wet tarmac.

Brands I’d look at in no particular order:

Saucony
Innov-8
Brookes
NB
Nike
Adidas
Salomon (their X-Scream is an ok compromise for mixed runs with some road and some offroad, while being master of none, and can be found pretty cheap ~£50)
La Sportiva

Adidas with the Continental rubber on the sole, are brilliant … I’ll doubt you’ll ever slip on wet pavement.

I’ve got Brooks Cascadias and Saucony Peregrines and find the latter far better over rougher terrain and significantly grippier in the wet/gloop. Not as comfortable on road sections though.

Always shied away from Salomon and Inov8 as I find their ranges far too big, specialised and baffling (or I probably would if I could stay awake long enough to plough through them) – for an average off road run it seems like I’d need approx. 4 pairs of their shoes.

Brooks Pure Grit

4mm heel drop, very comfortable and grippy for off road ‘trail’ running.

You’ve got Run to Live in Leatherhead which have helped me out with shoes before. They do on site analysis too.

More mile Cheviot 3 £30 plus 30% off with the code “lincsquad” bargainous!
http://moremile.co.uk/mens/footwear/more-mile-cheviot-3-mens-trail-running-shoes-blue-mm2452.html

Run To Live in Leatherhead looked to be closing down when I rode by it this morning. Shame as they were very helpful. They look to be selling everything off though so may find a bargain.

There is a good little running shop in Guildford called Fit Stuff. If going there then make sure you pop to the Greek kebab place a few doors down ‘Meat the Greek’ – delicious!