[Closed] Trail shoe - (arch support)

I'm a huge Brooks fan now. I have had two pairs of Cascadias, they've outlasted other trainers by a margin. They are wider in the forefoot than many others, and have various plates in the soles that work well off-road.

Worth the money as they last longer?

Sorry I meant Cascadia’s.

Wide toe box really suits me. What are they like in the wet?

The Saucony I had were awful they had a thin polystyrene under sole, then the insole, plus were quite soft construction, which meant you ended up with a completely unstable foot squishing around in a swimming pool

I took my old Inov8’s out in Snowdonia a couple of weeks back, did 10moles in the mountains through bogs/rock etc and they were just so more superior. Just a shame they do not have more arch support 😟

They're good in the wet - tread seems to work well.
They are less 'bouncy' compared to many other shoes I've had.

If you want good value, the Decathlon trail shoes are good. I have a pair that I don’t use a lot but for real slop they’re brilliant, really grippy and under £50 too.
They are a touch narrow mind you. https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kiprun-trail-xt-7-men-s-trail-running-shoes-blue-yellow/_/R-p-164314
I like the Nike Pegasus Trail too but they’re not an out and out trail shoes, the sole isn’t that aggressive and whilst they’re fine on mixed terrain they’re not great in proper filth.

Just get the Hoka ones, it's not that much to have feet that work properly.

I've recently switched from Inov-8, they'd been my go to trail running brand for years but the uppers never lasted what I considered long enough. Last pair of X-Talon Ultra 260s lasted 8 months before the uppers are splitting away.

After a ridiculous amount of reading I've gone for VJ MAXx. Pricey at just over £100, but I'm not going to quibble over 30-40 quid when it's my main hobby.

Toe box roomy enough for my wide feet, kevlar reinforced uppers which should hopefully help with durability, and they have a 'FITLOCK' thing which secures and supports the arch - much more so than I've experienced with previous Inov-8 models so this might be worth checking out for you?

With all that said, I've only just received them and have worn them around inside only. I'll try and remember to revisit this thread to update after a month or two running.

https://currexsole.co.uk/insoles/running-insoles-runpro/

I bought a set of the cycling shoe inserts from here for my new MTB shoes as my high arch was causing real pain. They made such a difference that when I started running again I got a pair of the running ones after suffering on my first few runs. They made a huge difference again. I'm no Haile Gebrselassie but it was foot pain that limited my distance and now its fitness.

Have you tried custom moulded footbeds? or something similar as above^. I have high arches and have always used SIDAS (used to be conform-able).

Having been an inov8 devotee for years, I've switched to some more mainstream trail running shoes following a lockdown induced change of running schedule. I was doing loads more running on hard packed trails and found the inov8 shoes weren't cushioned enough. Since lockdown I've been through a pair of Saucony Peregrines (which I liked if a little firm), some Salomon Sense Ride 2s (great but a little tight round the toes but didn't last long), Inov8 Roclite 300s (too baggy round the forefoot and not cushioned enough) and currently on some Asics FujiTrabuco 8s, which are quite good.

This dabble in the bigger brands has lead me to believe that the fit of the inov8 shoes, despite their multiple width / fit options just don't suit my feet, they're either too narrow or wide in places, but the mainstream brands always seem to be a good compromise.

The Asics' are a good shoe, albeit heavy and stiff, definitely not a fell shoe but fine for most trails and copes with everything around Stanage fine. Can get them cheap at Sportsshoes or other places. If you go to Brooks direct you can get a deal on Cascadias but they ship from Germany and may not arrive (like mine).

I always find shoe fit a minefield but tend to put up with what I've bought until they wear out and buy new or an alternative.

Insoles. I get mine from an orthotic clinic on referral and they're a bit bulky, but they cured my pain and improve posture.

Just get the Hoka ones, it’s not that much to have feet that work properly.

In the end I did ! Got the Speedgoat 4 wide fit.

Did 8 miles over mixed terrain in them yesterday. Sounds daft but now I understand the difference between a trail shoe and fell shoe. IMO Inov8 still make great fell / high mountain / extreme terrain shoes. These Hoka trail shoes are better for off road/mixed with on road/mixed with tracks (predominantly the type of terrain where I now live)

Good points

Very good trail shoe
Brilliant grip, in fact the best grip I’ve ever had on anything but sloppy mud (tree root grip was brilliant)

Cushioned but don’t loose too much feel

Shed water better than Saucony/others I’ve used

Feel like slippers - 8 miles out of the box and no rubbing or blisters.

Bad points

Price!

Stack height - nearly turned an ankle on a rough pebbly section, but just need to get used to the extra stack height

Overall made me realise just how brilliant Inov8 are for their application, which is for anything more extreme than a trail, and I will continue to use them for races or jaunts in the mountains etc

But for general training off road in the local hills these are going to be better suited to me.

Hokas are no more expensive than most other shoes but if you are happy with then stump up the extra. I am happy to make savings on other areas say clothing etc which dont impact on my enjoyment of running but I always pay for the shoes I want. I think its a false economy really and you have already lost any savings on the Saucony....

Sorry just read the last post.... I have the Speedgoats they are very good.