UKC

I have a pair of Inov8 Roclites which have always been brilliant, the treads are ideal for the muddy stuff I frequent.

Unfortunately, last year I had a climbing accident, that's left me with one foot that can most accurately be described as like a lump of wood, i.e. stiff and immobile. However, my sole is also hypersensitive to small objects. If I stood barefoot on a pound coin it would be agony.

I have recently had a couple of trial runs in some oversize trainers, and that was OK, but when I tried the run in the Roclites, I found it to be agony, caused by the relatively thin soles, and feeling every pebble and twig.

So what I'm after is something with treads like Roclites, but thick cushioned soles.

Any suggestions?

In reply to Fredt:

Could you try something like a Sorbothane insole in the shoe you wear on the injured foot (or in both shoes if it feels weird to only have an insole in one)?

Failing that, I find Walshes feel much more protective than Roclites, whilst still retaining decent ground feel. The grip is great too.

In reply to Fredt:

Hokas would be the most obvious starting point, though quite a few other brands have jumped on the super-cushionoing bandwagon following Hoka's amazing success over the last few years.

Check out the Hoka trail running page http://www.hokaoneone.eu/en/men-trail/ though none of their models have as an aggressive an outsole as the Roclite. I'd give the Stinson 3 or Mafate 4 a try out if you can find a local supplier - has the most cushioning of all the Hokas plus a reasonably aggressive sole, the Mafate's sole maybe slightly more so.

In reply to shuffle:

I tried that, but there isn't room as the foot is still, and probably permanently, swollen.


I have some Walsh's, but find them even thinner, and ground feel is what I don't want!

Thanks for posting, I'll check out if there any newer, more cushioned, Walsh's.

In reply to steelbru:


They look interesting, very cushioned!

In reply to Fredt:
I think it's really helpful to look at whether you really need a trail shoe. If you can use a road shoe that opens up a lot more options,

In reply to Fredt:

I can vouch for the Hokas. I've used Speedgoat and, more recently, Challenger ATR. The grip on both was great (except in the worst mud/peat). The Speedgoat seemed to be the most cushioned.

In reply to Fredt:

The other thing that might work if you don't want to go with the Hoka suggestion (I've not tried them but know some people who really love them), is to have a fell sole put on a comfy road shoe. Not especially cheap, but might be worth a try

http://lancashiresportsrepairs.co.uk/running_shoe_repairs.htm

In reply to Fredt:
Against my brand loyalty, I have had good experiences with Nike Terra Kiger, which I used for the Lakeland50 in preference to Roclites for a bit more cushion. Also a friend of mine sayes that the new (v3.0) altra lone peaks are excellent.

Neither will give you the same control on technical terrain, but are fine on trails.