UKC

I use Inov Roclites but have always ended up with knackered feet

Can any one recommend a pair of shoes for long mountainous Ultras?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:
knackered in what way? blisters, cramps, lost nails, scrapes/bruises?
First and foremost, the shoe that fits your foot shape and size, it may be that the inov8s arent the right shape last for you, or that you are between sizes.
Regarding blisters, ive found that thin or medium injinji socks work great on their own.
The only mountain ultra ive done is the brecon beacons 10 peaks long which is more hills than mountains, but for which I used Saucony Excursion TR8 but for proper fell stuff it would be too unstable. For shorter mountain runs (20ish miles) I use either (discontinued) inov8 mudroc or La sportiva anakonda.
There are those who would use inov8 xtalons for these runs, ive not tried them myself.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

A lot of it is personal preference, but I wouldn't consider Roclites to be good shoes for ultras. Brooks Cascadia work for me and I've been able to get older models very cheaply.

In reply to The New NickB:
+1 for the Cascadia, which is a model I keep returning to. I do find the soles to be slippy on mud and limestone though.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Impossible to answer

Depends where, your feet..

In reply to The New NickB:

I wear these because they last OK but they are a heavy shoe. But cheap.

I'd look at a range, hoka's? Try different types. See what works for you.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

I love the Cascadia 7s however they're a long gone older model, and I haven't tried the newest makes. I still run the odd easy run in them on soft ground, although having put 700+ miles on them should probably retire them. Best value shoe for me.

I resisted getting Hokas for ages as I thought 'overpriced' 'gimmicky' and wondered how durable (cost effective) they would be. Bought a pair of Clifton 3s and haven't looked back, really enjoy long runs on road and hard packed trail, comfy and light and are holding up well. I rotate amongst 5 or 6 different types of shoe during the year. Really want to try the Challengers for the Highland Fling. That's not particularly 'mountainous' I know...

Some of the newer Inov8 shoes look interesting for rougher ground, XClaw, Terraclaw etc. Ran Jedburgh 3 Peaks in the Terraclaw 250s and didn't have any issues, again that was mostly trail.

Bear in mind, for long mountainous ultras, you will get trashed feet almost regardless of what shoes you have on, preparing the feet with tape/cream etc is probably more key.

In reply to iusedtoclimb: you're so vague the Q is impossible to answer. What do you normally find comfortable? Whats going wrong?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

These have been my choice of shoe now for some time-
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/kiprun-xt6-waterproof-id_8351038.html

Good value for money, work well on most surfaces and fit nicely!

I find the whole Kalenji range wears well.

Dave D.
https://1wallman.wordpress.com

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

We'll I'll answer just for fun as I doubt you'll take my recommendation but I'd be buying xeroshoes amuri venture. Sure there's a learning curve for some but I love them and wouldn't go back to trainers now.

In reply to Dave Douglas - Awesome Walls:

I keep meaning to try those.

In reply to Dave Douglas - Awesome Walls:



What's the sizing on those like compared to Salomons?

Nice blog btw.

In reply to Ridge:



Hi Ridge

I went straight from a 43 Saloman Fellraiser to a 43 Kalenji.

Glad you enjoyed my little blog.

Dave D.

In reply to The New NickB:


Nick

I don't see many UK ultra runners in them Nick but it's a different story over the Channel!

Dave D.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Ive just bought my second pair of these ( Sportiva Mutants) as they are in my view a superb shoe
A couple of months ago they had these on offer at £60
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/la-sportiva-mutant-shoes-ss16-1/

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Did my first one in a pair of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2s and loved those shoes to the moment they died but the revised XA Pro 3D doesn't sit right with me and gave me ingrown toenails.
Since then I've been alternating Salomon Speedcross 3s and Inov 8 Race Ultra 270s depending on conditions and I love them both.

My only real thing with long distance shoes is that they aren't waterproof. On a long run you're bound to put your foot in something and get a wet foot whether your shoes are waterproof or not, the difference I've found is that the normal shoes dry out whereas the GTX versions tend to retain the wetness and you can end up with a sort of trench foot. The other bonus is if it's warm and dry you don't get really sweaty feet!

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

heard certain hoka's are great for that..
i use inov8 roclite's but only on short runs, don't do marathons in the mountains (not yet !)