27 replies to this topic

[Rock'n'Run]

Hi all,

Just wanted to get some feedback on peoples experience with different types of shoes for trail running ?

I've been using salomon for the past few years but am interested to see what else is out there (pearl izumi ???)

cheers

[miners]

I tried the Asics Trabuco IV a few years ago and loved them. I found they wore really well on the dirt and rocky trails and suffered very little damage. I also did a few kms on the road with this pair and they lasted really well - the grip stayed good throughout the shoe's life. Haven't tried the recent reincarnations of this shoe though.

In fact, since then I've been mainly sticking to road shoes but was seriously considering testing the Asics Orient which are meant to be a lightweight trail/racing hybrid. Would love to hear news on this shoe ...

[kazz]

I've also had the Asics Trabuco, 4prs actually and find them great in the trails. At the moment I'm alternating the Trabuco with a pr of Saucony Grid Shadow 8 that I've found to be just about as good as the Asics and with a similar price. I saw the Orient on the Asics website and thought they looked like they'd perform well but haven't tried them yet. I'll be due for a new pair in a couple of months and am thinking of trying them next. I'm a neutral foot and these shoes suit my runing style.

kazz. B)

[RunDave]

I run trails in Trabuco Vs. They are very comfortable, they offer reasonable protection without being too heavy and they are very stable and supportive.
Their drawbacks are that they aren't waterproof and they won't protect your feet from the really sharp rocks.
I also find them quite good on the road if I have to run between trails, but they are a little unresponsive (I guess cushioning is sacrificed for support).
Maybe you can tell me what the Salomons are like. I've been interested in getting some for a while now (which model?). What are they like on the road? They look super comfortable.
The Orients do look pretty good, but maybe more for cross-country races.
I also like the look of the Teva Romeros, especially for the wet stuff (not waterproof but look like they will drain/dry out quickly)

[kazz]

RunDave,
my last pr of Trabuco's were waterproof, they were called Trabuco H2o,from the US eBay website(great price too). My Saucony Grid Shadow are also waterproof.

kazz.

[Bellthorpe]

I've had a pair of Adidas SuperNova Trail shoes that I've been using on trails for a bit over a year. Excellent shoes. Good traction, good stability.

I also have several pairs of Mizuno Wave Wildwood, which are based on the Wave Rider, but pitched for on-road and off-road. I use these the most, especially where I might run on road for 10k or so and then go off-road for an equal distance. Possibly the most comfortable running shoes I've had.

[tim]

wouldn't the downside of water proof shoes be that eventually your feet swim in your own sweat?

[Mister G]

Waterproof shoes are usually made from Goretex, so in theory they keep moisture out whilst allowing (some) of the sweat from your feet to evaporate.

Goretex shoes are mainly intended for running in snow, which is not a common scenario in Australia. In such conditions one assumes your feet wouldn't sweat as much as usual.

[Jo Blake]

I invested in a paid of ASICS Gel Orient in the lead up to 6 Foot Track. Used them twice prior to the race to make sure that there were no blister issues on long runs that had some trail but were primarily road. I then used them in the ^ Foot Track and found them fantastic - good support, good grip, light, and felt very comfortable, I felt they were ideal for that race. Since them I've only worn them for a 10km trail Cross Country last weekend which had some rocky and soft sand sections and again they handled really well. I will use them for all trail running that I do, but I see them as being the trail equivalent of the lightweight trainer, so ideal for races and irregular training.
Cheers,
Jo

[RunDave]

I think they brought in waterproof trabucos with version VI. I will probably get waterproof trailrunners next time, and there are some excellent sounding options mentioned above. Tim, I think the waterproofing is using GoreTex, which is supposed to breath while keeping you dry. I reckon they wouldn't be too good in hot weather though - like running in a GoreTex jacket on a hot day - but as long as you don't let them fill up with water (wear gaiters etc) they should work. Has anyone run in the North Face trail runners, they have gaiter specifically fitted to the shoe?

I read somewhere that the difference between Aussie and Kiwi trailrunners was that when the Aussies get to a stream they take their shoes off and wade, while the Kiwis just plough straight through. Is this true? I reckon they must get very pruney feet and bad blisters from this, I would always avoid saturating my feet.

[Rock'n'Run]

Thanks for the feedback people.
Have to look into the Trabuco's.

The salomons (Flagstaff) have been a good work horse. My latest pair have really been punished and have held up well. A mate of mine has a pair of the XA Pro's and has been happy with them. They have a fancy kevlar lacing system, not sure how they'll last long term. They are a little heavier than a typical road shoe but are very supportive over technical, rocky terrain and are well ventilated.

[Rock'n'Run]

RunDave,

when i did Cradle in '03, we spent the 1st 3hrs running with wet feet (the trail had turned into a flowing stream). I used a pair of coolmax type socks and my shoes/feet were dry within an hour after the trail improved. Never needed to change socks and no blisters afte the race.

[tim]

I am sure I have seen an ad in a running mag where they are pouring water into a trail shoe and the water is simply pouring out through the shoes material. I would imagine that the more a shoe breathed the quicker your feet would dry after getting wet.

But as Mr G has said I would see the waterproofing being necessary in snow.

I think taking your shoes off to wade through water is for wimps :)

[RunDave]

[indent]quote:

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Originally posted by tim:
I think taking your shoes off to wade through water is for wimps :)

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[/indent]We don't get much water here in Adelaide, so I've never had to try it!

[kazz]

Jo Blake,
thanks for the feedback on the "Orient". I'll try them out next time I'm due for a pair.

tim,
I find my waterproof Trabuco's to "breath" pretty well, but the Saucony Grid Shadows seem to make my feet fairly hot on warm days.

kazz.

[AltyRunner]

I ordered a pair of Inov8 Flyroc 310 trail running shoes off the internet last week (they are not available in Australia). They arrived from the UK this morning. Bit risky ordering shoes by mail order I know, but luckily they fit like a dream.

Inov8 shoes seem to have had good reviews and appear to be the first brand to have had success in challenging the dominance of Walsh shoes in British fell running circles. The Flyroc 310 is one of their models more suited to Australian style trail running.

Just finished my first run in them, and they felt good to me - stable, lightweight and comfortable - although I was only running around the local park. I'll be taking them down to the Illawarra short course mountain race on Monday to test them out on the real stuff.

P.S. If anyone wants to order Inov8 shoes over the internet, I would recommend Pete Bland Sports of Kendal, England. My pair arrived within 6 days of me placing my order.

[physiokev]

Having run the worlds 2 years ago in Alaska in snow and slipped and slided my way round the course I have done a fair bit of research.I didn't want to feel like the Jamacan bob sled team as the Aussies did in alaska as the rest of the world laughed at us and what equipment we had.
I have raced in the inov8 mudrocks this year as they are super light and extremely grippy. I have never felt a shoe with the level of traction of these shoes. They are especially relevant for X-C or mountain races on grass, firetrail or mud. They diffinately are not suitable on courses with sealed sections therefore I didn't wear them for the NSW Mountain titles. They will be extremely relevent for the Aust titles however. Like all good things they do have a down side however. Every time I wear them I tighten up in the calf and am sore for days (sometimes even weeks ) so if only a training session or low priority race I leave them at home.
My other shoes I recently got were the new Brooks trail shoe, the cascadia. Only out for 1 month and still very hard to find these shoes were great. They are not the lightest trail shoe being 250g as opposed to the inov8 but they are stable, grippy comforable and look extremely cool in fluro yellow. I got my pair from brooks directly as a prize from a race but I would definately encourage you to source these for longer trail sessions and races such as six foot etc.

[omni]

NB 375s have grooves on them for trail running and the like, they also perform well on the road.

[Whippet Man]

By Tim [indent]quote:

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I am sure I have seen an ad in a running mag where they are pouring water into a trail shoe and the water is simply pouring out through the shoes material.

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[/indent]I think this is an ad for the latest Teva trail runners (name escapes me). I ran in an earlier model the Teva Elden and found them surprisingly good despite not very aggressive tread. But my feet have spread and they only came in full sizes and the next size up was too big. <_<
I'm currently running in Montrail Leona Divides which I love and stocked up on from Snogum as they off loaded this now old model. Only really bad experience was with a pair of Solomon xc pros (?) which nearly cut my feet in half and left me with a nasty swollen tendon.
Gotta love running thru water, though. :)

[Yabbie]

Could someone tell me what is the best place to buy trail running shoes around Sydney (for example, the Asics Trabuco or Gel Orient)?
Also, any advice on what type of trail running shoes I should wear for the OXFAM Trailwalker(training and racing) would be much appreciated.

[Yabbie]

Could someone tell me what is the best place to buy trail running shoes around Sydney (for example, the Asics Trabuco or Gel Orient)?
Also, any advice on what type of trail running shoes I should wear for the OXFAM Trailwalker(training and racing) would be much appreciated.

[miners]

Yabbie - living outside the major cities prompted me to use www.stringersports.com.au

They're based in Melbourne, have really good discounted shoes & clothing (asics only), and you get a free shoe bag, pair of socks and keyring thrown in with every shoe purchase too. I think their current price on the Orient is $129, and it's about the same for the Trabuco. Only takes about 3 days postage too.

Best of luck

[knight60]

Like Omni, I recommend the New Balance NB375s. I paid $50 for them at Amart Sports. I've used them off-road and on.

Last week in NZ I ran the Xterra 11km off road in Rotorua, on the roughest trail run I've ever done. Lots of mossy rocky bits, and narrow up and down trails, with steep up and downhill sections.

The 375s ate it up.

Two days later I ran a 5km road run in Auckland in them, and ran my best 5km time for 2 years.

Despite all the marketing hype, you DON'T have to pay a lot for good shoes! ;)

[Yabbie]

Thank you so much MinersRun. This is exactly what I was looking for. They have most of the Asics trail running shoes.

[miners]

no problems yabbie - i certainly don't mind giving them a plug. Their service was great, and the extras you get with the shoe are a nice little bonus (I especially love the silly little asics-shoe rubber keyring!)

[RunDave]

Just saw the Brooks Cascadias at Runners World in Adelaide. They look very schmick. They have very aggressive grip and a solid upper, but the best feature is the BRIGHT yellow colour. They also have "Pivot Posting: Independant, medial-lateral Pivot™ posts are shaped to minimize their ground contact surface area to better adapt to trail surface irregularities" or whatever that means.

[Whippet Man]

Has anyone run in these Brooks yet? Being an Addiction addict on the roads I wouldn't mind trying some Brooks trailrunners for the trails. I noticed the latest Trailrunner magazine classed them as "middleweights" in their review, actually being the first choice in that category. Not sure if that means they will stand up to ultras which is what I want them for?

Tim they would clash with your KT's in the wardrobe ;)

[tim]

nice.