Trail Running shoes advice

[swarley]

Hi, I am relatively new to hiking, and I am trying to lighten the load I carry. I am looking for new shoes for hiking, trail running shoes. What trail running shoes do you recommend? I am considering Nike trail running shoes for hiking.

[jobell]

Hey Swarley,

I personally wear New Balance and have worked my way through various different models, all performing pretty well in a range of terrains. I find that the tread on the trail runners out performs the vibram treads that I experienced previously in my hiking boots and shoes, plus, oh so much more comfortable. These days I trek on through water obstacles, it's rare that I stop to take my shoes off. They drain and dry as I go. At the end of the day it's whatever brand suits your feet though and your style. I would recommend reading up a few online reviews of whatever shoe you are looking at for feedback prior to purchase.

All the best for your hiking adventures.

[n5750547]

I really like my Salomon XD Pro GTX but I would probably reccomend the non Goretex version which dries faster if you get water inside. That said I don't find it a huge issue as is, especially with good socks.

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[Scottyk]

I really like my Salomon XD Pro GTX but I would probably reccomend the non Goretex version which dries faster if you get water inside. That said I don't find it a huge issue as is, especially with good socks.

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

+1
These are the standard trail running shoe. Go to an adventure race and its more or less the only thing worn, or it was when I was involved.
I still wear them and they are a step above most other trail runners.

[slparker]

I consider the Salomon xa to have fairly ordinary grip. I've fallen my *&%$#! a couple of times wearing them on damp surfaces where I know that vibram shoes or boots would have held. My last slide out was in wet grass in NZ last week... There's not a lot of grip on the soles. In saying that I've had 3 pair in the last 7 years, they are that versatile I wear them a lot. They are extremely hard wearing and the goretex lasts the life of the shoe.

I've worn the Salomon xt wings on the south coast track, Ben Lomond, Victorian alps and in the tropics and I consider them to be better even without the shank in them or goretex. They are very light and robust. I run in them too, they are superb on rock and traversing steep slopes, I find. They are brilliant in the wet and in mud.

These two Salomon models tend to fit a medium width foot. The other Salomon trail runners ( speedcross and fell raiser) are quite narrow.

If you're not running in them you could try dedicated walking shoes, they are likely to have better soles than the runners anyway. Most outdoor shops stock a good range. The advantage of the runners is that they're pretty light and very comfortable. Merrell and inov8 also are very well regarded.

[nzbazza]

I use Saucony Xodus trail running shoes for tramping on and off trail in NZ, terrific grip, rock-plate, low drop, and robust (especially when you coat the lower half of the uppers in PU goo such as Shoe Goo. I prefer the non-Goretex version as they breathe better and dry out faster.

How shoes fit your feet is the most important thing however. I have large flat wide feet (think flippers) and the Saucony's fit me well with no blisters in 2+ years of use.

The only time I use boots for tramping now are snow and ice alpine trips where crampons are necessary.

[hobbitle]

Hi everyone, also interested in this question (i'm a girl if that makes a difference re. recommendations).

I know nothing about trail runners but I am wanting a lightweight pair of shoes to walk in (that aren't my Nepal Evos!) for approaches to the glaciers etc where there will be streams and rocky terrain underfoot. These will double as camp shoes and because the Evos are so heavy I want my second pair to be nice and light. I think I will go non Goretex. Does anyone know a good place in Melbourne to go to for trail runners? I can go to the standard Paddy/Bogong etc but since trail runners are a bit more generic perhaps there are better stores (like a Salomon store or a running store or something)?

Sorry for the thread hijack but it sounds like we are looking for similar so didn't want to start a new thread.

[Turfa]

They are not quite a trail runner, but for lightweight walking shoes I love my Merrell Moab Ventilators.
http://www.theathletesfoot.com.au/merre ... tor-walnut
Very comfortable (for me), great grip with a Vibram sole and the mesh upper makes them very quick to dry. Reasonably light too, and for me they have been very durable( for a trail runner style shoe).
Obviously you need to try them on, but these have been my shoe of choice for many thousands of kilometres of bushwalking/hiking in all kinds of terrain....sand, rocks, mud & snow

[Hiking Noob]

I don't run because I am fat and lazy but if I did I'd do it in the Salomon XA Pro, good loord they are a comfy thing. Sadly at the moment I have Plantar Fasciitis which is making me walk silly so the outer edges are shot in no time

[jimjim]

.....great grip with a Vibram sole......

I am totally bamboozled by the love of "Vibram" soles.

I recently bought a pair of Scarps walking shoes with a Vibram sole and nearly killed myself. These things may have an aggressive lug pattern but the rubber itself is like walking on ice.

Coming from a climbing background where rubber is everything, and having used "Five-Tennie" approach shoes (with a lugged friction rubber sole) for years I have to say I am totally in the dark as to how Vibram can still be in business without having updated the rubber they use.

That said however, the approach shoe stiffness is a little over the top for most "non-rock hopping" walking, but for safety's sake I'll stick (literally) with the approach shoe.

JimJim

[Hiking Noob]

Vibram have a few compounds I believe but I have only ever had one pair that gripped on wet........anything. Vibram sucks, Stealth rubber is far superior but the quality of 5-10 shoes has gone to poop since Adidas bought them. Also I have almost gone AOT wearing my 5-10 DH shoes in to shops with polished floors, dust sticks to the soles and makes them super slippery, I've pulled off a couple of pretty tidy Flashdance moves walking in to Bunnings after a ride.

[Turfa]

.....great grip with a Vibram sole......

I am totally bamboozled by the love of "Vibram" soles.

I recently bought a pair of Scarps walking shoes with a Vibram sole and nearly killed myself. These things may have an aggressive lug pattern but the rubber itself is like walking on ice.

Coming from a climbing background where rubber is everything, and having used "Five-Tennie" approach shoes (with a lugged friction rubber sole) for years I have to say I am totally in the dark as to how Vibram can still be in business without having updated the rubber they use.

That said however, the approach shoe stiffness is a little over the top for most "non-rock hopping" walking, but for safety's sake I'll stick (literally) with the approach shoe.

JimJim

Possibly the reason you are bamboozled is because Vibram have not just been making the same rubber for years, they actually make dozens of different compounds, each with a specific range of properties in terms of hardness, abrasion resistance etc. at a particular design temperature range. ( http://eu.vibram.com/en/compounds ) If a shoe has poor grip it is possible that the shoe manufacturer chose a less than ideal compound, or perhaps the shoe is being used for an activity for which it was not designed.
I find the particular Vibram compound used on the Merrell Moabs does pretty well on the compromise of dry grip vs wet grip vs durability under a wide range of conditions.

Also, some compounds have a smooth almost shiny finish from the moulding process & this does compromise the grip until it is worn off. Scuffing the sole a little on a brand new pair of shoes new can make a huge difference to the grip.

[jimjim]

" ....If a shoe has poor grip it is possible that the shoe manufacturer chose a less than ideal compound, or perhaps the shoe is being used for an activity for which it was not designed....."

That is interesting. I was unaware there are different vibram compounds, and I have not seen it advertised anywhere which particular rubber they are using on a specific shoe. (but I am not a tech spec person...)

Why would a reputable manufacturer like Scarpa put a sole made from such a slippery compound on a pair of walking shoes? The shoes I bought are a general walking shoe so I would have expected them to cope with a bit of low angle damp lichenous rock and wood like the 5.10s do with ease...

[nq111]

" Why would a reputable manufacturer like Scarpa put a sole made from such a slippery compound on a pair of walking shoes?

Durability is the main reason. Those vibram boot soles last forever. The stickier the rubber, the faster it wears. I think the vibram boot soles are pretty sticky relative to how durable they are - but they are certainly not as sticky as some trail runner or approach shoes.

There is a different technique to wearing boots on rock. You use them more like a hoof (mountain goat) than a smearing tool (rock wallaby? ).

[Hiking Noob]

Still, Stealth Rubber lasts a long time considering how sticky it is, even when it's worn it sticks to rocks like crazy. In saying that my 5-10 Ascent shoes sap a lot of energy from you after a decent stroll, they also have no heel cup so they are pretty useless on steep ascents.

[Watertank]

I've been wearing innov8 for a few years, I originally bought them online from the UK but you can get them in Melbourne now, at a place downstairs in the Emporium on Lonsdale st (hobbitie you might be interested in checking them out) they have a big range. Light with a great sole.

[racca]

I just bought a pair of Merrel 0 drop Bare Access trail runners. 0 drop is going to take some time to get used to. Haven't put any big k's on them yet.

[slparker]

I just bought a pair of Merrel 0 drop Bare Access trail runners. 0 drop is going to take some time to get used to. Haven't put any big k's on them yet.

I have a pair or those and also trail gloves. It took me a couple of months of wearing them to get used to them.

[racca]

Hey slparker

Did you get sore feet while getting used to them? What do you think of them now?
Any feedback greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Mark

[slparker]

I like them a lot. I wear them and the merrell trail glove (which are very minimalist). I started out wearing the trail gloves and it takes a couple of months to get your feet and calves used to them - but i can't say that my feet were any sorer than more robust footwear. I did get the occasional painful rock strike when running in them (the trail gloves) but never when walking.


I started favouring the trail gloves over other shoes about a year or so ago and then bought the bare access for running. The bare access are zero drop but hav equite decent cushioning.

I am not an evangelist for minimalism or zero drop shoes but i find them very comfortable now that i am used to them.when i don't have them on I miss the trail feel and grip that I get with them. I alternate between the bare access and trail gloves and find that the bare access have a good medium between protection and trackfeel.

I haven't done a walk with an overnight pack in them but probably will (i see no reason not to). i don't know if I'd wear them on a really rough track, though - mainly because the uppers seem so flimsy. I'd probably wear something beefier like my salomon trail runners for that.

Minimalist footwear has a few advantages and lots of marketing hype, i have to say. Most of the injury research has been done in running and there appears to be no injury prevention when wearing minimalist footwear. That said, barefoot or minimalist footwear does strengthen the foot arch and the science does recommend low profile firm soled footwear for ankle sprain prevention.

[racca]

Minimalist footwear has a few advantages and lots of marketing hype, i have to say. Most of the injury research has been done in running and there appears to be no injury prevention when wearing minimalist footwear. That said, barefoot or minimalist footwear does strengthen the foot arch and the science does recommend low profile firm soled footwear for ankle sprain prevention.

Funny you should say. I ended up with the Merrels after doing pre purchase research on replacing my cheap Rivers hikers, as I didn't trust them to go the distance on the overnight hikes I plan to start doing. After reading a few blogs and reviews I had myself some Merrels.

The 0 drop seems logical enough, but blogs and reviews made them sound indispensable. Definately need to wear them round the house for a while though

Time will tell I guess! Thanks for the info.

[slparker]

Funny you should say. I ended up with the Merrels after doing pre purchase research on replacing my cheap Rivers hikers, as I didn't trust them to go the distance on the overnight hikes I plan to start doing. After reading a few blogs and reviews I had myself some Merrels.

The 0 drop seems logical enough, but blogs and reviews made them sound indispensable. Definately need to wear them round the house for a while though

Time will tell I guess! Thanks for the info.

I'm interested in the whole balance and centre of gravity thing that's going on here. In traditional footwear the raised heel forces you to lean forward; I am not a physio but I
imagine that forces the body to accommodate by flexing rearward somewhere in the biomechanical chain from ankle to trunk in order to re-centre COG.
Wearing a traditional pack forces the trunk even further forwards in order to keep the COG in a biomechanically efficient location.

Having zero drop footwear should enable walking with less forward flexion of the dynamic chain. I have no idea whether this makes for more efficient locomotion, or is of little consequence...