Inov8 X-Talon212s

Pair #1 nearest....#4 at top

My first ever fell shoes were Inov8 X-Talon212s and I really got on well with them. I've had a few other models of fell and trail shoes, but I keep reverting to the 212s. The fit is good for my feet and I love the responsiveness with the ground underfoot. Since doing more barefoot running (in vibram fivefingers) I've learnt to tolerate the minimal soles on tarmac too, especially with my first pair which have much less rubber on the studs now! I've managed to not destroy any of this model, despite doing over 700km in my first pair, unlike the Mudclaw 300s

Pair #1 - 665.5km (though I suspect there's easily over 100km not logged from my time pre-strava)
Pair #2 - 552.5km
Pair #3 - 129.4km
Pair #4 - 0km

The third and forth pair were recent purchases, still the old yellow/grey model, which I found online at a knock down price. I'm all for rotating shoes anyway, so getting two pairs at a bargain price was super....I probably now have over 18 months of life in these four pairs still. Here's photos showing the various states each pair are in:

#1

#1

#1 - stitching coming apart ever so slightly

#1 upper degrading slightly but still holding together

#2

#2

#3

#3

#4 so far unused and still in box

#4

It's pretty hard to tell much difference between pairs 1 to 3 - so much so that I have to be careful not to put odd pairs on when I go out running as the grip is different, especially between pair #1 and 2/3. I've heard there are differences in this old model and the new blue/orange one....Tim has reviewed this on TestedToDestruction if you want more about his thoughts on that. I would imagine at the rate I wear shoes out there will be an even newer model out when I come to replace pairs #3 and #4.

One thing I certainly advise is proper care of shoes, to prolong their life. I reckon its the care of shoes after I've been out running in them that helps to keep them in such good condition. If the shoes are dirty they get a wash, if they're wet they get stuffed with paper and dried out naturally. More about shoe care on this blog I wrote a while back.

pair #2 saw me round the Edale Skyline in June, 34.5km in 4hrs 16

The run around Edale Skyline in the 212s was a good choice, and it was only towards the end of the run that my feet were starting to hurt, mostly because the distance was my longest to date and due to the heat on the day.

Shoe care

Unless you've got loads of money you are going to want to look after any shoe you buy to prolong it's lifetime. Here's how I do that:

1. If they get muddy I always wash them, either in a stream at the end of a run, or with the hose pipe in the garden. It's important to spend a few minutes giving the shoes a thorough wash. A small stone wedged somewhere will rub the fabric and could eventually lead to a hole forming. Some foot beds have tiny holes in them and mini-pebbles can get lodged in those - that could easily lead to a blister. Mud and peat pressed into fabric will abrade, so washing all the minuscule particles out can reduce that risk.

2. Dry and air shoes every time they are used. Take out the foot beds and dry those separately. Then stuff the shoe with newspaper - push it right down to the toes. I tend to get three pieces of paper in each shoe. For particularly soggy shoes, remove the paper after an hour or so and replace with dry paper. Repeat that every few hours to keep drawing the moisture out of the fabric.

Even if you've not got particularly damp feet on a run, moisture will have come off your feet so shoes should be aired anyway. No newspaper needed if they're virtually dry, just don't shove the shoes in a closed cupboard or bag until your next run.

3. Air dry the shoes away from direct heat - i.e. do not place on a radiator. However tempting it is to dry shoes quickly this will only cause more harm by drying out the fabric and stitching too quickly. Your feet are likely to get wet on a fell run anyway, so putting on damp shoes is something you quickly get used to if you only own one pair! Drying your shoes out naturally allows all the fabrics to dry evenly and they won't have that stiff crispy toasted feeling when you next put them on.

Shoes for the hills and fells

There are several items of gear that are essential (for safety reasons) for off-road running. But, there is only one item which is by necessity very different to road running. That's the shoes you wear. I'll write about what I take out in my bag - the essentials - in another post soon.

On the road you don't need grippy studs on your shoes. Off-road, it's vital or you'll be slip-sliding all over the place and putting yourself at greater risk of injury.With that in mind, it's a common question for runners new to off-road running - which ones to choose? There's as much choice for fell as there is for road running and plenty of places to go shopping for them. The main thing to look out for are off-road shoes are suitable studs or grip for the terrain you'll encounter, once you leave the road and trails behind.

Whether you want minimal shoes or some with a heel-to-toe differential is entirely personal choice. As with any shoe fitting, you need to try them on to see if they suit your feet. Although there are obvious commonalities in foot structure, we are all unique. We also have personal preferences about how shoes feel when we wear them.

Here's the shoes I've been using over the past couple of years, and a few thoughts on how I find them to run in:

Northface Hedgehogs:

I've mainly used these as 'around town' walking shoes in winter to keep my feet dry - they're goretex which causes my feet to overheat when running. I can run in them quite comfortably, but paradoxically would only do so on dry trails. That's because when you're out running in the hills you are going to get wet feet. There's no way of avoiding it. Goretex only serves to hold wetness inside them as far as I have experienced, whereas shoes designed for fell running allow water to come out as easily as it enters. When I say they hold water in, I'm talking about the volumes you encounter in bogs, deep puddles or crossing a stream. I think that these are in fact sold as approach shoes, not running shoes, so perhaps not a fair choice to include. However, you've got my thoughts on goretex and running shoes.
My overall opinion: good for town and trail shoes, walking only.
Distance run in to date: not applicable

INOV8 Roclites:

My first fell running shoes. Essentially a trail shoe but they served me well when I initially started running off-road. I now only use these on trails, and as the grip has worn down they really don't work well on mud or wet grass any more. After wearing XTalons (see below), I also find these too broad around the toe area.
My overall opinion: great starter shoe for trails and easy, dry fell runs.
Distance run in to date: unknown, I owned them way before I started logging runs on strava.

INOV8 Xtalon212s:

Pair number 1

Pair number 2

Side by side view of soles on first pair of xtalons (left) and second pair (right)

Side by side view of uppers first pair (left) and second pair (right)

The XTalon212 was my only fell shoe for quite a while. I did get a pair of Mudclaw 333s for winter running (which are more robust and have better studs for wet, winter running) but I could never get them to feel comfortable around the heel (the 333s are in fact the only pair of fell shoes to niggle and routinely give me blisters, despite all tactics to soften the heel cup). In comparison, the xtalon212s are like slippers, and while my feet may have felt the cold a litter sooner than the 333s in winter I just preferred the fit. The 212s are snug and never leave my feet feeling sloppy, even when drenched wet through. They are responsive on all types of terrain and I am constantly on the look out for another pair to replace pair number 1...if only they were cheaper! The latest model is a snazzy blue and orange colour, which matches nicely with the Glossopdale Harriers club colours.
My overall opinion: my fell shoe of choice.
Distance run in to date, pair 1: 547.3km + what wasn't logged before I joined strava - could be another few hundred km?
Distance run in to date, pair 2: 314.4km, I reckon the studs on this pair have worn down quicker than pair #1

INOV8 Mudclaw 300s:

These are a close second to being my favourite fell shoe. I only noticed taking this photo that one of the studs has started to rip away. A lot of runners have this happen fairly regular but perhaps I'm light enough on my feet, or don't run hard (read that as fast) enough for this problem to arise. This pair has started to disintegrate a little around the toe box, on the medial side the stitching has started to come away and some of the plastic rand has come away from the material. They still feel good to run in though. A couple of minor gripes with this model: firstly when traversing I find that the fabric under my ankle bone digs in. It's never caused me any issues with rubbing skin or blisters, but it's quite uncomfortable. Secondly, when they get really wet I find the toe box feels much roomier and my feet feel sloppy in them. Tightening the laces does help with this, but not entirely.
My overall opinion: Great shoes, a few minor niggles. I'd buy them again.
Distance run in to date: 537.9km

Adidas Kanadias:

A decent and cheap trail shoe that I used for quite a lot of fell runs when it was dry, especially if I had sections of road, trail or hard packed ground to cover on longer runs. The material which the studs are made of is pretty useless on wet ground, especially grass. After over 400km they are now showing obvious signs of disintegration (I can poke my finger through one of the holes) and I suspect they will catastrophically fall apart sometime soon. The studs are also quite worn down from the combination of terrain (road to reach trails, trails and rocky paths). This means that I really can only wear these now on trails when it's dry. I might buy these again if I did a lot of trail running, but since getting these I've done quite a bit of running in minimalist shoes (including vibram fivefingers) and I think the Kanadias give too much cushioning for my style of running now.
My overall opinion: decent and reasonably priced trail shoe
Distance run in to date: 419.6km

Walsh's

Not sure which model of Walsh's these are but I got them very cheap, like a tenner, in a sale. I've used them on a few runs but I find the fit a little odd. It feels like I could twist an ankle in them very easily (I haven't done so in these yet) because the soles/studs aren't as wide as the uppers. They also feel very stiff, and in comparison to xtalons they just aren't all that comfortable. The soles are quite stiff so you don't get very much feedback from the ground underfoot, this adds to the feeling of instability. Perhaps they'd be really good on very wet ground - I shall try them out again.
My overall opinion: wouldn't buy again but ok as a spare pair.
Distance run in to date: unknown, very little

Orocs, pictured new, and still look like this

I've also got a pair of INOV8 Orocs, winter fell shoes with metal spikes that poke out of the rubber studs and give you grip on ice. Almost disappointingly we've only had one day over this last winter that I could wear them, and rather foolishly I did a long run in them. I suffered with a blister forcing me to cut my run short. This isn't a true review of them, less than 20km is not sufficient distance to give a fair go.

As you can see, I've got a fair collection of INOV8 shoes (small in comparison to some people). I really must try a different type, but then I really do like the fit and grip from them, especially the XTalons. It makes it hard to switch to other brands, especially when shoes are as expensive as they are. Buying a pair of £90+ shoes to find they don't suit you is an expensive mistake. Hence the need to try on shoes, rather than go by what other people say. Shoes featured here are what I've used...there's still lots of others out there to go and investigate.

Here's a random selection of photos showing the shoes in action:

xtalons (first pair) climbing out of William Clough on Kinder Downfall Fell Race

xtalons (unsure of which pair) running in the Rhinnogs, Wales

xtalons (second pair) in Grindelwald, Switzerland

xtalons (second pair) in Bettmeralp, Switzerland

Mudclaw 300s having fun in the peat bogs, most likely on Bleaklow

Mudclaw 300s on a snowy winter night run

Mudclaw 300s having a wash in the stream

xtalons (2nd pair) on a Welsh beach