UKH

Evening all. 

I’m hoping to be pointed in the right direction for an “all rounder” for Peak winter. I’m in a secondhand pair of Sportiva Akashas, and while the cushioning makes up for my awful technique, it far from excels in the typical peat and mud of the Peak. 

If it helps, I generally run between 6-10 miles 5 times a week. Though I do hope to add mileage in the future. 

Thanks in advance 

Tom

In reply to thomascarr:

I use Adidas Agravic, they’re a great all round ‘trail’ shoe. Good on and off road and the grip has never let me down on rock, tree routes etc. They were a bit slippy running up a very steep, wet and leaf littered cobbled path today however I can’t imagine anything would have been grippy. Once I started hopping between the pointy exposed cobbles they were grand! I’ve got the goretex offering however only on account of them being cheaper at the time of purchase(?!), I can confirm that it is useless in running shoes.

In reply to thomascarr: Are you looking for grip? Waterproofing? Cushioining for when it's cold and a lot of cushioining goes to heck? All off road?

In reply to wbo2:

Mostly a balance of cushioning and grip in mud. All off road, I forget to mention. 

In reply to thomascarr:

Depending how off road - Mudclaw, X-talon or VJ iRocks.

In reply to thomascarr: hmm  .. hoka speedgoats, but they're very cushioned, very expensive.  You're looking for a reasonable degree cushion plus big grip.. 

In reply to thomascarr:

Few suggestions to consider - saucony peregrine st (deeper lugs and less mesh on upper than standard version), VJ XTRM (super grippy and reasonably well cushioned), salomon wildcross (deep lugged).

In reply to thomascarr:

Thanks for the responses. 

In reply to thomascarr:

I'm using an Inov8 Rocklite 305 which fits the bill (and my wider foot), and it was half price at Ellis Brigham's Capel Curig shop a few months ago so maybe they still have some?

In reply to thomascarr:

A lot of shoes sold as 'trail' are best on made trails and when it gets muddy, or you have a single-track/off-trail section the grip is lacking (and the uppers as well sometimes if you drag them through the crap.)

I've worn Akasha before, they were probably the comfiest shoes I've had. Did a lot of miles in them last winter (on the North Yorkshire Moors) but was slipping around a lot on footpaths. They were great on well-made tracks.

A lot of shoes marketed as trail have OK forward/backward grip, but the lateral grip is shocking when it gets wet or you're on a camber. I find this more true for continental models (La Sportiva, Salomon) than Northern European companies (Inov8, Walsh, VJ) - our trails are different!

I'd suggest going for something more responsive, with slightly bigger lugs that provide better lateral grip. Of course this can mean reduced underfoot protection and how you react to this depends how used you are to lower profile shoes and how soft the ground is (e.g. I live in knackered Xtalons and lower-profile shoes). Stuff like Inov8 Xtalon, VJ iRoc, Walsh PB, Icebug acceleratis are a bit more racey; Mudclaw if you're going proper rough-housing (though the uppers may not enjoy this too much); Inov8 Roclite, despite being marketed as a trail shoe, generally grip pretty well. I've not tried their new stud pattern, but their original model were some of the best and most versatile shoes I've ever had. The new Inov8 Terraultra may be worth a look as well if you can stomach the price.

In reply to Nic Barber:

Crackin’ advice. Much appreciated.