UKC

Hello,

Looking to pick people's brains regarding running shoes. I do mostly trail with the occasional foray into fell running. I don't do road at all. I have a pair of walshes which are awesome for fell and the rest of the time I wear Inov8 roclites (I don't know which number, seems to be a baffling number of roclites kicking about).

I've always liked Inov8s as they fit me well and good for most of the stuff I do (as long as not a narrow fit) but feel like my recent pair aren't as good quality with the usual story of the uppers failing before soles are gone. 

So wanting to get some opinions on more durable trail shoes if such a thing exists. Also interested to hear if anyone ever resoles their shoes - appreciate cushioning tends to go so not always a good idea but would be nice to reduce landfill impact. My dad used to resole his Walshes but they don't have much padding so perhaps less of an issue.

Thanks in advance.

In reply to FranC:

La sportiva seem good, Bushido, mutant etc

In reply to FranC:

Dynafit Alpines are great.  I've had mine for over a year and they're still going.  I run mostly mountain trails.  I used inov8s for a long time but felt their quality was dropping off as well.

In reply to FranC:

Whenever a thread comes up about the durability of this or that model or make of running shoe you discover that people have very different experiences with the same shoe. For what it's worth (not much) I got 800+ miles out of a pair of Brooks Cascadias. 

In reply to mbh:

Very true. I seem to be able to destroy the uppers on any shoe, regardless of cost/manufacturer.

Salomon Peregrine 13s are much more durable than the 12s if that helps. 

In reply to FranC:

VJ i rocks are hard wearing fell shoes, lasts three times longer then inov8.

In reply to FranC:

I use Scott SuperTrac 2.0 with Otter Socks; for running and long distance walking e.g Appalachian trail, GR5.

In reply to FranC:

Scott's are a bit more durable than La Sportiva iny experience, I just don't get on with them quite as well. Try before you buy. 

In reply to mbh:

Yes exactly. The only shoes I've taken beyond 500 miles were a pair of Hoka Challengers, which other people have found to not be very durable!

I think it depends on what they're used for. My longer serving shoes may have been used over extended dry periods on good terrain, whilst those that got trashed quicker were possibly taken over less forgiving and muddy terrain.

Also as I get older, slower and tread more carefully I find shoes last longer

As an aside, I had a pair of Brooks Cascadias for years... don't know how many miles they did but they just wouldn't die. I didn't actually like running in them, found them too stiff, so I eventually popped them in the charity bin.

In reply to FranC:

I had two or three pairs of Inov8 shoes where the uppers failed very quickly rendering the shoes unusable. Then I tried a pair of Inov8 X-talon which lasted a good couple of years, and since then one or two more pairs of the same have lasted really well.

In reply to FranC:

This is a familiar tale of woe; I notice that there is a hole in the uppers of my Hoka Speedgoats, only 300 miles on the clock. That said one can run quite a lot of hundreds of miles in torn uppers and I hope these will keep going for a whole yet.

From what I've read, VJ-Irocks are a good bet but I aren't buy a shoe I haven't tried and rarely get time to go shopping to try them. My feet love Hokas so I shall probably stick with them and put up with torn uppers.

In reply to BusyLizzie:

Indeed. Last summer I pushed three such pairs to 700 ragged looking miles. I still use one of  them for walks and gardening.

In reply to FranC:

Hi all, regarding durability of whatever shoes you run in, if you are running in muddy terrain and you shoes look filthy, do you wash your shoes of all the mud and small gritty bits out of you shoes properly? You might be pleasantly surprised that they will last longer. Please note if you have 2 pairs of similar shoes, you would cycle them, so that you would always have one dry pair.

Sarah

In reply to Exile:

Same here, just didn't get on with Scotts at all.

In reply to FranC:

Thanks everyone for the replies! Food for thought and shoes to go have a look at. 

I don't look after my shoes very well so some tlc would probably be a good idea. Current pair are coated in mud after a bit of a bogfest at the weekend. I will get cleaning!

In reply to FranC:

after disappointing durabilty of inov8, i went cheap and got some reduced adidas tracerock gtx from SD (£55). seem ok quality/grip, although i don't run much. (wonder if running shoes used for mainly walking will shorten their life?)

In reply to FranC:

I find that speed crosses last me about 600 miles. They are the only trail shoe that I've had where the sole gives out before the mesh. 

Appealing on wet rock mind but they do last.

In reply to magma: As well as running or instead of running? Walking is lower impact on the midfoot, and I can think of hokey arguments why walking is less wear on the sole.  But if you want your running shoes to last, especially uppers , rotate them and don't be scared of washing them.  

I'm pretty pleased with how my Hokas are holding up, although they've had some bad shoes on occasion in the past.  I don't get on with Sportiva , or Inov8 so it's kind of irrelevant how good/bad they are, always a problem with thissort of discussion

In reply to wbo2:

i mainly run when my dog doesn't recall after seeing another dog

In reply to wbo2:

You could try sportshoes.com own brand: Higher State Soil Shaker Shoes @ under £20 will last six months, good grip and cushioning but dont expect long lasting.

In reply to FranC:

Gave up on inov8 as the uppers got trashed on grit moors very quickly, Scott supertrac rc 2 have been brilliant and hard wearing uppers. 

In reply to magma:

On my current pair of Adidas Tracerocker the uppers are disintegrating after less than 250km. I'm going to ask for a refund, as this is ridiculous. It's a shame, as my previous Adidas have lasted reasonably well and I've not found anything else that fits as well.

In reply to Tony & Sarah:

I have a rule that if my shoes are wet inside when I get home then I hose them down fully inside and out and get them properly clean. Due to the weather we've had, they have been thoroughly washed after every single run since I bought them in October. I only have one pair but they are dry by the next day and I only run once or twice a week.

In reply to Hooo:

If Adidas fit you well Sport Direct are currently selling Terrex Agravic Flow 2 for £37. It's only in certain colours and only online although they will do that price in store if you ask. For that money it doesn't matter if they aren't the most durable. I'm actually quite liking mine.

In reply to FranC:

Asics seem to be the only ones which really fit my foot; my pair of Gel-Trabucos is on about 1500km now, about 80% woodland trail/20% roads. They´ve been great but I shall be replacing them soon.

In reply to Andypeak:

I generally boycott Sports Direct on the grounds that they only sell cheap rubbish with the names of once-proud brand names stuck on them. It would be silly to pay extra for the same shoe somewhere else though...

Is that what Adidas have come to? I suppose that's not really a surprise, as the Adidas 5:10 MTB shoes I bought recently (from a reputable shop) turned out to be Sports Direct level shite.

In reply to BusyLizzie:

I kept on getting tears in my speedgoats, on the inside of the toe box.  I kept sending them back and getting replacements.  Eventually they suggested I try the wide fit ones, and they've been great.  The normal width ones didnt feel tight, but the wide fit ones have lasted way better.

Maybe my standards are low, but I think holes starting to appear after 300 off road miles isn't that bad!

In reply to Andypeak:

In lime, with orange stripes. Would be nice chilled, in a glass. RRP £119.