Trail shoe advice please.: Until now I have done... - Couch to 5K

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Trail shoe advice please.

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate
14 Replies

Until now I have done all my running on roads and pavements, but recently I've noticed enticing little tracks leading off some of the roads around here. My question is - do I need different shoes for this kind of track? They don't look completely wild, more like bridle paths...if I need different shoes, why is that? Because my road shoes won't cope with trails, or they will wear out quicker?

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Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2
Graduate
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14 Replies
misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate

You don't really need trail shoes if the trail is a hardened, flattened path. You would in the wet or ice though as they soon cut up rough and start to rut very badly. The trail shoe sole has more open treads so grit and mud don't jam in there and cause it to collect, hampering your running. The open tread displaces mud and grit,small stones etc. Snow too! I did a street run in the snow but the snow collected in the soles and it like running in a pair of bricks as they collected it and it clumped under the shoe.

You can get a hybrid trail shoe which is a bit of both and will take you from road to trail. They do thwack and sucker to the road though so best on the trail. They are Brooks Cascadias. I love mine and had them for ages

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate

It's the surface that matters - so , depending on just where you want to run, will determine the kind of shoes you need. Many surfaces will require nothing much different to road shoes - but (lets say ) muddy wet grass surfaces will require an undersole that digs into the grass/mud and you don't slip - whereas running over rocks will require another kind of sole.

So - before anybody can answer your question - what kind of non-road surfaces are you planning to run on??

I have never had a need for trail shoes ( although I would like to run some off-road stuff) - but most trail shoes that I have seen are far to heavy and rigid for my liking. I like to be able to "feel" the surface beneath my feet - so I would want a very lightweight shoe with some kind of heavy traction underneath ( suitable for whatever surface I will run on) - but we don't generally do "soft and wet " here - more like hard and rocky!!

If you do a bit of research, you will find that most trail shoes are divided into "technical " and "non-technical " .

ActonHighStreet profile image
ActonHighStreet

Just to be contrary, I love the field of trail shoes and wear them for any run that isn't on pavements or metalled roads - I don't need the cushioning of a road shoe to run on grass or mud.

Well maybe the Salomon 3D X Scream in that case. If you get dedicated trail shoes and end up running on roads a lot with them, they will wear down quick. Its difficult to get a good multi terrain shoe, the Salomon is a good attempt and comfy.

dagshar profile image
dagsharGraduate

It will depend on whether you intend to go "further" into trail running. I have a pair of trail shoes which Up and Running sold me as a hybrid, but I think are generally considered to be more trail than road. When I did an off road 10k through fields recently and asked the organisers about shoes they said they would stick to road shoes unless it was going to rain every day between then and the race (we are talking over 2 weeks!). It did rain in the morning before the run, but the road shoes were ok.

On the other hand I like wearing the trail ones when I go to the woods, where the paths are a mix of woodland paths, more hard packed bridle path and grass.

So on balance I don't think you need them for what you describe, but if you want some go for lighter ones (unless you are planning on a lot of mud running) and try them on in the shop. I had asked around and looked online, but then bought different ones. I found some were not padded enough, wheras the Saucony Peregrine I bought (in a sale) are fairly light and soft. It will depend on what fits best and feels most comfortable.

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate

Thanks all, I think that just about covers it. I'm not talking really long trail runs, or in mud or snow. I'm talking little forays I guess off road...I'll give it a go next time.

Pigivi profile image
Pigivi

I run on the short trails I can find in my road shoes .

I have a cheap pair of trail shoes, that I've used a few times to walk up the hill and to run in parks mainly because they are a bit more waterproof. Got them from Decathlon - there's surely one in Toulouse :)

Still, I don't think that they are a strict necessity unless one does serious regular trail running... and when I am tempted by unnecessary impulse buying (it happens so often, especially when it comes to running and hiking gear!) I think of the people I met on the trails in Nepal: they literally run down those in flip-flops, flimsy plastic shoes, worn trainers, whatever they can get their feet on.

Happy running!

Rignold profile image
Rignold

Contrary to Bazza, I specifically like my (many pairs of) trail shoes precisely because they are super light, have great traction and allow me to feel the surface beneath my feet. I have different types for different times of year, from Brooks Pure Grit which are ideal for this time of year on harder packed ground to Inov8 Mudclaws which as the name suggests, allow me traction through wasit deep mud . None of them are any good on roads though. The supergrippy ones make you like Bambi on ice on tarmac, and even the summer pne are a punishing ride on roads.

As MissW pointed out, unles you are going to be on technical trails you are better off with a road shoe.

Bazza1234 profile image
Bazza1234Graduate in reply to Rignold

We have a bit of an under - population problem here. It is difficult to get "specialist" stuff - the small population means that many things are not stocked due to lack of sales. So far, at least, the trail shoes that I have seen have mostly been heavy clodhoppers :) I wouldn't know where to go to buy Brooks or Inov8 shoes - but I did get a pair of Brooks Pure in the US a couple of months ago (for road use though)

Beads profile image
BeadsGraduate

I wear my normal running shoes (both my ghosts and minimals) for off road work, they're just running shoes, not specifically road shoes or trail shoes. I bought a pair of trail shoes but didn't find they made much difference grip-wise and made my ankle ache so just wear my normal ones.

It is now summer though (assuming you're in the UK) so any trails and tracks are likely to be fairly hard underfoot. See how you go and once the weather starts getting wet again and the ground underfoot starts softening and getting soggy then re-evaluate and if you feel you need a pair then go treat yourself.

By the by, spotting a track off where you normally run and thinking 'I'll just see where this leads' can be great fun. Don't do it when you've got a time limit to be back home by, or if you're feeling particularly tired, some of those tracks go for miles!

Curlygurly2 profile image
Curlygurly2Graduate in reply to Beads

Ha ha, me no silly, I've checked them out on Garmin first!

And, I'm in the South of France, we're in the middle of a massive heat wave, so everything is baked dry...not a scrap of sogginess!

Sparkyifhungry profile image
SparkyifhungryGraduate

I wear my trail shoes for the muddy mucky plantations with loose ground and big sloppy stones. They are innov8 and they've three different compounds on the sole to give me stickability. They are awful on the road as they've little cushioning and so little drop. But I've lost count the times I've power hosed them off and they've been good as new after. Wouldn't do that to my roadies!!

goonkeepgoing profile image
goonkeepgoingGraduate

I run in my normal 'road' shoes through the fields etc too. I only swap into my trail shoes (Brooks Pure Grit) when the surfaces are uneven or muddy. My husband has shoe envy for my pure grit as they are really quality shoes and when we run off-road my normally dodgy knee is fine whilst he is treading carefully to avoid twisting his ankle. That is where they come into their own as they adapt / feel the uneven terrain so much better. Sportsshoe.com had a really good sale on ladies trail shoes a few weeks back so it might be worthwhile weighing up the investment.

Enjoy venturing off the paths though - it is a whole new world :)

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor

Having started running with only trail shoes I now find myself using my road shoes for any general country footpath running but still stick to the trail shoes for parkrun, through the woods on steep loose surfaces. See how you get on with road shoes on the tracks before buying new ones.

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