Shoes for Running on Grass??

[afro-girl]

Hello all, it has been eons since i last posted here and tbh that is mostly because i haven't been running for ages. Ever since I left university and came back down to London I have found it difficult to run and the is mostly because of two things.

Firstly I have simply lacked the motivation but last night I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror and saw that all that hard work I put into getting into running had been wasted and so now I am raring to go again and get back to the level of fitness I gained when I was running.

The second reason though is because I have just found it difficult to know where I could run. I don't have many good options. The only place that I could possible run, and have run in the past, is my local rec which isn't too far from me. The rec is fine in the summer when the only thing I have to worry about is being chased by dogs. But when the weather starts getting colder and wetter it is really difficult to run on all that wet grass. My shoes just can't handle it at all. I slip and slide everywhere or just can't get through all that mud.

So what I was wondering is what are the best type of running shoes I should get for running on grass. Is it trail shoes? Or are there special type of grass running shoes?

[davelinks Graduate]

I have a pair of road shoe's which I use most as usually run pavement/paths and Parkrun on the grass during the drier Summer months, then have a pair of trail shoes for when it gets wet & muddy..only thing is the treads on my trail shoe's are quite deep, so when they collect the mud they can be heavy.. so maybe if you go for a pair with a lighter tread would suffice..

Running on grass feels different than running on pavement. Grass is softer and offers less impact as the energy of your footfall goes into the ground and provides less rebound. Your legs work harder on grass and will become stronger. On the downside, your times on grass will be slower and your feet may be more likely to over pronate, so you need to be careful if you are prone to plantar fascilitis. The right shoes will help.

Cushioning and Support

Grass is more uneven than paved tracks, and your foot is more likely to twist. You need running shoes with good arch support to protect the plantar fascia, the ligament supporting the arch of your foot, and cushioning that will help protect your heels. In general, shoes designated as trail shoes will have less cushioning than road shoes.

Traction and Stability

Grass can be slippery when it is wet or when there is dew, so grass running shoes need to have more traction than road shoes. Trail running shoes have thicker and nubbier soles than typical road shoes with a deeper tread to provide more traction, to cope with surfaces that include sand, mud or packed earth. If you are running on smooth level grass, a full trail shoe is not required; a light trail shoe will meet your needs

[misswobble Graduate]

What about the local roads and streets. Street lit roads are easier in the winter and in the evenings where your park could be dark

I have a hybrid trail shoe which will cope with a bit of Tarmac. Have a good read up on the various trail shoe options to find a grass specific one. Some will specify ice and snow, or loose gravel and rocks etc. It would be worth while reading some reviews so you can make a well-informed choice

I have the Brooks Cascadia. There are Salomons, Inovs, Pearl Izumi, Newtons to name a few.

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to misswobble]

I have the Cascadias too which I got specifically because I wanted something slightly less minimal than my usual minimalist trail shoes (New Balance Minimus Trail, Vivobarefoot Trail) for doing 10k+ runs on trails which are harder surfaces than my usual mostly bog or woodland path. So I reckon that's a good recommendation to consider for your situation.