Hanging by a Thread

[grimmer]

Anyone in the same boat as me?

I was attracted a few years ago when I started by the inov-8 shoe range, tried out a few pairs and have settled into running in Mudclaw 333s and trail running in Roclites. The fit suits me so I've stuck with them for quite a few pairs now. Too many pairs in fact. I've found myself buying 4 or 5 pairs of shoes a year for the last couple of years and at current prices, I can't carry on.

The issue for me is that the uppers fail before the sole wears out. An example...

Bought a new pair mail order from Blands in Kendal, Mudclaw 333, at the start of April.
Started the Edale Skyline in them, took a fall less than halfway round and retired injured. Mid May, recovered and ready to run again, did the OCT with the missus and had a nice day out. Following weekend, Jura.

Two and a half races, no training runs and the stitching is gone! A section of stitching below the ankle cuff has just disappeared! The sole is spanking, yet the upper is about to rapidly decline. My last pair of Mudclaws still has a good sole, yet one of the lace eyelets is gone and the others are looking a little ropey and the mesh is fraying out...

I'd have thought that on a fell shoe the stitching should be robust, the thread should be the strongest, most abrasion resistant you can get... to make it fit for purpose.

There again, some Uk climbing manufacturers who out-sourced overseas had similar quality control issues. On the other hand it might be that inov8 shoes are under-engineered to hit the weights they sell them at - the smaller the number, the bigger the price tag it seems.

Oh yes, while i'm on it, the stitching on my inov8 cap has gone causing the peak to dig in to my forehead...

Anyone recommend a similarly lasted and fitting shoe?



Seems to me that
Anyone recommend a

[that_fjell_guy]

Sorry! I'm crap at shoe recommendations! I've worn Cross-lites all season, and now know they're not very good for descents or slippy rock. Otherwise I've always had Walshes. I do have Mudclaws but they gave me blisters, both pairs!!

[Fat-Lad]

You should get onto Hopey, he use to be one of us but is now one of them

Anyone in the same boat as me?

I was attracted a few years ago when I started by the inov-8 shoe range, tried out a few pairs and have settled into running in Mudclaw 333s and trail running in Roclites. The fit suits me so I've stuck with them for quite a few pairs now. Too many pairs in fact. I've found myself buying 4 or 5 pairs of shoes a year for the last couple of years and at current prices, I can't carry on.

The issue for me is that the uppers fail before the sole wears out. An example...

Bought a new pair mail order from Blands in Kendal, Mudclaw 333, at the start of April.
Started the Edale Skyline in them, took a fall less than halfway round and retired injured. Mid May, recovered and ready to run again, did the OCT with the missus and had a nice day out. Following weekend, Jura.

Two and a half races, no training runs and the stitching is gone! A section of stitching below the ankle cuff has just disappeared! The sole is spanking, yet the upper is about to rapidly decline. My last pair of Mudclaws still has a good sole, yet one of the lace eyelets is gone and the others are looking a little ropey and the mesh is fraying out...

I'd have thought that on a fell shoe the stitching should be robust, the thread should be the strongest, most abrasion resistant you can get... to make it fit for purpose.

There again, some Uk climbing manufacturers who out-sourced overseas had similar quality control issues. On the other hand it might be that inov8 shoes are under-engineered to hit the weights they sell them at - the smaller the number, the bigger the price tag it seems.

Oh yes, while i'm on it, the stitching on my inov8 cap has gone causing the peak to dig in to my forehead...

Anyone recommend a similarly lasted and fitting shoe?



Seems to me that
Anyone recommend a

[L.F.F.]

I'd recommend Saucony Peregrine to replace the Roclites.

That's what I've done. Got a pair of the normal Peregrines, as opposed to the version 2s, for about £50 and they're great.

[Hank]

That definitely sounds like a faulty shoe! Stop wearing them, take them back to where you bought them and I would imagine Inov8 will replace them.

I've worked selling fell shoes for a while and I've seen, proportionately, no more or less Inov8 returns than we get from any other brand... with the exception of Mizuno, who I've never seen a return for and must be completely bomb-proof! It's odd that you've suffered the same problem repeatedly. I do think sometimes there can be issue with the shape of the foot and the shape of the shoe not working together... the shoe may feel comfortable but there's just something amiss that puts strain on the materials to the extent they deteriorate much more quickly than they should. I'm on about my sixth consecutive pair of Mudclaws (270s, 272s and 333s) and I get about six months out of them, which equates to maybe 500-600 miles, so pretty good going I reckon. Try another style or brand and see how they work for you.

[hopey]

You should get onto Hopey, he use to be one of us but is now one of them

Thanks.

[Dynamo Dan]

Anyone in the same boat as me?

I was attracted a few years ago when I started by the inov-8 shoe range, tried out a few pairs and have settled into running in Mudclaw 333s and trail running in Roclites. The fit suits me so I've stuck with them for quite a few pairs now. Too many pairs in fact. I've found myself buying 4 or 5 pairs of shoes a year for the last couple of years and at current prices, I can't carry on.

The issue for me is that the uppers fail before the sole wears out. An example...

Bought a new pair mail order from Blands in Kendal, Mudclaw 333, at the start of April.
Started the Edale Skyline in them, took a fall less than halfway round and retired injured. Mid May, recovered and ready to run again, did the OCT with the missus and had a nice day out. Following weekend, Jura.

Two and a half races, no training runs and the stitching is gone! A section of stitching below the ankle cuff has just disappeared! The sole is spanking, yet the upper is about to rapidly decline. My last pair of Mudclaws still has a good sole, yet one of the lace eyelets is gone and the others are looking a little ropey and the mesh is fraying out...

I'd have thought that on a fell shoe the stitching should be robust, the thread should be the strongest, most abrasion resistant you can get... to make it fit for purpose.

There again, some Uk climbing manufacturers who out-sourced overseas had similar quality control issues. On the other hand it might be that inov8 shoes are under-engineered to hit the weights they sell them at - the smaller the number, the bigger the price tag it seems.

Oh yes, while i'm on it, the stitching on my inov8 cap has gone causing the peak to dig in to my forehead...

Anyone recommend a similarly lasted and fitting shoe?



Seems to me that
Anyone recommend a

Grab a pair of New Balance MT110s from Sports Direct and a pair of Walshes then you're covered for less than the price of a pair of inov8s. Have a look at this thread if you want to find out more about the New Balance - they come with a hearty recommendation from plenty of folk on here including myself.

[IanDarkpeak]

Anyone in the same boat as me?

I was attracted a few years ago when I started by the inov-8 shoe range, tried out a few pairs and have settled into running in Mudclaw 333s and trail running in Roclites. The fit suits me so I've stuck with them for quite a few pairs now. Too many pairs in fact. I've found myself buying 4 or 5 pairs of shoes a year for the last couple of years and at current prices, I can't carry on.

The issue for me is that the uppers fail before the sole wears out. An example...

Bought a new pair mail order from Blands in Kendal, Mudclaw 333, at the start of April.
Started the Edale Skyline in them, took a fall less than halfway round and retired injured. Mid May, recovered and ready to run again, did the OCT with the missus and had a nice day out. Following weekend, Jura.

Two and a half races, no training runs and the stitching is gone! A section of stitching below the ankle cuff has just disappeared! The sole is spanking, yet the upper is about to rapidly decline. My last pair of Mudclaws still has a good sole, yet one of the lace eyelets is gone and the others are looking a little ropey and the mesh is fraying out...

I'd have thought that on a fell shoe the stitching should be robust, the thread should be the strongest, most abrasion resistant you can get... to make it fit for purpose.

There again, some Uk climbing manufacturers who out-sourced overseas had similar quality control issues. On the other hand it might be that inov8 shoes are under-engineered to hit the weights they sell them at - the smaller the number, the bigger the price tag it seems.

Oh yes, while i'm on it, the stitching on my inov8 cap has gone causing the peak to dig in to my forehead...

Anyone recommend a similarly lasted and fitting shoe?



Seems to me that
Anyone recommend a

Greg I've been using salomon fell crosses, I'll show you them next time I ss you, they cost more than mudclaws but are built to last.

You should get onto Hopey, he use to be one of us but is now one of them

poor Hopey

[stumpy]

I find all lightweight shoes wear out quicker than I'd like! My 3 pairs of NB MT101s have all fallen apart before 200 miles (nice and cheap though!), uppers on my Roclite 295's ususally start going about 250 - 350, but I can often eke out up to 50 with judicious stitching. 315s last longer, thanks to the double layer upper, but still start to fail after 400 or so. Even the pair of Mizuno Wave Harriers I've got had a hole appear in the upper after 250 miles, but they are still useable after 400 thought hey are now pretty shot.

Another issue is wet and mud. Shoes last longer if they are cleaned and dried before re-use, which sometimes means rotating them. Set off in wet muddy shoes and stitching is stressed and also liable to rotting - especially with peat and/or animal crap mixed in!

[Mark G]

I've previously mentioned on a similar thread that you can get some heavy duty thread and a needle from somewhere like a saddlers or shoe repair shop. I repair my stitching as soon as it starts to split and my shoes seem to last a lot longer as a result. As Stumpy says above washing them (even if its just in the beck with a nail brush) seems to help but it also means you notice the damage or wear and tear at an early stage and can do something about it.