Originally Posted by
Travs
Had a few more outings in these, culminating in the Buttermere Horseshoe yesterday. Still very impressed.
I've had one minor slip in them, and that was on the steepest, most eroded section of that descent to Sail Beck off Whiteless Pike, on a section that a good number of people had elected to go down on their arse anyway... I suspect as much to do with my poor technique as anything else. Otherwise, grip has been perfect, admittedly in pretty dry and ideal conditions.
Definitely the most fitting and comfortable pair of Fell shoes I've had. I really suffer when contouring, I don't know if poor technique, or the odd shape of my feet which are very narrow at the heel, but my toes fan out all over the place, giving me feet remarkably like a conche shell... this really seems to pull my shoes in all directions when contouring. So I still noticed this effect and some minor rubbing on the outer sides of my heel, but very little in comparison to other shoes I've worn.
Cushioning is not massive. I got through 6hrs at Buttermere with no issues so it can't be that bad, but definitely a racers shoe. My only minor gripe is my right shoe needed tightening 3 times during the race... they are new, so perhaps I haven't quite got the lacing mastered, but I think it's more to do with my contouring issue above, my crazy feet just pulling the shoes a little loose.
Overall I'm very pleased. Noticed a fair few of them being worn yesterday. Obviously Inov8 were the vast majority, but not far behind the amount of Salomons and Walshes that I saw, and certainly a lot more than any other makes.
Only having the one Fell shoe means they'll never rival Inov8 for numbers, but, especially if Pete Blands were to start selling them, I think they could become a viable alternative and the 2nd choice above Salomons. In my eyes they're the best Fell shoes I've worn, I just hope their reputed longevity lives up to its reputation.