Which Scotts?Originally Posted by Knightrunner
Which Scotts?
T2 Kinabalu
Thanks everyone for the thoughts.
So bottom line, get something with protection (either plate or squidge). I guess that rules out a terraclaw250. I'm going to order a bunch from wiggle and keep what feels best. Probably test the Inov8 race ultra, Something Salomon, the LS Mutant and the Scott Kinabalu.
@Knightrunner Kinabalu Supertrac or normal? Normal doesn't look like it has much tread but the supertrac looks a touch extreme...
Anyone tried Berghaus Vapor Claws?
THe winner of a local 40m Ultra wore them yesterday - I'd never heard of them or even knew Berghaus did footwear.
Having reda some reviews they sound potentially spot on for LL - designed for hard trails but also have deep lugs. And they are widely available for £50-60.
Look tempting
Thanks for all the advice above. To add to this resource I thought that I’d post some impressions of the shoes that I tried. Bear in mind that these are only impressions from having tried them in in my living room (apart from the Pearl Izumis which I have run in for a year)
Salomon Sense SG: Excellent fit in the heel and mid foot. The hold seems to come from the way that in the region of the midfoot, the upper comes rises from a narrow platform at the sole and so it really wraps out from almost beneath and then up and around the foot. Toe box is narrow – a nice snug fit for me, sole is very firm and stiff. I found the materials around the toebox a bit plasticy and non compliant – good for protection from rocks, but lacking in comfort. Studs were on the more aggressive end of this shoe selection and the rubber seemed grippy enough. My impression was that I’d use this as a shorter (half marathon?) distance shoe with good protection from rocky technical trails. Perhaps a good option if you find X-talons don’t provide enough protection? I could not see myself wearing these for 50 miles, but if you have perfect form then I guess they would work.
Altra Superior 2: I really liked the sole and midsole on these. Flexible, a good amount of squish, the lugs looked like they’d work on the trails and a bit of mud. I really wanted to like them but they failed for me because they seemed very constraining in the toe area… in spite of the fact that they are very wide, the height of the toebox is very low and so my feet were sort of trapped in the middle but with plenty of space to either side. They, kind of seemed to have all the downsides of a wider shoe in terms of lack of control, but at the same time none of the benefits of the extra room. I was also disappointed by the build quality – lumps in the seams, exposed ends of stitching, and a surprisingly different fit between the left and right shoe (there was about a 1cm difference in the width of the lacing when done up… and no it isn’t my feet that are different).
Inov-8 Race Ultra 270: Wide forefoot (a bit too wide for me), not much squish but a bit softer than the Salomons, good heel hold. The flex was stiffer and they don’t feel ‘at one’ with my feet when new out of the box. That said, The fit is very close to a pair of their road shoes that I had (233s?) and the wider toebox didn't bother me on those so these are on the shortlist with the hope that they break in a little.
Pearl Izumi N1 Trail: I threw these in for comparison – I have had a pair for a year now which I have used for trail marathons. The upper and midsole are excellent – plenty of room in the toebox but not so wide that you are slipping around. The material seems to flex well to accommodate your foot shape. There is a good amount of squish (if you want more then you could go for the N2s). I’d pick these again in an instant if it were not for the sole: The rubber is very slippery in the wet and the lugs are a little on the minimal side. I have read that they have ‘improved’ the rubber on the latest version – I’d love to hear if anyone has any first hand experience of this.
… waiting on some Nike Terra Kigers and Scott Kinabalus before I make my final selection.
Last edited by Stoat; 18-11-2015 at 10:40 AM.
I completed the Lakeland 100 this year in La Sportiva Ultra Raptors. great cushioning and stick rubber so decent grip. no blisters or foot issues and considering I was still suffering with Plantar Fasciitus that was a miracle. used with sealskinz socks with loads of vaseline on my feet.
shoes have better grip than the inovate ultra 290's and more cushioning but not as much cushioning as Hokas which I did the 50 in 2013 but personally would only use Hokas in training on the road as too high and if you go over on ankle ouch
sorry, missed this question .... I have the normal kinabalus which for the L100 would be fine I think as there aren't too many slippy sections where a more aggressive tread would be needed, plus it's summer so as long as there's no monsoon the going should be firm
I've done the 50 twice and the 100 once and there has been rain on all three times plus boggy bits. On the 50 the boggy bits are after Fusedale as you go over the top and down heading to Mardale Head so quite soon in. Then the next boggy section is after Chapel Stile before the unmanned cp. Grip isn't too much of an issue really but shoes that drain the water are a must if you don't want mushy feet. As for the 100...there is a really boggy section before Wasdale and I was pleased to have a bit of grip descending into Buttermere. I think its really hard to have a shoe that's suitable for the whole route of either race so its a bit of a gamble when it comes to shoe choice. INOV8 roclites are still my favourite.
'The birds are the keepers of our secrets'
I used Roclites for the 100 and there were great for the first 50 miles - the second 50 the soles of my feet were in ruins!
The final couple of options
Scott Kinabalu: Higher stack height than all the other shoes that I tried and yet quite a firm midsole. Despite reading reviews to the contrary, the 11mm drop was very noticeable for me (normally I like something in the 4-6mm range). I couldn’t get the fit right - the midfoot felt loose and the toebox was a bit narrow. I also found that they were a bit built up on the outer edge giving me a feeling that they were forcing me to over pronate.
Nike Terra Kiger 3: Middle of the road in terms of cushioning and protection. They don’t have a rockplate. The grip looks encouraging – 4mm deep square shaped lugs which look like they’ll bite when needed but not feel too luggy. The upper has a wrap tongue that is attached on the inside of the foot so it can’t drop down to the outside of the foot. The shape of the foot was slightly different to a lot of other shoes. With a lot of the other shoes I have noticed that the forefoot turns inward quite a way, leaving me with loads of space on the inside (big toe is almost in the middle of the toebox) and my little toe crushed on the outside. The Kigers seem straighter. Midfoot and heel hold seem excellent. I had something of a goldilocks moment with these shoes. They just seemed to have a great fit on my feet.
After going back and forth between the Inov8 Race Ultras and the Nike Terra Kigers I have gone for the Nikes (after wearing mostly Inov8's for the last few years). Better fit and feel slightly more ‘at one’ with my foot. Slightly more squish, slightly less ground feel, slightly less protection, but I think they’ll work – I can always do a DIY rockplate if I feel the need
Thanks again for the suggestions above.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote