I've not been doing this fell running thing for long (and would hesitate to call myself a 'fell runner' until having at least a few races under my belt, which is not going to be happening until next year) but I must say I'm really enjoying it.
I have wide feet with a high instep, so not all shoes will fit me, but my first pair of shoes (Mudroc 290s, size 10.5 - I'm normally a 10) fit me well. These were great in the summer when I started, and the fells were dry(ish), but now winter is drawing in I'm noticing some drawbacks:
1. When they get wet, they feel very heavy, and they seem to take a while to lose their water (on a related note, how does one dry one's wet shoes? mine always seems to be still wet when I next put them on, which I don't mind, but it can't be good for the shoes - will I wreck them by putting them next to a heater?)
2. They are not very good (potentially lethal!) on wet rock - a couple of times recently (coming down the front bit of Causey Pike or Melbreak) I've been reduced to wobbly legged bottom sliding, whereas normally I'm fairly confident coming down steep rocky things.
3. They are not that good on mud - fine on the flat, but not going up/down/traversing - and I've gone over a few times because of it.
So I'm thinking it may (already!) be time to upgrade to something with a bit more grip Will still wear my Mudrocs when I know it's going to be dry ()
I do all my running in the NW lakes, mostly sticking to paths, but still regularly come across mud, rocks, scree, bogs etc. A normal run is about 5-8 miles with a fair bit of ascent/descent, and I'm covering about 20 or so miles a week on the fells. I've not done any races yet, but am planning to take the plunge next year.
Any suggestions as to what my next shoes should be - I've been happy with Inov-8s, so will probably get something else from their range. As far as I can see, my choices (with my current thoughts) are:
Mudroc 280 - for better grip on rock, but otherwise not much of an upgrade?
Mudclaw 330 - better grip overall, but a bit heavy, especially in the wet?
Mudclaw 270 - better grip, less likely to hold water? May also turn out to be a bit narrow for my feet
X-Talon 212 - grip better than mudroc, worse than mudclaw? May not fit my feet well. Nice and light, and I have been doing a bit of more minimalist almost-barefoot running on the roads
Edit: So as not to appear a complete Inov-8 wh0re, might it also be worth trying some 'wide' fitting Walsh Ultras?
Any thoughts/advice/personal preferences anyone would like to share with me?
Cheers