Wanted: Moon On A Stick Shoe

[barrierfreeman]

I think the cheviots may well turn out ok for you. They'll probably do the business on the muddy bits, you'll enjoy that. It'll just depend on how they feel for you on the harder bits, and how long they last. I stuck a better / thicker insole in mine from an old pair of shoes, that improved the cushioning a bit
I think they're definitely worth a shot for the money, despite me having doubts about how long mine are going to last.

Got a pair delivered today, and just went out for a 7 miler. I think they will be ideal for when the moonson season returns....or summer. They were not horrific on harder ground, just not something one would do too often. I do wish I had bought some when we had all that rain a few weeks back, rather than struggling in my Roclites. Saying that, they did give me a small blister on the back of my left heel, but that might have been initiated from playing football last night.]

Just out of curiosity, what's the soil type.

I used to live in Northants, lots of clay involved. Thick gloopy stuff that stuck to your shoes until they where just mud wellies. I ended up using Walshs as a compromise between function, comfort, and the mud clearing characteristics of the shoe. Simple sides of the shoe made a big difference as well as the tread.

When the ground was hard underfoot, I just used to run on he grass verge.

It is like that round here. Very sticky, especially near the some disused quarries I go near. I think, as mentioned above, the Cheviots should be good for when it gets that bad, but hopefully it will stay dry and I can just use my Merrell Mix Masters.

....although, the spaced out deep treads on the Inov8 X-Talon 212s look decent...

[shaunaneto]

In that case I think id sacrifice a bit of comfort for something that sheds mud better, not just from the sole unit but from the sides of the shoes as well. I did all of my xc running in Walshs, never found anything that coped will clay xc runs better. They are though, harsh underfoot on hard surfaces by comparison. It never bothered me though.

X talons might be a good bet on that front, although I've never used them.

The Cheviots have loads of grip, but I'm not convinced they wouldn't clog up in clay.

[mr brightside]

Just out of curiosity, what's the soil type.

That's what i like to see, let's get really anal :thumbup:

I'd expect it to be Alluvial with a high clay or silt content, bit like taking a run near Knaresborough. Anything made by inov-8 is going to leave you feeling like you're running in clogs, microspikes are the way forward. Given the price bracket the only option i can suggest is NB MT840s.

[shaunaneto]

Good grief not micro spikes, those chains will clog up in no time.

Crampons with anti snow bailing is what you need.

[barrierfreeman]

Right. I have taken soil samples and have sent them off for analysis. Once I get the report back, I will be able to make a informed choice on what to wear on my feet.

...weather permitting.

[shaunaneto]

In all seriousness, I used xc spikes for a number of runs.

I think the soil type was a significant contributing for moving. It was a joy to be able to ride a MTB for more than five metres without the wheels seizing up into some hideous 26" mud pies. I used to think of it as a training aid, didn't have any hills, but I had feet that where carrying an extra 5kg each of mud.