Fell shoes - recommendations

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Northern Monkey May 2014 11:43am, 16 May 2014 54 posts	0 Northern Monkey I know this has probably been covered a million times in the forum already, so I apologise. I'm in the market for a pair of fell shoes (yay! new kit!) - having only just discovered this magical form of running I thought I would ask fellow fetchies for some advice on the matter. A couple of people have recommended the Inov-8 mudclaw to me recently. What's the difference between the mudclaw 265 and the mudclaw 300 (other than model number!)? I run in the Peak District, near Sheffield - any particular shoes that would be good for the terrain in that area? I'm an average female runner. Also (stupid question alert), for road shoes I always get a size larger than my regular shoe size - should I do this with fell shoes too? I plan to go to a shop to try the shoes but some advice in advance would be appreciated. Thanks!
Northern Exile May 2014 12:09pm, 16 May 2014 3,107 posts	0 Northern Exile You've come to the right place The Inov-8 Mudclaw is a great shoe, there is little to match it for grip on wet ground, I have worn out numerous pairs of them and expect I'll destroy a few more pairs before I'm done. The 265 is the successor to the 272 (the number stands for it's weight at size 8) and the sole pattern is the same as other models, but as I understand it's a slightly lighter compound. The primary difference is the lacing which is "normal" and doesn't follow the assymetrical pattern of the 272. It has minimal cushioning and a very low heel profile. The 300 is essentially a more rugged version and has exactly the same sole as the model it superceded (the 333) and the 272. My wife has a pair and they seem tougher than her old 272s. As far as sizing is concerned, well, I wear the same size as my road shoes and I've had no problems. The bottom line is that you want to leave space so that you don't smash the end of your toes on long descents.
Northern Monkey May 2014 12:57pm, 16 May 2014 55 posts	0 Northern Monkey Great, thanks Northern Exile. I'm really enjoying the off road/fell running I'm doing with my club so it's probably time to invest in a good pair of fell shoes. The Mudclaw sounds like the way forward.
K5 Gus May 2014 1:21pm, 16 May 2014 699 posts	0 K5 Gus As well as being lighter ( less of it, so will wear out quicker ), the 265 is a 3mm drop, the 300 is a 6mm drop - so depending if you're used to low profile, or traditional higher profile style shoes that could be something to think about. An alternative from Salomon would be the Fellraiser - not quite as grippy a sole. The Mudclaw is a great shoe for pure fells, if you do more trails than fells, then there are other shoes that may be more suitable.
Tarahumara May 2014 1:28pm, 16 May 2014 1,388 posts	0 Tarahumara I run around that area a lot too Northern Monkey and I love my LaSportiva shoes
Northern Monkey May 2014 3:06pm, 16 May 2014 56 posts	0 Northern Monkey Thanks K5 Gus and Tarahumara. I'll check out the Fellraiser (what a great name) and the LaSportiva shoes. I noticed a few people on the run last night were in LaSportiva - any in particular you would recommend Tarahumara?
Tarahumara May 2014 3:13pm, 16 May 2014 1,389 posts	0 Tarahumara Crosslights... You can get them for £60 Northern Runner I think I've worn them for 6 hour runs and they're still comfy!