Off road shoes

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SteveV Feb 2012 4:38pm, 5 Feb 2012 2,891 posts	0 SteveV Hi Just a quick one. Im after some ideas on suitable off road shoes. Im usually a road runner but want to try some off road races this year but have no experience with any of the off raod shoes. The races are probably going to be trail and not exactly extreme and i want something that is light weight. I guess an off road racer type shoe is what im after. Ive been looking at inov8's but wouldnt really know where to start so advice would be appreciated. Or if a thread aready exists if someone could point me in the right direction
Bob! Feb 2012 4:40pm, 5 Feb 2012 2,372 posts	0 Bob! fm to El Bee would be my suggestion
Derby Tup Feb 2012 4:44pm, 5 Feb 2012 349 posts	0 Derby Tup I'm a big fan of Inov8 Roclite 285. They're a relatively low-profile trail racer with decent grip inov-8.com
hillstrider Feb 2012 6:06pm, 5 Feb 2012 4,307 posts	0 hillstrider I wear Salomon Speed Cross shoes on forest trails. They are light weight and a good fit.
JohnnyO Feb 2012 6:15pm, 5 Feb 2012 11,389 posts	0 JohnnyO What you need depends on the surface. You say mostly trails, but there are trails, and then there are TRAILS! Realistically though, if this is a transition from what looks to be a fairly solid road background you want something reasonably grippy, and not too built up. Don't worry about pronation correction, it is often less relevant than in road shoes. A list of what others like can be useful for getting ideas, but you will need to try these on. I like Inov-8s, but the sizing varies according to the different lasts they use (el Bee is a great source of info on this). I personally find the Salomons rub me under the arch, though clearly others love them. Beware of getting anything too aggressive if you really are just looking at hard packed trails, a lot of these shoes have almost no padding, and whilst you want them to be low to the ground to help with balance and avoid injury, they can be very hard on the legs if the surface is fairly solid.
SteveV Feb 2012 7:56pm, 5 Feb 2012 2,892 posts	0 SteveV Thanks Im like someone new to running asking about road shoes when it comes to the off road stuff. I have no idea and keep looking but there is so much variation. I would always try before I buy. I doubt very much any of the trails I would do would be all that aggressive but who knows
flip Feb 2012 9:14pm, 5 Feb 2012 4,682 posts	0 flip johnny summed that up. the shoe you might need will depend no the trails and the conditions. I own a fair few and wear what I think appropriate. last week I fucked up big time by putting some fairly tame nb shoes in the boot for a trail race only to find it a grassy mudfest and I could barely stand. I wouldn't mind , I hardly ever wear them. at the moment im on the lookout for new shoes for the lakeland 100. ive more or less decided on the inov8. 319 but thats because lakeland has lots of very rocky passes that wreck your feet . for most other trails I have to say im tempted by the new addidas ones . very good build quality and grip and half the price or cheaper than inov8's .