CROSS COUNTRY SHOES - Gear

david rowe

25/08/2002 at 19:22

this winter I am going to take up cross country the majority of the terrain (90%) will be over mud,gravel& grass the remainder will be on road .Please advice which type of shoe would be best suited spikes,trails etc.

TimSutton

26/08/2002 at 07:24

David,
I suggest you get in contact with Pete Bland Sports in Kendal.
www.peteblandsports.co.uk
I have a pair of his multi-terrain shoes & think they are great [well I race well in them]. They have big knobbly studs on them.

keswick1uk

03/09/2002 at 14:05

I've entered an Autumn Trail race with river crossings where 'Trail shoes with Grip' are recommended. I only have one pair of running shoes at the moment and so would be happy to buy a trail shoe, but are they absolutely necessary? Will I see a great deal of difference over wearing ordinary shoes.

I assume I would be less prone to slipping (which, I suppose, is in itself probably good reason to have the real mc coy).

Andrew Whaley

03/09/2002 at 19:58

'Trail' shoes are not much different to ordinary road shoes. I, perhaps cynically, think its a marketing trick by manufacturers. What you really need are Walsh's - these are lightweight, low, tough and amazing grippy thanks to a studded sole.

Pizza Man:-)

04/09/2002 at 00:30

I prefer to use studs for x-country races as you often get small streches on roads tarmac paths on which spikes are no good.
Check out your local running shop.

WildWill..... pirate

pirate

04/09/2002 at 11:45

I'm a spike man - I dont feel I can get enough grip / traction with studs or trail shoes - I use different length spikes depending upon the course

most of the courses I run are pure mud with no hard stuff

Will

jenks

04/09/2002 at 13:25

I agree with Will, I find trainers have no grip on mud or wet grass are too high anyway which could lead to sprained ankles.

Spikes rule for mud but can be a pain for anything other than very short lengths of harder surfaces. Also, it doesn't matter how wet'n'dirty they get.

enjoy it

jenks

Dangly Spice

04/09/2002 at 21:00

I'm a studs girl, myself. At present in Felldancers, but will be returning to Walshes for my next pair. The Felldancer soles keep coming off and have to be glued back on after each wet/muddy run!
Spikes don't have enough grip on the heels for hurtling down muddy hills!

cougie

pirate

05/09/2002 at 14:18

Anyone got any recommendation for footwear for a real muddy race ?
I've entered the Toughguy in January, and I'm told it's just an 8 mile X country quagmire, and then you have the usual Assault course and ponds to contend with.
Spikes aren't allowed apparently.
I guess some kind of trail shoe would be good - preferably with some kind of ankle support ? I have NB854's for the road.

Cheers !

jenks

06/09/2002 at 09:30

If it's that muddy you might want to think about your shoes binding your shoes to your foot with tape, to prevent them being sucked off in the mud..

jenks

cougie

pirate

06/09/2002 at 10:04

Good point Jenks, I have heard that people use two sets of laces - one conventionally, and the other through the back of the shoe to keep them attached.

Monique

pirate

06/09/2002 at 13:21

Very difficult to find but I like a pair of spikes that have studs on the heel for grip coming down hills, I have a pair that I keep meaning to send to that place that advertises adding of new grips to the bottom of shoes to get the heel studs put on.

cougie

pirate

06/09/2002 at 14:38

I always fall on my a*se coming down steep hills Monique - maybe I need heel studs. Or I could just reverse down the hill ?

Marty

06/09/2002 at 15:44

Walsh used to make a pair of cross country spikes called Taiga that had spikes at the toe and the added advantage of their usual studs over the rest of the sole. I have seen them mentioned on a website called "megagrip" but cant find anyone who actually sells them. Does anyone know if they are still available and if so where?

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