Adidas Swoop Comments

Also good experiences with Inov8 original grey model and the flouro yellow one.
flouro yellow good for most racing conditions but gives no cushioning on long descents.

Adidas swoops are so comfortable - lovely shape. But I am new to Fell running so i dont no any other!

Just looking to get into Fell Running, as i'm a road man at the moment.

My reason for choosing the swoop was the design and materials used. First off the
upper is light and the lacing system pulls the shoe on to the foot providing a snug fit.
The midsole was also key as it is injected moulded, not the usual cut EVA road shoe

Also have a pair of Inov 8 Flyrocs for stony/rocky/trail type running. Most important thing is fit.
I have a broad foot and many shoes are too narrow. Wearing a 1/2 size larger sometimes works.
The back of the heel needs to be soft too. Walshes are plastic and give me blisters. Both Swoop
and Flyroc are comfortable. I wear Hilly off road socks. Have run super long A's in both shoes.

Innov8 Comments

Also concerned re numbers of shoes that seem to self destruct. Have various pairs of Innov8, but
chosen because Walsh are too narrow, and the Inov8 seem to hav a little more cushioning

Disappointed with walshes, although have improved

Best grip is Walsh, but not the most comfortable, especially for long races. Inov-8 280 very
comfortable, stable and light, grip OK, but sole isn't hard wearing. NB can be bought on the
cheap and are a good alternative for training. Swoop have poor grip esp on wet/rock but have
comfy uppers, most like road shoes. Can't comment on mountain bear, the only one I haven't tried yet

Will probably try either walshes or Inovate Mudclaw next. Mudrocs tend to slip on rock

My reasons for choosing the Inov-8 shoes was fit and ergonomics, and their funky design.
I've got quite wide feet, and they seemed to accomodate them better than most. Rubber
is quite soft, which means better grip on rock but high wear rate. Maybe I should reserve them for races,
which would be a shame as I like wearing them.

I generally use flyrocs for training and have used 280s for racing quite alot. Jusy got a pair of 270s.
Never got on with Walshes.

Mudrocs are the only shoe I can run in, though I will be trying some mudclaws when these fall apart.
Walsh have totally lost the plot. THeir shoes offer no support at all and are from the dark ages.

Grip not quite as good on rock as walsh, but much better than previous efforts (ETA, Inov8 290s).
Last better than walsh studs, and very comfortable.

I like the Innov8's for their fit (I have wide feet - the ball of my foot overhangs Walsh soles).
I use the 280s for rockier stuff (Lakes) - they have much better grip on rock than the 290s - and
the mudclaw 270s for grassier races (Pendle, etc). They don't last forever but any shoes take a lot of abuse.

I do most of my running off-road in the Chiltern Hills, with proper fell-running whenever I can.
All the Inov-8's I've had (290, Terroc) have all been superbly comfortable and responsive with
great grip. The 290's do have their limits on wet mud/grass though, so I'm tempted to try a Walsh
or Mudclaw. I have had occasional rpoblmes with premature wear on the uppers of my Terrocs.

Walshies fit my feet well and I have no problems with them so why change?

The mudrocs suit me best as i don't get on with walshes, but may not suit everyone. Best to try
before you buy if you can

I've just got my Innov8 Mudroc 290's, from Pete Bland's shop, I found them to be really helpful
& very knowledgeable. I am a mainly a road runner who does about 35 miles on road & 15 or
so off per week. I recently done a bit of fell running so wanted some new shoes, my only other
pair of fell shoes were (are! can't bring myself to chuck em out)some old ETA's I bought 5 years
ageo, the studs are really worn down. I am a size 3 with a very narrow foot & have found it difficult
to get some decent shoes. road shoe: Asics, 2090, 1100, 2100, these fit well as they are a narrow fit.

IMHO the 290 has the best combination of grip, durability, foot protection and comfort of any fell shoe.
I also currently own walshes, swoops and Inov-8 280s

If only Walsh shoes were tougher !

I have recently had to take my innovates back as the stitching has split on the toe box ,I have noticed
the new version is designd differently to alleviate this problem.They have had very little use .

: Inov-8's fall to pieces!!!!!!!!

As a pronator I prefer my heel close to the ground as this lessens amount of structural movement
in the heel of the shoe, I tend to 'go over' in the mudrocks less than others. But I wish fell shoe producers
could make a dual density heel like in Asics 2010 series and a more effictive insole for cushioning

Put a Walsh on one foot and an Innov8 on the other. Rock your ankles over to the point where the
walsh tips ( ankle twist). Even though the Innov8 fall to bits so easily, you'll never wear walsh again.
Why are fell shoes not made to support ankles -ie a wide base to the heel to prevent sprains ?

Innov8s for training and walsh racers for racing competitively downhill. Have tried walshes as well
as innovat8 terrocs and mudroc racers. Walshes win studs down because of grip and tight but
comfortable mid foot grip road shoe

Raced twice in mudclaw 270 left heal sole started to peel away !!!!!!!!!!!! shop changed them,
so will give them another go

If the going underfoot is looking fairly firm I'll use my swoops......very very comfortable but not
brilliant in the grip dept. or if there's wet rock around. I like PB racer xtreme for grip but they lack
the padding IMHO. Mudclaws seem to be doing alright but not sure of I'm almost inbetween
sizes......also some signs of wear on the uppers after a couple of outings

inov-8's are by fast the best shoes out at the moment

Just got Mudclaws - because I couldn't get PB's. Excellent grip on grass. Maybe a bit slippery
on rock - haven't given them a good enough test. Not convinced the 280's have enough shock
absorbtion cmpared to Walshes, but I find them far more stable than Walshes.

I never re-sole my fell shoes because I'd rather not risk injury - it's just not worth the few pounds
saved. I wear orthotics and, although inov-8 do not recommend it, these work OK in the 270's

Had it with Walshes and the shoes falling apart. Sole came of a pair of resoled rcers at Langdale yesterday.

Mudclaws seem better than walshes on soft ground and about equal on rocks. New walsh last destroys my
heels, the old one was fine though. If Mudclaws came ion blue with a yellow stripe I'd be happy!

Mountain Bear Comments

I have given up on Walsh's as they have been useless for the last 4 years or so, with stitching
coming appart on the first touch of heather and problems with blisters in the wet on sloping surfaces.
The Mountain Bears feel like the old Walsh's used to, very comfortable with good grip, no stitching
problems and no blisters.

Walsh quality seemed to disappear a couple of years back. I tried the 8s (grey ones) and found them
very comfortable. I now run in Gladiators and like the fit, weight, grip and price. A quite strong shoe.

I have a narrow foot & this means it has to be Walsh racer or M B Gladiator for me.The Gladiator is
tighter in the midfoot & the grip is easily as good as the Walsh. Walshes do tend to fall apart.
My Gladiators take a lot of stick & I only expect to get 6 months max out of any fell shoe. Ideally
keep 1 pair just for racing and wear good socks

Always used to love Walshes, could run a very long way in them first time out with absolutely no
worries. Then it all changed, they seemed to go broader and I think the fabric change may have
had some impact on that. I have very narrow feet and want fell shoes to 'hug' them but have
no need for cushioning. A long search including innov8 and fell dancers has led me to the
Mountain Bear Gladiator which seems to do all the things Walshes used to. I now love them!

New Balance Comments

Met a guy running up the Lost Valley in Glencoe wearing them, in training for the Island
Peaks Race. "Most comfortable fell shoe I've ever worn" he said, "a bit more cushioning
than Walsh's, fit snug round the ankles so keep stones and debris out and have a reasonably
good grip". I don't do much fell racing but I bought a pair and won the English MV70 championship
in them. I'm now on my 4th pair.

Originally got RX because of the price (£32) Now wouldn't buy anything else. Once worn in
they're like slippers. Why pay £50-60 for anything else?

New balance are comfortable and cheap but maybe not the grippiest road shoe

The shoes when new have a very good grip to help with footing but they have a quicker wear
and tear than the Walsh overall. However, this is compensated by the immediate comfort and
build of the shoe and not one pair to date have made me pronate and so I can thoroughly recommend them.

I prefer the walsh PB however as I use an orthotic insert I have found that I can not remove
the insole from PB's as they are now bonded into the shoe. The New Balance Rx Terrain
are a capable shoe but for me have a loose insole which can be replaced by my orthotic
insole with ease. Hope this may help

Used to wear only Walshes, but got sick of them falling to bits. The quality of the uppers
(especially stitching) seemed to go downhill.

I always look out for a tight fitting shoe around the middle of the foot. I tend to run through
the cushioning before the shoe falls apart. Buy a pair of shoes to race in, don't train in them
except to wear them in and to acclimatise before a race. Race shoes never last for more than
a seasons abuse.

My first fell shoes were NB RX simply because I got them for £15 in a sale, but when I steam
cleanered them and the soles fell off I was going to replace them with Innov8's but they felt
unstable because the heel seem really tall, tried on all the others and couldn't find anything
as comfy or as stable as the NB so I'm sticking with them.

Its the way they feel on my feet - its not them that make me run slowly - its me being old and
knackered. Just got some mudroc ones today. They will shortly be looking a uniform brown
colour as all fell shoes do.....

I dont do road very often so dont buy many road shoes only ever had one pair therefore
i dont have a favourite

It s abit of trouble to get the shoes down her in the south, so when I tried a pair, and they
were comfortable and the shop offered to get me another pair on order so that I could try a
different size I was very happy. Unfortunatley, NB took ove a month to supply the shop with
the new pair, which I understand were in stock in Belgium. The one repair I have undertaken
myself, is to the fabric under the arch of my foot.

P.Bs were a long time favourite,but over the last few years seem to collapse around the heel
within a few weeks of purchase.

Walsh Comments

Out here is the new country (AKA USA) we dont have much for trail / fell shoes, just lots
of over built road shoes

Walshes have superb fit and responsiveness, but i have been over on my ankle thre times
in them and never in other shoes. The old adidas swoop were wonderful for both fit and
stability, better than the walsh, if only they had the grip

For overall performance then Walshes always win - however they lack cushioning and so
I would prefer something else for training but have yet to find a suitable alternative.

Walshes definetley choice for proper fell races, would wear addidas swoops if similar terrain to skiddaw

Usually wear Walsh, but am about to try Inov8 as they gave me no support at all during Langdale
and have fallen apart. I heavily pronate and wreck weakly made shoes on rough ground.

Raids are for me as I run in Snowdonia and the flat studs are fantastic on rock - ideal for
running the Welsh 3000s

Raids are not as grippy as P.B's but they were on offer and are just as good on most stuff
it's just really steep that's not so hot .

PB trainers for racing. Mudclaw seems v.good on wet rock, slippery, rough or grassy terrain.
Not sure about racing in them, lacking support in upper.

Ihave worn walshes ever since i started running around 4 years ago except from inov8 280's
at first i prefared them but have started wearing walshes again and realised the lack of feel
for the ground u get with them. I have also discovered there is no way they are beter than
walshes on steep or wet terrain

I've come back to Walshes after a 2-yr flirt with Adidas Swoops. The Adidas were more
comfortable & suitable for cross-country style runs, but for out-&-out fell running Walshes
provide far better grip & allow more nimble-footedness.

I´ve used Walsh shoes for over 20 years - sometimes I´ve tried other brands, but they
are never any where near as good.

Walshies are the greatest u don't beat them road shoe

The best thing I ever did was go and see a podiatrist who understands biomechanics.
Because I over-pronate I was getting myself into all sorts of problems and fell shoes
don't help. The answer was to wear a NB trail shoe for everything but racing - slows
me down when training but has allowed me to keep on running.

Walsh's offer the best grip of any shoe I have tried (and I've tried them all as they came
out just so I didn't miss a good thing)......but of late I have found they don't last as long.
I used to find that I could always have them re-soled at least once, but I've had two pairs
lately which have fallen apart at the toes. The extreme seem to be ok, but PB trainers and
racers seem weak in this area.

The new x treme walsh is too hard on the feet. Takes ages to wear in and only two weeks
longer to wear out on the sole. I have now lost the sole off the last two pairs of walshes in a race situation.

Second favourite so far have been the original Adidas Swoops - they fit really well and have
a bit more mid sole cushion than the Walsh but are absolutley useless on wet rock. road shoe

Walshes lasts seem to depend on who made them - they vary from wide and unstable to narrow
and fitting like a glove - for me at any rate. Get the wrong fit, and you might think they are all like
that. Can't beat a good pair.

No shoe beats the walshy for grip on wet descents. However, in dryer conditions the murdoc
seems to perform better because of a more trainer like fit. Avoid the salamon trail range as
there useless on wet fells road shoe

Walsh don't last - stitching and glue come apart easily. But good grip, and fit me well (narrow feet).
Will probably try one of the INOV-8s next time.

Over last 20 yrs I've tried Walsh PB Racers, ETA, and New Balance RX Terrains. At only £35k a pair,
New Balance are a good buy for training, as the soles hardly wear out, but they are crap on wet rock.
For racing nothing beats PB Racers - your foot stays where you put it, which is what you want when your
life depends on it !!

None

Walsh pb's are excellent for orienteering and fell racing. For long distance on hard tracks I use Inov 8 Terroc's.

I use: Walsh's(tight fit and good stickability but no cushioning; Addidas Zoom (good on rough ground
but treacherous on wet rock) and, the latest, Inov's Mudroc (good cushioning but a bit
loose - stick like glue to wet rock but useless on wet grassy descents. Following a race
I make a note of the best shoe for the event and if I have not been to a race before I take
the lot and seek local knowledge!

Other Comments

Very good in extreme cold but being waterproof (it's up to you wether you believe its worth
having waterproof trainers) they are very hot.

Like the swoops. fell very fast and nimble. Poor forefoot cushioning, very noticaeable in
stony descents. Dont get on with walshes or RX terrains road shoe

Loved Swoops but grip poor in wet; Harriers are new but great so far. Inov8 gave me blisters.

Excellent for big over pronators - lots of lateral stability. Combined with a visit to
Rebound and a set of orthotic footbeds they have transormed my runing. Not a much
grip as a walsh/innov8 but more than you'd expect. The lack of grip is only noticable
on really steep grass in races. Niggles: lacing system doesn't last as long as the shoe
& is a fiddle to replace.

Because I have a wide foot,I've found that the Harrier is the perfect shoe for me.
I bought them to do the first leg of the B.G in but they felt so good I wore them the whole
way and even after doing all the B.G I didn,t have one blister. Since then I havn't
worn my walshes at all. road shoe