Trail shoes do I need them?

Up until now I've only had road shoes Saucony Pro guide (3, 4 & 5's) which I love, as i run mainly in the evenings (I hate mornings!!!) this means all my training tends to be on roads however now the summer (is hopefully) on the way there are a few runs around which have some bridal paths / tracks in them, but also involve a couple of miles each way of road running to get to them.

So the question is do I need a trail shoe,if so will it hold up and provide support for the road bits or should i just stick with my road shoes (or is there something inbetween)?

Any advice appreciated.

 

Comments

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    I mainly use/need trail shoes for grip when it's very muddy. You might find you're fine with your road shoes if the tracks are firm and the weather's been dry - if you don't really want to buy new shoes, I'd recommend just sticking with your road shoes, trying out the trails, and reconsidering if it rains a lot and you're having to slow down loads to avoid slipping over.

  • Thanks that's what i tend to do, if it's been raining I'll change my plans and do another (road route) would be nice to stick with the planned routes, saw some Adidas Kanadia"s for £37 so was thinking I might give them a try when it is muddy, just can decide if it's worth it image

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    I say go for it.

    I was in a similar position to the OP. One day, pretty much on a whim, I treated myself to a pair of Kanadias in Sweatshop. I figured that at the price I'd give them a go.

    It was a great move. You can use road shoes on soft, grassy or muddy surfaces but trail shoes are so much more sure-footed and grippy. The Kanadias feel very light too.

    So then I treated myself to a pair of More Mile Cheviots for even less dosh. These are more robust and a bit clumpy but even more grippy and good for long slow runs.

    I have to cover a mile or so till I get off-road but fortunately most of my route to the trail has grassy verges I can run along. I used to avoid the slippy muddy bits but now I seek them out!

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    Oh, well if you are already finding your road shoes aren't working with the terrain when wet, then get the Kanadias. I have some and haven't fallen on my arse yet! They also feel okay when running on the road to get to the trails, though I try to avoid wearing them for very long distances on hard surfaces - did some of my marathon training in them when it was icy, and they kept me from falling over but I did get more niggles than usual after doing longer runs in them on ice and tarmac.

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    Road shoes are fine until it gets wet, then you'll really see benefits. XT3's/XT4's are good too, but Kanadias regulalrly get rated well on here and prices of Adidas are generally good especially if you go for last season's model.

  • literatinliteratin ✭✭✭

    And actually you'll probably save money because if you've got an extra pair of shoes your road shoes won't need replacing as soon, and I bet the Kanadias are cheaper than the Sauconys anyway.

    PS: £27.50 at sports direct at the moment!

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    +1 that. It's a little like putting winter tyres on your car. Little bit of extra expenditure at the start but in the end you'll save.

    image

  • I use my Kanadia 4 for pretty much everything.

    I was hoping to pick up another pair as mine are wearing out a bit, it's now Kandia 5 but there are still some decent offers around£37 quid etc.

    Anyone actually tried/own the Kandia 5? Any changes worth knowing about?

  • Thanks all I'm convinced, trip to sports direct at weekend.

     

  • ended up with NB 710's for £30 from Sports Direct, cheers guys, lets see how they work now image

  • Yeah as others have said I would have recommended buying a Kanadia as they are very good or some other cheaper trail shoe to see what you think.

    If you're never going to race on trails though(which you should!) then if isn't worth buying a very expensive pair

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