(Øyvind Heiberg Sundby uphill in Adidas Adizero RC. Photo by Christian Prestegård.)

Up for extreme running?
Summer is soon turning to fall and the season for trail running and cross country races begin. For some years now, mountain running has become very popular here in Norway. People living close by mountains have run up and down the hills for as long as they know, and then suddenly people from all over the country show up and want to compete in the same hills.
Runner or not, still great that you get the bib number on and compete against yourself or others. It's great for you to challenge yourself. And maybe mountain running suits people in general better than a 10 km in some city?
Anyway, what I'm interested in is what kind of shoes you would run in if you're running mountain running or tough cross country races!
The uneven surfacePersonally I don't feel safe and comfortable in terrain where the surface is uneven and lots of roots and loose rocks. I run very slowly and worries a lot about my ankles. If I run with well cushioned shoes, for me they feel like they are to high and soft for the surface.
Many hybrid shoes or trail running shoes got a rough outer sole that seems to have a good grip. The mesh can be in water proof or water resistant material. That makes the shoes feel a bit stiffer when running. The cushioning is often good in this type of shoes, but the feeling and contact with the surface could be better considering competing in them.

What's the difference? If you look at trail shoes meant for competition there's not so many options, as far as I know. I think the best models have a low profile. This means shoes with relatively thin sole and little cushioning. That also results in less weight. The shoes are in general unstable; so your feet follow the surface instead of stiff and stable shoes you easily twist ankles and slip off wet rocks with. When you have a trail shoe with a low profile you also maintain a better control of your running because you feel every step better.
If you're not up for trail running shoes, road running/competition shoes are an options. They are super-light and some of the outer sole is removed or made thinner to reduce weight. That results in better grip (often). You can see many runners in mountain running with competition shoes meant for asphalt. Uphill you won't need much cushioning either!
So, what to look for? You have to consider your hight and weight as well as the purpose of your buy. Not everybody can have super light competition shoes because of how they're built or former injuries for instance. And you might only compete once a year and the rest of your training is road running. Well, then you might have more fun with a cushioning model after all. They're fine to run with in terrain, but less stable and looser in overlay mesh.
Are you serious about these competitions; I would recommend you to try some of the models from Inov-8. I have run with Talon 212, Roclite 312, Roclite 315 and Mudclaw 270. Great grip and low weight. Models for different runners, I would say. The rubber outsole is stuck to the ground and you will feel safe!
If you don't have a chance to try them, I would recommend you to try LaSportiva Slingshot (better for mountain running than trail), Adistar Adizero Adios (comp shoe road), Mizuno Wave Idaten 2 or 3 (no 2 got a great grip in the woods considering it being a shoe for road), Asics DS Racer (very thin in forefoot, good grip but easily worn out).
If you insist on regular hybrid/trail shoes because you are used to good cushioning and want the same type. Asics Trail Attack, Nike Air Pegasus 25 Trail and Adidas Supernova Riot are great choices.
Some of the links are taken from Löplabbets page. If you have questions regarding language, please get in touch with me!
Well, that was some options to pick from. Hopefully that will be helpful for you to make a decision:).

View Original Post at steeplegirl.com

• Filed Under:  
• Cross Country, Running, Sports

• Tags:
• women
• cross country
• Norway
• trail running
• extreme running