Discussion: Good trail running shoes for long distance races

I currently have Solomon XA PRO 3D ULTRA 2 which is an awesome shoe with pronation control especially for a overpronator like me. It is made for adventure racing - strong, sturdy & durable with lots of protection.

But for pure long distance trail running events, I feel its a little heavy & little too hard. I loved XT wings until last year when I didnt know about pronation. Just wondering what other options out there with pronation & motion control for some one like me & light enough for racing.

Give the S-LAB XT Wings a go. They're built on a very similar last to the XT Wings but have a bunch of modifications to make them lighter. What I like about them, however, is that I still feel supported on unpredictable terrain. I'm a shade over 200 lbs and pronate quite a bit so I was pleased to find these applicable for me.

+1 I've used S-Lab XT Wings for all my ultras so far.

I pronate so shoe stores loved to put me in motion control, but the physical therapist assessed me and said "neutral cushion". YMMV.

Thanks everyone. Patty: I will try slab XT wings. Good to know they work for people with pronation !

I currently wear sports orthotics. My coach said orthotics will take care of pronation and I should be good even good neutral shoes. But my chiro said it would be better if I use shoes with pronation control along with orthotics! Lets see how it feels with XT wings.

Any suggestions for someone with a large toe box area? Dorky I know, but I always have issues with the area where my pinky toe is getting squeezed and eventually rubbing/breaking the shoe on the outside.

XR Missions have a very large forefoot.

Also, the women's version of the XR Mission shoe is not just different sizing but there are some changes to the design to suit women's feet. The Toronto Salomon Store tells me these new shoes have been really popular.

Strippa, I wish I could wear Salomons, but other than the Crossmax they're too narrow for me, and too much control. I need a bigger toe box.

I use Brooks Cascadia for AR and longer trail runs, and the lighter True Grit for shorter quicker runs. For the SS relay I used New Balance MT101s, a minimalist shoe with a roomy toe box. It's been replaced with the 110.

Note that Cascadias (at least my vintage) can come with comically short laces. This is exacerbated if you like to use all the holes and double knot for retention during swamp crossings. (Otherwise I like them.)

Meh, I cut the laces down and install cord locks anyway for AR. http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/380163117/Plastic...

Intriguing. How well does that work? The Salomon system always lightly loosened for me and I had one come off in the swamp once.

Lock laces are awesome, am totally sold on them. Started using them for road/triathlon shoes but now none of my shoes have regular laces any more.
http://www.locklaces.com/locklaces/multisports

good advice - thanks everyone!

This may sounds like a dumb question, does anyone know what kind of difference there is between the mens/womens xtwings? other than sizing/colour?

Phatty is the expert but he's probably busy setting up his new home in France now that Leanimal and Weeanimal have arrived.

The women's XT Wings have a standard women's fit, which means compared to the unisex/men's version, they have a narrower heel cup/fit and slightly larger volume in the toe box. I'm not sure if there's anything else but maybe Phatty will drop by when he's unpacked a few more boxes!

I'm a big fan of La Sportiva Wild Cat. Cushioning is good, toe box to avoid bruised toes and comfortable. The cushioning doesn't seem to degrade like other shoes that I've tried too like Mizuno Wave Harriers. Grips are good allrounders apart from greasy slabs of rock but hey what shoes are?

Sorry for the delay...as Bash mentioned, Leanimal and I moved to France as I'm now at Salomon HQ working on the Trail Running Footwear range.

Here's the deal on the main differences between the Men's and Women's XT Wings 3. The Women's version:
- Is easier to flex;
- Has a relatively softer midsole to match with a Women's relative weight; and,
- Has a relatively thinner heel / wider forefoot vs. the Men's version to match with the morphology of a Woman's foot.

Thanx Phatty!!!

Does anyone know of a good place to get women's size 10.5/11 XT Wings or XA Pro Ultra? I have been searching high and low and cannot seem to find those sizes left anywhere at this time of year.

I just purchased a pair of salomon XA Pro ultra on Amazon.

It looks like you're in Toronto. Did you try the Salomon store in Don Mills? Running Free doesn't have those sizes online but maybe they have something in their stores if you call and ask. Another option is to go farther afield, e.g. call Caledon Hills Cycling in Inglewood or the Salomon outlet store in Niagara Falls. If you're sure of your size, you can often pay to get things shipped.

Thanks Ang! I will check out Amazon...

Unfortunately I did try the Don Mills Salomon store and they didn't have my size last time I was in. I like the idea of the outlet store though Bash - thank you!

Appreciate the tips :)

There was an outlet in Niagara Falls? I never thought to check. :(

http://www.canadaoneoutlets.com/store-details.asp?...
It tends to be one or more seasons out of date but it's first quality product - at least everything I saw was.

Has anyone tried the S-LABFELLCROSS? Any reviews, is this a rugged enough shoe for 24+ races?

I have them, and they're rugged but I'd say it depends on what type of runner you are. They are snug, low profile and not designed for heel strikers. I love the way they feel for a 2-3 hour run - like I'm very connected with the ground beneath my feet. They're going to be my orienteering shoe next season. They are best for running through the forest, on trails, in mud, in sand and on grass. Because of the stiff, spiky tread that works well in those types of terrain, they don't grip as well as some other shoes on wet or steep rock or other hard surfaces.

For a 24+ hr race, I prefer more cushioning so I wouldn't use a low profile shoe. That's just a personal preference - I know others make other choices. I use XA Pros for long off-trail races and S-Lab XT Wings or Speedcross for long trail races. Some of the better adventure racers I know use S-Lab XT Wings for long off-trail races as well because they do more running than I do.