Road shoes on trails

I find racing flats much better on trails than regular trainers. High heels make me roll my ankles, and the soft surface of most trails makes extra cushioning unnecessary. I've never worn trail shoes, and don't really see the point of them, although most of the trails I run on are not that rough.

depends on what you consider a trail.

if i'm running on soft dirt. i'll use road shoes, when running trails around boulder etc..trail shoes are much nicer..some rock protection, a different midsole and such..plus you can still find some light one's such as the XT by Adidas which is about 10 oz...

I wear racing flats on the trails during the summer, and during the winter when it gets muddy and snowy I've been wearing the Inov-8 X-Talon 212. I don't wear normal trail shoes because of a number of reasons: they're heavy, they're bulky, and they're stiff. You get a much better feel from a flat.

I felt the same until I ran in some low profile neutral trail shoes. Posting on uneven trails sucks. And if you are dealing with a lot of rock and roots a tiny bit of metarsal protection is helpful.

That being said, most trail shoes are over structured bricks. But I did do 140 mile week in the high sierras in brooks adrenalines, some of that was on fire roads though.

jorvack wrote:

I felt the same until I ran in some low profile neutral trail shoes. Posting on uneven trails sucks. And if you are dealing with a lot of rock and roots a tiny bit of metarsal protection is helpful.

That being said, most trail shoes are over structured bricks. But I did do 140 mile week in the high sierras in brooks adrenalines, some of that was on fire roads though.

That's what I consider the X-Talon to be: it has the upper of a flat with the outsole from Inov-8's Roclite trail shoes.

As far as toe protection, I've only had a few times that I wished I would've had more, but the pain of stubbing a toe goes away pretty quickly. It's just part of the deal.

Of course, because it works for me doesn't mean that it will work for everyone, but I've just found that there aren't many situations that it would make a difference if you were wearing trail shoes. Personally, the disadvantages of trail shoes outweigh the advantages, plus I enjoy running in flats more because of the feel you get for the trail.

I've run (and won) two trail races up in vermont, both times wearing old trainers. The race covered some of the most ridiculous terrain I have ever crossed on foot. You do not need trail running shoes to do well; they are a bunch of BS.

it depends on the type of trails that you are running on and what you call a "trail".

if you are simply running on the equivalent of a one lane dirt road ... then yes, trail shoes are just hype. if however, you routinely run on rocks, snow, slippery mud, roots, steep uphills and downhills, etc then you would find that trail shoes are certainly worth it.

i routinely run in spikeless models of adidas neptune, nike waffle racers, etc. innov-8 makes great trail shoes. ... also, if you run on rocky trails, you will appreciate trial shoes with "rock stoppers" that prevent rocks from poking the sole of your foot.

most road shoes have a sole that is too thick and a heel that is too high making them unstable on rough trials.

jay mtn wrote:

I've run (and won) two trail races up in vermont, both times wearing old trainers. The race covered some of the most ridiculous terrain I have ever crossed on foot. You do not need trail running shoes to do well; they are a bunch of BS.

I agree. I ran all over the north shore in vancouver in regular shoes for years - roots, rocks, moss, ups, downs, streams, you name it. No worries.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for road shoes that do better than others on trails. (As in being wet, traction, etc)

jay mtn wrote:

I've run (and won) two trail races up in vermont, both times wearing old trainers. The race covered some of the most ridiculous terrain I have ever crossed on foot. You do not need trail running shoes to do well; they are a bunch of BS.

Exactly my point. During the summer I wear the Brooks ST Racer and I've never had a problem, even over 50+ miles.

bump

I've always been told that it is fine to run on the trails in "street shoes" but to never run on the streets in trail shoes. Begging for an injury.

I think that's probably stretching it. Uncomfortable and clunky maybe, but "begging for an injury"? There is not a huge difference between road and trails shoes other than the tread on the outsole and that most trail shoes have a ballistic plate.

I use t5's for racing on the trails. I've seen people do it in forevers.

XC flats are the way to go. Light, nimble, and good traction. My road flats aren't near as good; don't feel I can "hop around" and navigate rocks as well with them. INOV8s is a lighter/more flexible option too, as compared to mainstream trail shoes.

Should add I wear Saucony Kilkenny's for off-road running (ok on roads too), and the Brooks T5s for roads.

Did you win the 1st Annual Herc Open in August 2007?

First and last Herc Open if I'm not mistaken.