Gear

I have been using roclite 315s from inov8 for almost 4 months with any socks I have from all merino to sealskins to wool synthetic. The socks are always good makes and designs as I believe the sock is an important factor in comfort with these shoes.

My problem is that I need to replace them due to wear. The fit and grip is best int the world IMHO but durability is almost non-existant. I think £210 per year for footwear is not a budget I have.

I am looking at montrail highlanders and sportive crosslite in the future. I need to find durable and lightweight trainers that grip and fit me. I uses to use saloman shoes but they have stopped fitting me for some reason.

If anyone can suggest inov8 like properties but better longevity please come forward, there's a pint in it!! (From me that is a big deal).

BTW the last Scarpa SLs I had failed in about a year so even the heavy, leather boots aren't ass durable as they used to be. My first pair of SLs lasted almost 8 or 9 years!

BTW how are you getting on with the Asolo Flame GTX boots? Mine started leaking aftere 6 months and have ripped badly at the flex point after 1 year. I know of others who have taken them back and argued until they got a replacement. The womens version is also quite bad. It would be interesting to know if anyone else has had problems with the Asolo Flames or the womens equivalent.

If you want light weight there will be a pay off some where and thats usually durability.

Also inov 8 are more a running shoe than a walking shoe.

How many miles are you doing in the 4 months it takes you to wear them out.

Try a specific walking shoe, Scarpa do some that are in TK max at the moment, if you are lucky they will have your size.

My boots and my inov 8s always last forever,despite heavy use, I think I just go easy on them somehow.

quite jules. i wonder why people expect a lightweight, grippy fell running shoe to be appropriate and durable for schlepping about the hills with a pack and scrambling.

i'm happy with the durability. it's the trade off for weight and grip.

should anyone find shoes that tick the three boxes please, please let us all know about them.

I figure that even if my Inov8s cost 50p a use, (they don't,  its alot less when I look at my running diary) then thats not bad value.

Even if I did use 50p a use my most local fell run its a 20 min drive there so 40 mins round trip.

How much petrol would I use driving for 40 mins, alot more than 50p . Most people travel much further.

Unless your local mountain is outside your back door then the cost of shoes is not that much compared to say, transport costs, campsite costs and a pint in the pub after.

Some proper bolx being spouted here. How much extra would it cost to use tougher thread? My 295's are mostly fine, apart from the stitching at the forefoot flex point. To me, that isn't a durability thing, but sub-standard thread being used.

 I haven't had the same problem with other lightweight running shoes.

Mike fae Dundee mountainbolx.com wrote (see)

Some proper bolx being spouted here. How much extra would it cost to use tougher thread? My 295's are mostly fine, apart from the stitching at the forefoot flex point. To me, that isn't a durability thing, but sub-standard thread being used.

 I haven't had the same problem with other lightweight running shoes.

 Buy other light weight running shoes then!

But I dont want any one to bu**er about with the design of my lovley inov8s cos they are just right at doing what they were meant to do.

Inov8s are for running and made for runners. I love mine as I don't get niggling the injuries I get with other brands.They are so comfy, even after 2 days doing the Saunders no sore feet. No joint pain in my knees or hips or ankels.

I don't want them heavier or less flexible. They do their job very well and if you go to a fell race you can see just how popular they are with the people they were designed for.

Obviously they don't suit every runners feet but their market share is amazing considering the age of the company. They do, as does every company constantly look to improve their product. But I think they put performance on the day first.

Maybe I will buy some Berghouse  walking trousers and complain they chaff when I run or a gossard wonder bra and complain that its rubbish at providing support when I do my steep down hills or some Nike trainers and wonder why I am slipping and sliding.

Maybe you'll talk sense someday.

If you're happy to buy a pair every few hundred miles, good for you. I don't have as much money to spend on shoes as you obviously do.

don't fell runners run on fells. do fells wear shoes out quickly?

if they wear out quickly why buy them?

Parky, i can't call myself a fell runner, as i've never ran over a fell in England. I've competed in a few hill and mountain races in my time though.

Seriously, i've had Walsh's last years of abuse. I'm sure i have a pair of them kicking about that must be around 15 years old. Although the sole is worn flat, the structure is still pretty much sound. As i said before, poor quality stitching is nothing to do with durability. It's just poor quality thread. I've just bought my second pair of Inov8's hoping the first pairs poor lifespan was a one off.

Mike fae Dundee wrote (see)

Some proper bolx being spouted here. How much extra would it cost to use tougher thread? My 295's are mostly fine, apart from the stitching at the forefoot flex point. To me, that isn't a durability thing, but sub-standard thread being used.

 I haven't had the same problem with other lightweight running shoes.

My problem was the complete collapse of the midsole to the point that one day it was ok then the next trip out it collapsed mid trip. 3.5 months use and still a bit of grip on the tread but the structure had gone. I went to the excellent Pete Bland sports and came out with a supposedly more durable montrail highalnder shoe. So far it is good but it does not grip as well on wet rock as my old inov8 roclite 315s. Still it has lasted over 3.5 months and was £20 cheaper too so I'm happy. This last sunday I noticed the thread at the flex point is failing. The thread is still intact but it has come away in a loop from the shoe a little bit. I guess this is like your shoes Mike.

On the whole I think innov8s are really good but they have designed out the reasonable level of durability these types of shoes should have IMHO. It is not a case of cutting it out to save weight because as I understand it the heavier models are no longer lasting than the uber light ones. I think the choice is inov8s is for your race use and others for normal use or expect them to last next to no time.

BTW I do not class myself as a runner although I do run a little when on my own and in the mood (wearing walking trousers and carrying a walking sack made by alpkit). I do do long distance walking though and innov8s are a common shoe choice for that. They meet the requirements such use has on footwear IMO but they just don't last. However talking to the guys at Pete Bland Sports (excellent service BTW experts in all things related to running IMHO) they did seem to think I was a kind of heavy user. That is what Ultimate Outdoors told me when my heavy roughty toughty scarpa SLs failed after about 18 months. So I guess the moral of my post is that you have to spend what you must in order to keep doing what you must. In my case that is long distance walking and about £50-70 at least twice a year probaly thrice.

AS far as the original post goes I would say the best footwear for the hills if you want to go lightweight for long distance walks is a pair of shoes (not mids) with an relatively open, non-waterproof upper, preferably with a low drainingg point. By that I mean the porous upper extends at some point low down and not high up with a water impermeable rand some shoes have. This allows any water to enter the shoe (which it will... a lot) to drain while walking. Then IF needed a waterproof sock, although seal skins are not that good. I've yet to find goretex socks to try but I'd expect them to be better as they are thinner and really all you need of waterproof socks is a thin layer to go over your usual, dry weather socks. Sealskinz are thicker so replace the usual sock but half the thickness is on the outside of the membrane so is wet. This IMHO reduces its performance for the thickness of the sock. Plus I always get wet feet inside them from boil in the bag syndrome. Goretex should be slightly better than the porelle for reducing this.

BTW I only really use waterproof socks in colder conditions since wet feeet IME is not a problem if they are warm enough. Wind can whistle through porous shoes so in wind or cold waterproof socks are better worn. There is something really nice about going through a puddle or bog in summer to get wet feet then watching the water draining out and your feet to get warm again. Very refreshing on a hot day. Personally on a hot day I like to walk straight into a Lake district stream to cool down. Wearing shorts and not bothering to take your shoes off you can just walk into a pool and the water really does cool you down. I do get some strange looks from leather big-boot wearers. If only they knew how comfortable I was standing thigh deep in a pool on a lakeland stream.  Bliss!