Gear

Anyone out there like me use fell shoes for walking and backpacking? What do you use if you do?

I need to replace a faithfull servent after over 9 months hard use and I need to do it quick. I have a narrow heel and the forefoot / instep is either slightly narrow or normal. I am a hard user so would like better durability. Grip is important as is stability as I slightly overpronate and turn my ankle a bit. I would also like a bit more cushioning than my old Montrail Highlanders. Any ideas?

I'd prefer not to get Innov8s as they are not durable and from past experience are too costly to only last 3 months. Based on past experience I'd need to spend £280 a year if I was to buy innov8s.

My innov8 roclites did that in the first month and a half if not more without much wear showing on the sole. I know somone with those and I wasn't impressed how he slipped a lot in them but not in his boots previously. He was not as hard a user as me and they lasted about 5 months before they got quite slippy and treacherous. I also noticed that they had plenty of cushioning and seemed more mulit shoe than fell shoe. COuld be wrong but at £100 or near as damm it I am not that sure. I am looking at about 9 months per shoe for about £50-60. Or to put it into perspective, four shoes over 3 years costing £200-240 as opposed to two shoes a year costing up to £200.

If there's nothing out there as good as my old highlanders then I'll get another pair. Thanks for your suggestion Benco, much appreciated to have someone reply, but I've seen them in use and ruled them out as they don't suit me in my mind anyway.

I was thinking that the Mizuna Wave Harriers (or whatever the Harriers are called) look good but not sure how durable, cushioned, stable and what the fit is like on them.

Or maybe the mountain masochists (Montrail). A bit easier to find than the streaks (outdoors warehouse for instance). One drawback could be that it might not be trivial to find a replacement pair once you destroy this one.

(Unlike the streaks, they're still making them but UK distribution somewhat lacking.).

Of course a very good idea to try everything on

The new Walshes look good - Pete Bland have them. The studded sole should give you superb grip. I really like Inov-8 O330s for mountain walking, but as you say the durability of Inov-8 stuff is a joke.  Two pairs of Flyrocs, which I just use for walking in the park and the odd hill have  split across the forefoot after light use (the second pair was a replacement for the first), and a previous pair of mudrocs delaminated within weeks. Having said that, my 330s are holding up ok.

P.S. My Mrs has some Wave Harriers - the cushioning seems pretty good - they have a clever 'wave-plate' thingy in the heel, but I'd say they are a broad fit.

I would also like a bit more cushioning

Depends what you mean by "fell shoes".  The classic design, following the Walsh PB's lead, is for basically no cushioning because the ground will be (largely) soft and if you take the midsole out (or at leastreduce it a fair bit) then the shoe will be lower so giving less tendency to turn an ankle. 

So anything in the line of a purpose built fell runner like the Walsh PB, Inov-8 Mudclaw, Adidas Swoop etc. I'd avoid for what you have in mind.  They're great on the soft stuff but you actually suffer a bit on tracks. 

Pete.

I've seen the Walshes theres two that are aimed a trail running market but still have the good gripping sole unit. They do look a bit old fashioned which is no big deal but it is kind of the Walsh look. Compared with the likes of Lasportiva crosslites IIRC that have those funny lace gaiter thingy. I've been recommended them by someone in Lakes CLimber/RUnner (very good cafe upstairs BTW selling a good book on Lakeland trails and walks for £3 to MRT too).

I'm going to PB's tomorrow I think. They suggested the Montrail Highlanders which were a great success. Unless someone comes up with something better I might just get anothher pair, but you can always be let down by a repeat purchase I think. Perhaps I will take my old Montrails in so they can look at the wear and recommend something. Based on past recommendations from them I think I won't go wrong with following their advice. Except for the Sorbothane footbeds. They were worse than the OEM ones. Its just that I really want the Highlanders except with a smidgeon of more cushioning on the ball of the foot behind the big toe. It can kill me on a long'un.

One thing is true fell shoes don't last as long as those multi activity / walking trainers. You know the merrell/saloman/meindl types.

Got a Keswick to Barrow on Saturday so I need them on Friday so I can wear them walking on the Sunday. I find a short stroll the day after a long walk helps with recovery.

I use a combination of Salomon XA Pros and Adidas Swoops depending on the terrain ie more grassy/softer then the swoops, but more rocky/hard pack then the XAs.

Both are very good, but the swoops in particular wear very quickly if used on hard paths/roads - not surprising really.