Since the start of this years training I have had an issue with my trail shoes. Previously I have always run in Salomon XA Comps but whilst I find them comfortable, grippy and most importantly very cushioned, they do not last very long -
Shoes : 2008
: 2009
This year its appeared that Salomon had stopped making the XA Comp so I bought a pair of XA Pro's however, as I hinted at a few posts back, after a couple of runs it soon became apparent that they had no where near as much cushioning, exacerbating my shin splints and during the Fling the balls of my feet were really feeling the pain, especially along Loch Lomondside and the sole of my right foot blistered quite badly. I think this was probably a contributary factor in my poor performance during the race.
Despite my 2009 pair of Comps having large holes in them I wore them for my Cairngorm run and despite their high milage the difference was like night and day. The XA Pros have now been ditched and the search is on for a suitably grippy and cushioned alternative. Ideally I wouldn't be changing shoes this close to the race but if I get another pair of Salomon's in a 10.5 I'll know that they will fit and not require to be broken in - hopefully ....
Don't forget that road shoes are quite adequate for the WHW.
ReplyDeleteTim, either way I need new shoes as I've decided that my current road shoes are too small. I normally wear road shoes from Auchtertyre Farm to Kingshouse anyway, a wee bit more comfortable going over Rannoch !
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