Fell shoes need to offer superb grip and maximum stability all in a nice light weight durable package.  Not much to ask for then really!!!  Not too long ago we wouldn’t have had to write this guide as the only serious choice for the fell runner was a pair of Walsh PB’s (as seen in the above picture) made down the road in Bolton.  Now more people are taking up the sport, new manufacturers such as Inov-8 have come on the scene, providing more choice.  So how do fell shoes achieve the required performance characteristics?  And which ones are the best to go for?

GRIP – This is the obvious requirement for running on the fell, with all its rocks mud and grass, which are usual wet!  Fell shoes have studded out-soles of varying depth, to give traction and penetration on a variety of surfaces.  Some shoes have ‘sticky’ rubber out-soles to give better grip on wet rocks (the hardest thing to stand up on).  This rubber will wear faster but give better grip whilst it lasts.  Some stud patterns work better on grass and mud, some work better on rock.  To help you choose a shoe we give 2 grip ratings (out of 10) one for rock one for grass and mud.  It follows that if you run somewhere like the Peak District with all its bogs and grassy hills, go for a shoe that scores highly on the grass and mud rating, and if you run in North Wales, with all its slippy wet slate, then go for a good rock grip score etc.

STABILITY – Running over rough ground, contouring across steep slopes or descending quickly without a stable shoe leads to constant twisted ankles and a lack of confidence in your foot placement.  Fell shoes achieve this stability in two ways a) they have minimal cushioning so your foot sits very low to the ground. b) They are built on narrow lasts (i.e. have a narrow fit) which holds your foot securely.  This gives two advantages; the shoes don’t feel ‘tippy’ like a road shoe would feel on rough ground, and they don’t roll around your foot when your contouring.  How stable a fell shoe is will depend on how it fits your foot.  If its too narrow you may roll of the inside of it etc.  so we have given a stability score out of 10 based on a good fit for that shoe.  In the description we will try and best describe how the shoes fit generally, to give you an idea if you can’t get in to try them on.

DURABILITY AND WEIGHT – Scree and Bracken tend to chew up shoes, so manufacturers try and use light yet strong fabrics and meshes for the uppers.  Some super light shoes are better off saved for races to avoid trashing them and a heavier more durable pair used to train in.  We give a durability score out of 10 and a weight in grams for all our shoes (a pair of size uk 8's) to give you a good idea.  Again if you run on scree a lot it makes sense to go for something more durable.

WATERPROOF FELL SHOES?

Using a waterproof lined shoe on the fell is a bad idea as water invariably comes over the top of the shoe and then can’t escape until you stop and empty it out.  What is better is a fast draining, fast drying shoe that doesn’t absorb water and get heavier when wet.  In winter a merino wool sock will give you more warmth even when wet than an acrylic sock, or using a pair of Seal Skins will keep your feet drier and warmer, although are much too hot for the majority of the time.

MATRIX OVERVIEW

	Grip - Grass/Mud	Grip - Rock	Stability	Durability	Weight (per pair)
Inov-8 Mudclaw 270	10/10	9/10	7/10	6/10	564g
Inov-8 Mudclaw 330 O	10/10	7/10	7/10	9/10	612g
Inov-8 Mudroc 290	7/10	10/10	8/10	9/10	610g
Inov-8 X-Talon	8/10	9/10	9/10	8/10	434g
La Sportiva Crosslite	8/10	7/10	8/10	7/10	616g
Salomon Mens Speedcross 2	8/10	7/10	7/10	8/10	562g
Salomon Womens Speedcross 2	8/10	7/10	7/10	8/10	576g
Walsh Junior PB Elite Trainer	9/10	8/10	9/10	7/10	388g
Walsh PB Elite Extreme	9/10	8/10	9/10	9/10	578g
Walsh PB Elite Racer	9/10	8/10	10/10	6/10	504g
Walsh PB Elite Trainer	9/10	8/10	9/10	7/10	526g
Walsh PB Trainer Boot	9/10	8/10	9/10	7/10	548g
Walsh PB Ultra Extreme	9/10	8/10	7/10	9/10	622g