Recently I have been having a debate at my local fellrunning club over which is better, orienteering shoes or fell shoes? Some of the fell running club have seen the me and other orienteers (who are v. good fell runners) running in orienteering shoes and have been asking where to get them, can they try them out, etc.
The benefits of the orienteering shoes for me is better grip and they last longer. But then again my New Balance fell shoes are over a year old, falling to pieces and have lost half the grip.
But then again walshes etc al, are supposed to be super comfy, very flexible, lighter and a faster shoes.
So I can give a bit more meaningfull advice to the fell runners at my club, I would like the what Nopers views are? Fellshoes for fellrunning or orienteering shoes, and why please?
cheers
Orienteering or fellrunning shoes for fell running?
Moderators: [nope] cartel, team nopesport
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O shoes with metal bits for wet rock, if you really need the grip, and maybe for Mountain marathons where you want something sturdy. Otherwise Walshes are lighter and faster.
Graeme
Graeme
WOC2024 Edinburgh
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
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graeme - god
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A lot of bigger hills (munros, corbits and some marilyns) can be really quite rocky. Ive found recently that dobs are great in these environments and you feel more secure and safe when descending and hence run faster
Ive been running in some VJ lops for the past few months when on the hills and they've been great. I havent lost a single dob. But unfortunately the uppers really arent up to it and they are now all ripped.
Ive been running in some VJ lops for the past few months when on the hills and they've been great. I havent lost a single dob. But unfortunately the uppers really arent up to it and they are now all ripped.
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pyrat - [nope] cartel
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If there is no problem with grip I prefer my Walshies - but if it is wet they slide a lot, if it's muddy the grips get clogged up and if the Walshes are more than 5 runs old then the studs are too worn down - in all these situations the dobbs are better.
If you are used to going downhill in Walshes then dobbs can take some getting used to because they don't slide.
If you are used to going downhill in Walshes then dobbs can take some getting used to because they don't slide.
- Neil M35
- red
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Don't tell me about walshes falling apart, two pairs have fallen apart on me in last 2 years! Both split along inside seam and one sole fell off. Perhaps teaches me not to wear them for orienteering. My advice, DON'T wear walshes for orienteering as they will be recked, leave them for running on tracks. However, I do wear walshes for fell running. (trying to get back to original question) they are more comfortable than dobs as I can get a tighter fit which personaly feels more confident downhill. They are also more flexible which aids descending. I too have thought that dobs might be better for wet rocks though. However, I know an fell runner/occasional orienteer who tested this in the lakes and wished he'd worn walshes as still slid everywhere as the actual surface contact area wasn't enough. Though that was a personal expereince and these only my views. Possibly get clubmates to try dobs seamus, and you never know they might get more interested in orienteering!? Thats all on the basis of short and medium fell races but for mountain marathons the above might have to be counterd against the rough terrain.
Slight aside: most comfortable orienteering shoes I've worn/wear are swoops. However, they are rubbish on wet rock, where I just slid everywhere in them.
Slight aside: most comfortable orienteering shoes I've worn/wear are swoops. However, they are rubbish on wet rock, where I just slid everywhere in them.
- bolder
- white
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bolder wrote:Slight aside: most comfortable orienteering shoes I've worn/wear are swoops. However, they are rubbish on wet rock, where I just slid everywhere in them.
which are fell shoes! - "one fell swoop" being where they get their name from! and get over the wet rock issue, accept it and have some confidence. new version are great as well.
swooplover.
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rocky - [nope] cartel
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Passed loads of people in a fell race last year. It was a 'run up the path to the top and back down' race. It was a real bun fight on the way down, passing all of the people coming up, and I got loads of places being able to run off the path, in my dobbs, through the steep slippy stuff. I wouldn't have done so if I had my fell shoes on. I rarely use my fell shoes. I know a former British fell champion who had a pair of the Walshes with spikes on the front that he wore on appropriate courses.
Some O shoes are better on rock than others. I have a silva pair of dobbs that are sh*te for example.
Some O shoes are better on rock than others. I have a silva pair of dobbs that are sh*te for example.
- housewife
- green
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Maitland once had a pair of spikes for fell running
They were really scary !
The spikes were in the heel
I use o-shoes cos I can't be arsed trying to find a half decent pair of fell shoes anymore.
I used to use Walshes
When they went synthetic I changed to ETAs
When ETAs went out I gave up and used o'shoes for a long while until I found an old pair of leather walshes at the back of a cupboard when I moved flat.
Then I tried Mudrocs which I thought were great at first apart from the days that they decide to give you blisters - I don't use them anymore.
Apparently the Running Bear racing shoes are actually the old ETAs - so might be worth a look.
O shoes are good, robust and good grip
but to be honest its down to technique as much as shoes - you just need to know what your shoes will do.
the weight differences are not that great.
They were really scary !
The spikes were in the heel
I use o-shoes cos I can't be arsed trying to find a half decent pair of fell shoes anymore.
I used to use Walshes
When they went synthetic I changed to ETAs
When ETAs went out I gave up and used o'shoes for a long while until I found an old pair of leather walshes at the back of a cupboard when I moved flat.
Then I tried Mudrocs which I thought were great at first apart from the days that they decide to give you blisters - I don't use them anymore.
Apparently the Running Bear racing shoes are actually the old ETAs - so might be worth a look.
O shoes are good, robust and good grip
but to be honest its down to technique as much as shoes - you just need to know what your shoes will do.
the weight differences are not that great.
If you could run forever ......
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Kitch - god
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I realy like the green running bear shoe with the old ETA sole on it but I have managed to go through 3 pairs in a year, lost one and one pair got trashed doing the Swiss MM where 50% of the time was spent boulder hopping.... Normaly I were my O shose for South Wales fell races. The grip on steep wet grass is far better than anything else that is sold as a fell shoe. Full on spikes would probobly be the only thing better for a none rocky course.
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ifor - brown
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walshes are the best if you have lots of money to keep replacing them. i used to use them but they are too expensive now so i just use my o shoes cos im too lazy/skint to buy some more. i dont think they are as good though.
has anyone else tried the new balance fell shoes? they are cheap and have the same sole as a walsh but they are quite high on the ankle and they give me blisters which isnt so good. but if they dont give you blisters, try them. Emma Engstand wears them!
has anyone else tried the new balance fell shoes? they are cheap and have the same sole as a walsh but they are quite high on the ankle and they give me blisters which isnt so good. but if they dont give you blisters, try them. Emma Engstand wears them!
it's all fun
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m - nope young team
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Orienteering or fell shoes
I used to use Walshes all the time and seemed to get great value and reliability out of them. They are generally more comfortable than metal studded o-shoes on very long races. The last 2 pairs of walshes have fallen to bits on me after light use, they have been replaced by the manufacturer but again fell apart. The recent models appear to be of inferior quality.
"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut" Abraham Lincoln
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LostAgain - diehard
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Swoops arer good, but nont as good as rocky likes to thtininkn. if its going to be relly muddy theen nothing will work well, so just wear whateve is momst comfortable, which probably aint going to be o-shoes. if its dry, fell shoes, it its normally wet, probably still fell shoes, or spikes. if youu know ther is going to be lots of rock, then dobs.
s for what to wear when orienteerinng, then its got to be o shoes unless you are on a lovely area with no undergrowth, so for the British on penhale for example spikes might be worth and effort.
when it comes down to it, nnothing is best or worst, you have to scrafice comfort if you wear o shoes, fell shoes get destroyed easy.
s for what to wear when orienteerinng, then its got to be o shoes unless you are on a lovely area with no undergrowth, so for the British on penhale for example spikes might be worth and effort.
when it comes down to it, nnothing is best or worst, you have to scrafice comfort if you wear o shoes, fell shoes get destroyed easy.
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mharky - team nopesport
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