On a trail run, If your feet fail, you fail. Sprains, blisters, fractures, Plantar Fasciitis, ankle weakness. All very common and can end your attempt at going long distances.
Getting your footwear (as well as your conditioning of your feet) right is a huge part of this. Get your choice wrong and you could be in for a significant amount of misery once you get over a marathon distance.
I'm writing this as a heavy runner, and on trails where impact is higher, there are stones, hills, rocks, roots and mud if it's wet. The choice of footwear should really be determined by the type of course you are taking on, if you have any physical issues you are carrying, and the likely weather conditions you'll face.
In an ideal world we could run barefoot (there are barefoot running shoes out there for trails, etc to protect you from cuts and scrapes) but the chances are if you are reading this then, like myself, you are some way from attempting to run an ultra this way. For me it's been a bit of trial and error finding the right shoes. The truth is you will likely need a few pairs. I'll walk you through how I've approached it.
The challenge course
My first consideration was what is the course I am running. Mine is a mix of extreme hills, scree trails with lots of small flint stones, some meadow trails. some woods, pebble beach, shingle and road/path. Even when wet this route shouldn't get too muddy, but could get slippery and wet in places. I have no river crossings (which means I don't need a shoe to drain quickly and dry out on my feet). The time of year - May also means it could be mild, hot, dry or wet (cold isn't really an issue as you'll get warm ;-)). Heat means blisters. Wet means blisters and slippery underfoot conditions.
Given my ankle and Achilles issues, this means stability, ankle protection, all weather and one that protects the soles of your feet. If you've never run or walked more than 40km it will amaze you how sore the soles of your feet get. On dry trails it can be especially bad as the stones pushing into the soles of the shoes can be felt in poorer footwear. After a while it feels like your soles have been flayed like you have been tortured for information in a PoW camp.
This means that a plush sole with a lot of support for the hill descents and tight trails, especially for night time stretch were big factors.
Meet the shoe...
The Hoka One One - Speedgoat 2 Mid GTX
This is an epic shoe. I am a huge fan of Hoka running shoes. They are pricey but they are worth it! Believe me, you will pay anything to have your feet not feel like they are being flayed after 70km on your feet and these bad boys will do that. Immensely comfortable. a 4.5mm heel drop (I'll get to this in a minute), GoreTex, ankle cuff (you feel so much safer on uneven surface with this), light but tough and very grippy. I love them. You bounce along quite happily and when you get tired the curved sole helps your foot roll to your toe to push off for the next step. These things will take on literally any surface. Great grip but also can take road/path sections without feeling too hard underfoot. I've run through 6 inch mud trails, snow, torrential rain, rocks, roots, stones. All made short work of by these size 10 pieces of heaven.
They are not cheap. At £140 GBP a pair, they are on the pricey side. But sweet Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey, they are worth it.
Size up
Losing toenails is a right of passage in ultra marathons. It shouldn't be. Much of this is down to shoes getting too tight when your feet start to swell up (and they will), and not having a roomy enough toe box on the shoe. If you have a wide foot, buy a wide fucking shoe. Trust me on this. It's a ball ache, but you will be grateful you did. You also should size up. At the very least half a size, if not a full size on your shoe. Your feet swelling will cause rubbing that can turn ugly after a while.
Look at lock lacing as well. This is where you tie your shoe laces in a fashion that locks your heel in place and stops your foot slipping forward (a particular problem on descents). This will spare your toenails and help your foot stay in the shoe. I've added a simple example in the pic, but look into it and test it out. A real simple lock lace is that you simply double your first over and under ties of the laces before you create the 'loop and swoop' for your bows.
Is heel drop a thing?
If you have any Achilles issue, then yes. The stated holy grail for healthy feet are Zero Drop shoes. The problem is you need to adjust over time to running in them. If you don't your body will soon fall apart and you'll welcome the wonder that is tendonitis rapidly into your reality. When you have lower leg issues like I do then a little heel lift helps take pressure away from the Achilles tendon. Some shoes can go as high as 10mm on their heel drop to toe, but I also wear orthotics which have a heel raise built into them of about 4mm. I've found that combined this is just about right for running with my issues. If the height is over 10mm total then you end up in high heel shoes and ultimately it puts strain on your knees and hips. Besides, I don't have the ankles for high heels.
Variety is the spice of life
My wife is less than impressed about our burgeoning shoe collection. Our garage is looking more like an untidy Foot Locker store. And yes most of these trainers are mine. You'll notice my challenge trainers (orange) are two pairs. One to hammer in training to get used to them and a nearly new fresh pair for the event. Just so they are as broken in but springy as they can be. The thing when you are heavy is that you will break the sole structure and stability down over time. Trainers need replacing when you are heavy about 200-300 miles. I've done way more than that in the last few months. I also have a treadmill pair, a dry trail pair and have tested others I couldn't get on with like the Nike Zoom Trail (luminous green) which are shit for trail, and the Brooks Cascadia which felt like running in concrete shoes. No. Hoka are the go to footwear of choice for me.
Inserts / insoles
If you're going to take something like a 100k ultra run on then get your feet and gait looked at by a pro. The ONLY thing that has really helped has been custom orthotics to help correct the structural problems with my feet and ankles, combined with the strengthening work. You might not notice problems over 10 or even 20k, but go over 40 and your problems will let you know loud and fucking clear that you should have dealt with them.
Christ they are expensive, but they are worth it when I consider the pain I used to be in every time i ran.
This is one of my orthotics. I forget they are even there given how well made they are and how thin. They simply slot into any shoe I have on top of the insole and fix the problem.
The final part of the puzzle is socks... Socks
Like shoes, they come in all price ranges and types. I've had a few but I swear by the Innov8 racelite Elite Pro, and/or Hilly trail running socks. Both breathe beautifully and really do help with anti blistering. Get a few pairs as you really need a sock change every 25km to avoid blisters getting too bad. Good socks are as important as good shoes in my opinion. Whatever you do do NOT wear cotton sports socks. You will pay a severe price in blisters after a little while. Merino wool or technical fabric technology is a must. Blisters can get nasty. I've had many and when the weather is warm they can get out of control and make your life miserable, and even end your challenge.
So that was my beginners guide to shoes. It gets expensive, but you will pay anything to take the pain away if you make the wrong choices. Invest in the right ones and make the time to try before you buy. It's well worth it. Proper running stores will give you great advice and often have a small incline and decline board to test how they are on your feet in different surfaces (e.g. hills). Definitely do this. Hope that helps....
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