Wanted: Wide-Footed Runner Seeks Low Profile Trail Shoe for Running Trip to Italy’s Dolomites

Are you a trail shoe? Designed for distance? If so, I have some more questions for you! I’m looking for a shoe with a heel height between 18-22mm and a drop between 4-6mm (heel to toe differential). Oh, and I need lots of space in the toe box, because I’ve got wide feet, and my toes don’t like getting squished.  You might laugh and say these things don’t matter, but if your stack is too high, I can’t feel the ground. And if you are a mid-foot runner like me, then a drop much greater than 6mm makes it difficult to touch down on your mid-foot without your heel making contact first. Oh, and weight. You don’t have to be the lightest shoe in the bunch, particularly if sturdiness is compromised, but the following adage remains true: a pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back.

The problem is this: My go-to trail shoes were the Salomon Sense Mantra 1 (and 2) (specs: 269g, 6mm drop, 21mm heel height). The Mantra was a true work horse, a Clydesdale, not the fastest or most nimble in the barn, but a super sturdy shoe for long runs. I love these shoes so much that I wore my 4 year old pair to run across Gran Canaria last year. And with an upcoming trip to the Italian Dolomites, I’m prepared to wear them again, if I can’t find a replacement. Of course, my biggest regret is that Salomon killed off the best long distance trail shoe for wide feet I’d ever run in. My second biggest regret is that I hadn’t bought 10 more pairs before the line was discontinued.

After asking around on a trail runner’s forum, recommendations began to pour in. So I ordered a bunch of shoes and began testing them out, looking for the perfect travel partner for my 6 day alpine run (and, yes, this process got stupid expensive).

 

Salomon Sense Pro 2

A near perfect all-round trail shoe – unless you have a wide foot like me (specs: 260g, 6mm drop, 23mm heel height).  I can run 2-3 hours in them, but then linear blisters form on the edge of the forefoot, where my feet pool over the foot bed of the shoe. On longer runs, I also tend to get chafing on the tops of my toes. Still, this is a swift shoe that handles most terrain well (not so hot in super muddy conditions). I’ll continue to wear these shoes, but I can’t count on them for a multi-day run, so they aren’t getting a free trip to Italy.

 

Scott Kinabalu Supertrac

Based on recommendations, I was super stoked to try these shoes, even though the specs fell beyond my preferred range (specs: 340g, 8mm drop, 29mm heel height). Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate a local shop that sold these, so I had to order online and have them shipped. On my first day, I did a 24 kilometre trail run with lots of rolling single-track. First off, they were heavy and not particularly responsive. The Kinabalu’s were also tighter around the mid-foot than I wanted and my toes were hitting the front on the downhills, giving me a black toe. With the higher stack, I couldn’t feel the ground well, and I actually stumbled a few times, because of it. The big lugs were bigger than I was used to and were kinda squishy underfoot (like I was running on gummy bears), but I could see how they’d work well in mud. I’ll keep these for the occasional muddy run, but they won’t make the trip to Italy.

 

Scott Supertrac RC

This was another shoe that came recommended for wide feet (specs: 250g, 5mm drop, 22mm heel height). The specs totally sounded perfect, and I was convinced they’d be the shoe that would accompany me to Italy. Unfortunately, these shoes didn’t even make it out of the front door, before I sent them back. My mid-foot was spilling over the footbed and bulging out of the sides. My toes were also uncomfortably pinched together.

Supertrac. Super frustrated. No flight to Italy for you!

 
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Inov-8 Trailtalon 250

The Trailtalon 250s appeared on my radar like a sign of great hope, an answer to all my trail shoe prayers (specs: 250g, 4mm drop, 17mm heel height). These are a fast shoe, light on the feet, with good lugs, and a comfortable fit right out of the box.  But they still weren’t really wide enough for my mid-foot, and my foot was bulging out the sides. Still, I wanted them to be the ones, even though the shoe didn’t seem very well re-enforced – a cause for concern running in rocky terrain like the Dolomites, where the shoe will likely scrape up against rock. I suspect after a running season the material around the forefoot could potentially blow out as they had on my road running Inov-8s.

On a 24 kilometre trail run (with some road in there), the shoe had great ground feel (proprioception). However, stepping on sharp rocks occasionally hurt, which made me nervous about taking them for a multi-day run in a place called the Dolomites where underfoot will be ALL ROCKS! And carry up to 8kg on my back, minimal padding underfoot could take its toll.  I also found my feet were sliding around and banging up against the front of the shoe on steep downhills, something I’ve never experienced with Salomons. And when I tried to lace up tighter, it put pressure on the top of my foot. My other gripe is that the heel counter is so soft that it easily gets crushed and malformed, when slipping the shoe on (again, this happened with my Inov-8 road shoes, so there is now an uncomfortable bulge against my heel). Oh, and I also got a blister on my heel after 24 kilometres. Having said that, the grip on the Trailtalon 250s inspires total confidence, perhaps even more than my Salomons.

Despite the downsides, the Trailtalon 250s are definitely keepers. I’m just not prepared to take them for a 6 day alpine run.

 

Salomon S-Lab Sense 6

A month ago, I went to the Salomon store in Toronto still looking for my Mantra replacements. I left empty-handed. Then a few weeks later, I happened to pass by the store and decided to go in again. Right away, the salesperson directed me to the S-Lab Sense 6 (specs: 220g, 4mm drop, 18mm heel height). When I slipped them on they were comfortable, and though my toes didn’t have enough room to splay, they weren’t squished, either. The salesperson informed me that the store policy was that I could try them out for a month, and if they didn’t work for me, I could bring them back and get my money back. Sold! Still, at $220, these shoes aren’t cheap.

Although the S-Lab Sense 6 have similar specs to the Trailtalon 250s, what’s clear is that these are more robustly built – top, sides, and bottom, so abrasions shouldn’t be an issue. My first impressions after a 40 minute off-road hill interval session was pretty much OMG. Light and fast, super comfortable, and I could feel the ground without sharp rocks hurting. Did I mention how insanely light these things are?!

My only concern left was with the thinner sole and whether I’d feel the ground TOO much, with a fully-loaded running pack for a 6 day outing. Much of my anxiety was allayed on my final test: a 5 hour trail run followed the next day by a 3.5 hour run in the woods. At times, I could feel my forefoot heat up from contact with the ground, but no blisters formed. On my second day, I was concerned that my feet would be fatigued or sensitive, but the shoes were super comfortable, and my feet felt fresh.

CONCLUSION: The Salomon S-Lab Sense 6 are my shoe of choice to run the Italian Dolomites. I’m already plotting to fill my closet with another 10 pairs, in case Salomon ever decides to discontinue the line.

Update August 6, 2018
Having returned from Italy’s Dolomiti region, I can say with confidence that the Salomon S-Lab Sense 6 are the best shoes I’ve ever run in. Super light on the feet, grippy, and yet superbly comfortable, even with an 8kg+ pack on my back and steep uphills and downhills. Only after 5 big trail days did I start getting a few hot spots on my heels, which were dealt with using New Skin, liquid bandage spray and moleskin cover. I can’t recommend these shoes enough, even for us wide-footed trail runners.