NVii are a Finnish brand and will be unknown to many outside orienteering and OCR racing circles. Born from a need for a lightweight shoe with exceptional grip to cope with the rigours of the Scandinavian countryside, they share similarities with other Nordic brands such as Icebug and VJ Sport. Outsoles with deep, football stud-like lugs, often accompanied with metal spikes (or dobs) are ideal for either the soft surfaces found on the forest floor or icy roads. This Scandinavian approach isn’t a million miles away from UK manufacturer Inov8’s X-Talon, Oroc or Mudclaw shoes- this is hardly sur ..read more

The Ultraventure is Topo Athletic’s most popular trail shoe and it’s easy to see why. The latest edition, the Ultraventure 2, sensibly doesn’t stray too far from its predecessor retaining many of the features that made it so desirable. The Ultraventure 2 remains an excellent choice as a no nonsense, everyday trail shoe capable of eating up the miles in comfort. There are some carefully considered improvements mainly to the upper and it loses a little weight dropping from 305g to 288g. We discussed the Topo Athletic trail range previously, in particular the subtle differences, that at times, m ..read more

Topo Athletic's Ultraventure Pro is a highly protective and exceptionally comfortable trail shoe built for tough conditions and demanding distances. The multipurpose outsole performs perfectly on nearly any terrain and the grippy Vibram outsole is confidence-inspiring on demanding surfaces like wet rock.  Although individually each of Topo Athletic's trail shoes are excellent there’s one problem- the range suffers from an identity crisis. At first glance many of the shoes look extremely similar and if the uninitiated were to pick a pair blindly off the rack, they would struggle to d ..read more

In the interests of transparency maximally cushioned trail shoes aren’t generally my thing- I find them too unstable on technical trails and pointlessly cushioned on softer ground. Nevertheless I do appreciate that many people who run longer distances on harder packed, well tended trails love them. However in these times of lockdown, government regulations are limiting where and how far we can run. As a result I’m spending less time up a mountain and more time on accessible man-made public trails; add to this some tired legs and feet from marathon training and a heavily cushioned shoe started ..read more

The Fujitrabuco gets a remix with a new lightweight version specifically designed for faster mountain running. In keeping with Asics’ recent output this is an exciting but niche shoe. The Gel Fujitrabuco 7 left us rather nonplussed when we reviewed it last year. It was a chunky and clunky, workaday trail shoe with nothing much to recommend it other than some decent durability. Nevertheless it remains a popular shoe at a reasonable price point for many starting out on off road running. However 2020 has seen a new dawn for ASICS with some excellent new shoes and updates of veterans. Thankfully ..read more

The original TerraUltra G260 showcased a blend of old school know-how and cutting edge materials and was one of the best and highest scoring trail shoes we’ve tested. In fact it’s hard to see how it could be bettered. Not content to back away from a challenge, Inov-8 set to work improving upon perfection. Like the Scott Supertrac 2.0 , this is an update that sagely retains everything that made its predecessor, the G260, so good, whilst making some small tweaks and improvements- an evolution rather than reinvention. Cosmetically Inov-8 have kept the signature green but toned things down wi ..read more

The Altra Timp 2.0 is a curate’s eggs of a shoe, the upper and foot hold are superb, providing you size up, but the performance is lacklustre on firm trails becoming diabolical on wet or muddy trails Altra Timp 2.0 Trail Shoe Review To date I’ve had mixed results with Altra. It’s not because I’m averse to the zero drop or hobbit shaped foot box, in fact both characteristics are greatly appealing with the Inov-8 Terra Ultra and Topo Athletic Terraventure being two heavy hitters in my rotation. The issue has been with Altra’s midsoles which can either be sublime- the Escalate Racer or ridicul ..read more

Raidlight Responsiv Ultra Trail Shoe Review Having until recently kept a relatively low profile in the UK, Raidlight shoes and gear are now becoming a more frequent and welcome sight on the UK trails and mountains. It’s a different story however in their native France where Raidlight have a 20 year history and sell in over 500 specialist shops. Their focus has always been on the design and manufacture of lightweight equipment for expedition racing- hence the origin of the name Raid Light. While their original focus was on equipment and clothing Raidlight have more recently been applying their ..read more

The Inov-8 X-talon 255 is capable of tackling the most demanding conditions, everything has been thoughtfully designed and expertly executed making this one of the best fell or trail shoes you can buy It’s an open secret that we loved the X-talon Ultra 260, in fact it is the standard by which we measure the grip of any new shoes we test. The X-talon range has a very aggressive outsole characterised by widely spaced, peg-like lugs. At 8mm the lugs aren’t quite as deep as the Inov-8 Mudclaw meaning the X-Talon is versatile enough for mixed terrain but most at home on soft ground. The X-Talon Ul ..read more

Inov-8 TrailRoc G280 Review Like Liam Neeson, Inov-8 possess “a very particular set of skills’’. Thankfully, Inov-8’s expertise lies in the more socially acceptable production of highly specialised off road shoes. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say their range includes an outsole to precisely match any surface- mud, rock or ice included. Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Scott , Ice Bug and VJ Sports, their claim to the have the ‘world’s toughest grip’ isn’t just an idle boast. Hailing from the fells of the Lake District, Inov-8 have been equipping runners to tackle the har ..read more