MudTalon Speed

Another vote for inov8. I got the mudtalon speed wide after being disappointed by lone peaks and it was like they were made for my feet.

Mudtalon speed are less awful. I favour Altra King MT - not as aggressive as true fell shoes but not far off, I've done a few 2 day MMs in them.

Yeah, the speeds feel 'sloppy'. I have v wide feet and wear the wide version of the mudtalon. The wide version of the speed is wider still, to the point that my forefoot moves around. Saucony Peregrine might work for you. I find they size a bit small so even the largest size doesn't fit me.

I've had problems with the durability of the mk1 mudtalons (upper splitting away from the sole). The speed are sloppy feeling but seem to be more durable.

I've had problems with the durability of the mk1 mudtalons (upper splitting away from the sole). The speed are sloppy feeling but seem to be more durable.

I have narrower feet so your miles may vary, but while I feel them snug, I've not had issues with them. They come into their own when contouring and running on tussocks (compared to those shitty Inov-8 mudtalons for instance). I will be using the XTRMs for my Bob attempt next year. They are my go-to shoe for anything long in the Lakes.

They have brought the mudclaw and 212 back this winter (though not sure what rubber they are using and whether they are being made in the new factory - if so, they'll probs fall apart). When I was referring to the mudtalons I meant the speed sorry. Had no interest in the non-speeds as they were far to high. Speeds slightly better on that front but they just don't contour well at all, instead just rolling around on your feet. They're sadly a trail shoe that's good in mud, not a fell shoe. Dreadful shame given they were supposed to replace the 212s and Mudclaw. OMM's new fell shoe looks interesting. Not posted online much yet but they had pairs at the event centre last weekend.

They still don’t feel like a fell shoe to me though as the mudtalons cannot contour to save their life. Just so rolly! Their supposed fell shoe is just a trail shoe with big lugs.

They were great, then they took the strategic decision to make rubbish shoes that fell apart. The further they have strayed from their fell roots, the worse they have gotten. The only decent true fell shoes they currently sell are limited edition versions of their old ones - the mud talons are a trail shoe that’s good in mud. Forced in the fells, destroyed in Surrey these days.

Worth noting that G270s are very passive lug-wise for inov-8, have stopped being made, and inov-8 have gone massively downhill in the past few years, including but not limited to using a new factory with massive QC issues and replacing the excellent mudclaw with the mudtalon, which falls apart and much worse on rough terrain. The classic mud shoe of theirs was the mudclaw, which is coming back for sale this winter, however it is being made by their new shitty factory, so it remains to be seen if they will survive a week of running.

Sadly they took the strategic decision to ignore their roots and stop making good fell shoes. Their shoes are wider than they used to, joining the wide shoe fad, but with a tonne of slop in the midfoot. The mudtalons are horrid when contouring, running over tussocks, etc, things they used to excel at.

Just for statistics: I still really like them. After the updates to all the product lines they fit my feet even better. Luck of the draw I guess. First used the Trailtalon 235 in 2019 followed by two pairs of the Trailfly G270 V1 and a Trailfly G300Max. So I never wore the fell running models of the glory days everyone seems to miss so much. Now using Mudtalon Speed, Trailfly Speed and Max Models. They fit loose in the heel which you can counter with adjusted lacing. All of them are extremely durable with good grip. I also like the wider toe box. The look is quite dated and uninspiring though.

Some shoes to consider for muddy uk hills: Ronhill Reverence - great value. Big Michelin lugs, matryx upper and last for ages. More cushioning than you’d think too. Vj maxx 2 or vj irock wide - if you want the grippiest rubber vj is the best. Maxx 2 more of a trail shoe (similar to Hoka tecton). Irock better for wet rock and off road. Merrell long sky 2 could be worth a try too. Decent lug pattern and foam. I run in inov8,mudtalon speeds from my house to the park and the insole/midsole combo is surprisingly okay on the roads and excellent once I get to the mud! Not tried but maybe worth looking into La sportive prodigio pro too. Agree with above comments US brands that talk about being grippy are most often useless in the mud over here! They normally mean grip for dry rocky trails 🤷‍♂️