Mudtalon

Inov8 Mudtalon. Check my review https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2025/12/inov8-mudtalon-v2-review-mud-digger.html

Of the trail shoes I've used Innov8 has the most aggressive tread. In fact I stopped using my G270s for "normal' running and save them for winter mud/snow runs.

Where I live, cold mud and slush are fairly standard conditions for several months of the year. It's no fun, but you do get used to it. Shoes: look for something with long, widely spaced lugs. Think soccer cleat. These shoes are good in mid because they dig into soft ground, but more importantly, they are better at releasing mud from between the lugs to help avoid that annoying mud-slab-on-shoe situation. That said, if your area has a lot of clay soil, there may be no avoiding the shoe slabs completely. Here are a few examples of good outsoles for mud and soft ground: https://www.inov8.com/ca/mudtalon-v2-mens?colours=3813 https://www.salomon.com/en-ca/product/speedcross-6-lg9212/L47980500 https://www.lasportivausa.com/cyklon-cross-gtx.html I would stay away from Gore-tex shoes unless it's also quite cold. It's generally better to have shoes that drain well, and just prepare for your feet to get wet, than it is to have a shoe that will hold all your foot moisture in there like you're marinating a chicken. The exception would be slushy snow or cold mud near freezing. These kinds of conditions could actually warrant a waterproof shoe, as long as you can be reasonably certain that water isn't going to come in the top. A built-in gaiter is nice for this, but those kinds of shoes tend to be very expensive. Your feet will be wet either way, whether from water or sweat, so you need to learn and practice foot care and blister prevention. Wear good socks - for most people this means merino wool. I personally like to slather my feet in zinc oxide cream if I know I'm going to be out for hours with wet feet. Everyone's feet are different, so try a few things and see what works. Run *through* the puddles, not around them. Running around them causes trail braiding and damage. Embrace the wet. Lastly, there may be areas near you that are just too wet or too susceptible to trail damage and you may just be best off avoiding them for the winter. This is pretty locally specific, it's not as simple as saying "don't ever run on muddy trails", so ask around.

Unfortunately your two surfaces (mud, and wet rock) require polar opposites in terms of outsole design. I'm going to copy/paste from one of my previous comments on a similar thread: >Shoes with good traction on soft ground or mud will have deep, widely spaced lugs. The rubber compound itself is not of too much importance on soft ground. See Salomon Speedcross, inov-8 Mudtalon. >Shoes with good traction on hard packed trails, paths, dirt and grass tend to have shallow lugs more closely spaced together. See inov-8 Parkclaw. These outsoles may be made of higher durability rubber compounds. >Shoes with good traction on rock will have moderate to shallow lugs with lots of surface area. This is where rubber compound is important as some are grippier than others, however, the grippier the rubber is, the less durable it generally is (just like summer vs winter tires.) See La Sportiva Bushido. Also see this: https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/s/mwQBjhm9MF Think of a spectrum where a soccer cleat is at one end and an approach shoe or climbing shoe is at the other. With the soccer cleat, you're digging into the ground to get traction on a soft surface. With the climbing shoe, you're relying on a maximal surface area and grippy material to get traction on a smooth surface. You might need to decide which one you want to prioritize. If the mud isn't very "sticky" (clay, for example, is very sticky and clumpy) then you can get away with a variety of shoes. Oftentimes the rocky areas may be more exposed or dangerous, so it might be worth prioritizing something that grips well on rock. Look for something with a very grippy outsole material. Megagrip , La Sportiva's rubber compounds, some of inov-8's stuff. It won't hurt you in the mud but will be necessary on rock.

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.

Would definitely look at Inov8 Imo they fit this kind of foot shape. They are also relatively minimal compared to most, even their max cushion models are not particularly high stack by today's standards. They have a zero drop version of most models also. If you have a narrow heel I'd go 'precision fit', they still have decent toebox, and good ground feel imo. Depending on terrain - trailfly are good on hardpack and low-medium technical trails, trail talons are the all rounder for varied terrain and softer surfaces, and mud talons are for mud and highly technical terrain.