Inov8 - Oroc Ultra 290

Consider Inov8 Oroc Ultras. They have spikes that will keep you on your feet as you cross icy wooden bridges, rocks and other slick spots before hitting snow uptop. Their toes are also not exaggerated so they should be fine for snow shoes assuming they don’t bang them up too much. They also work well in the Whites year round.

Imov-8 Trail Ultra 290. Things were nearly indestructible. Put 1200 trail miles on one pair. Bought a couple pairs as they were discontinuing and that was it...lost a pair out the very slightly rolled down back window of my old 4-Runner driving back from the Trans Rockies way back when.

Topo mtn racer has better grip. Inov8 has better grip also; Trailfly for hard trails and Mudfly for wet/mud.

Don’t know of any places that offer that kind of support but you could try inov8. They’re outsoles are supposed to be tough. The ones I’ve used fell apart before the sole showed any wear. They’re sizing isn’t very consistent though so worth trying in a shop if you can find them.

VJ or Inov8 both are wider and VJ has the best rubber on the market

You should give the Inov8 shoes a try. I remember the older Merrell Moab shoes to last pretty long for most people, though no idea on the quality of their current shoes. How much do you weigh?

I ran Lofoten for a few months in autumn/winter and i'm from the UK and Inov8 are probably the best call here for ground conditions, both very similar.

I’ve gotten great longevity out of Inov8 trail runners. 800-ish Appalachian Trail miles on a pair.

Yeah I’ve used both Altra and Inov8 on long distance hikes and Inov8s are far more durable. Altras will give you 500 miles *maybe*. My current pair of Inov8s have 700 miles on them and they’re still going. They also have the best sole material I’ve found for slippery mud and rocks.

Never needed support shoes when running trails. Road I use Gel-Kayanos or GT1000s. Off road I run in Inov8, model depends on terrain. I've had some Salomons but they went AWOL.

Too narrow for me. Gave me bunions

I just ordered Inov8, they have anatomic shaped toebox options and wide options, and also zero drop models. I love zero drop and I've been wearing it exclusively for year and a half, but for racing trail I think I might benefit from some drop. I think my calves might also love 6mm drop, but we'll see. Anyway, there are some great YT reviews for new Trailfly and Trailtalon, check it out. Also, I had a pair of Inov8 years ago and they were indestructible, which I cannot say for Altras. LP7 is better made than other pairs I own, though... Torin and Outroad uppers are so poorly made.. I still loveand wear them, but such a shame.

For flat feet, stay away from Topo - they have super high arch support that caused me major issues even with just low arches. I've been having good luck with Inov8 lately and have also heard really good things about Norda. Altra Experience Wilds were also nice. Hokas in a wide didn't work for me because they only widen the midfoot, but still have a pointy little toebox. Xodus Ultras were also a bit too narrow in the toebox for me for anything over 50k.

Inov8 Absolutely love their shoes. One of my pairs is 5 years old and is in desperate need of repair but somehow still get me round semi mudi trails.

Find a reputable gear store with lots of choice, get your shoes fitted and walk around the store, wear the socks you intend to hike in and make sure your feet are warm before you start. If you can borrow a pack off the shelf with some weight in it (if you don’t have your own) walk around the store and up/down steps if you can. Buy the ones that fit best at the price you can afford. If you have weak ankles boots might be better but training walks in shoes can make your ankles stronger. Better grip is more important that being waterproof. I bought a pair of Inov8 shoes off the back of many recomendations, they were the worst shoes ever (for me). I stick with what works for me - Merrell Moab.

You need to try them on. I tried Merrell, La Sportiva and inov8 when I bought some trail shoes recently. I thought I'd like the inov8 but the La Sportiva fitted better because they are available in half sizes. I have 2 pairs of scarpa boots and would endorse those too. go outdoors is good if you're near one.

I’ve had this with all my trail shoes. Altras, inov8 and Salomon. They’ve all split around the sides all within a year of owning.

I’ve been really impressed with the peregrines. Used them a fair bit over the lake and some steep rocky downhills and they’ve been fab. Far better than my previous pair of inov8s which I think had involvement from Torville and/or Dean in the design

Inov8 have become my favourites

I had a pair of Inov8s which were the best, again from around this time period. And then they changed everything but kept the names the same, my next pair tore my feet up - you can't win!

I started noticing this a couple years ago and planned accordingly. For me I have huge feet and it's hard to find good shoes. For those in my situation and like a low drop and low rise, look into Inov-8. I've only bought these shoes since early '23 and I hope they never change.

I’ve been wearing Inov-8s for 15+ years for trail and fell running and even moved to them for XC races when achilles injuries meant I could no longer wear spikes. Always done the job for me, reasonable value and regularly available with chunky discounts online.

Inov-8 has a bunch of models in a wide size now. Even the older models I use have a lot of room for my toes. Durability is fine I think, compared to what I read about Altras.

I'd say yes (not having used the latest models personally though). I find mine very comfortable.

I can also confirm the durability of Inov-8s!

Love the inov8 fit and grip - hate the lack of energy return. Feel like I've got bricks on my feet after 50 miles! Looking for an alternative, gonna be trying the Topo MTN racer for my next winter shoe

Always always always Inov-8 shoes. Still love my Nathan running vest for hydration for longer trail runs.

I got some ino8? I don't know how to spell them. They had a good toe box and heal support and before I destroyed them, I went back to the store to find they had been upgraded. I paid a lot for the upgrade to find they were awful. But if you find one you like buy several and use them on rotation

Altras or topos....stable, but not sure they are "affordable". Agreed with others, no such thing as ankle support, but stability for sure. I had a pair of Saucony that felt great, but were ankle sprainers beyond a doubt. Running in Topos and Inov-8s now.