Mutant Series

I like Topo a lot in general, but for off-trail I have a preference for the Bushido III Wide which is much more enjoyable than any other Sportiva shoe. I wear the same size in them as Topo and they fit toes better than my upsized Mutants and Akashas did.

Ive used trail runners for years now. I will, just to clarify add that I do have a lot of mountain running experience also. That gives ankle strength and experience in lightweight footwear on rough ground. But heres my thoughts I actually struggle to walk in boots. My ankle moves like an ankle should. Even lightweight boots make me stumble about like some special case. On my ML assessment I wore some boots a customer broke an eyelet off of in the shop I was working at. I had to unlace them around the ankle. The assessor noted I was moving better. On top of that, knee deep bogs, river crossings, torrential rain. None of it is an issue. Walk through it all and in no time, minutes even, the water is out and you forget your feet are wet. Gore tex holds the water in the boot. Gives a horrid sloshy cold feeling. River crossings in Scotland, no messing about with wet boots or taking boots on and off all the time to wade. I use poles a lot. With boots you can kind of switch off and walk with ankle support. With trail runners you have to watch the ground more. Poles have allowed me to catch myself if I do turn an ankle, catching myself on my other foot is kind of instinctual now. Just the weight saving on your feet is a bloody good reason to skip boots. Thicker socks in winter and you'll be suprised how warm your feet will stay. Darn Tough are ace socks. I've used runners year round. Be aware that some running shoes have large areas of lamination or leather. That will hold water in. Compare something like the upper of a La Sportiva Mutant compared to a Hoka Speedgoat. The Mutant will drain instantly compared to a speedgoat. Comments relating to waterproof socks. Dexshell are the best it seems and very highly regarded by the Winter Spine racers, but keep your toenails clipped right back. After a week of solid use, they're done. If water goes over the top of the sock, you're back to square one. Wet feet and water trapped inside your sock. I have used them and loved them, also used them and felt like they were a pain in the arse. I generally use them in my approach shoes on mountain rock climbs and scrambles. Im currently hiking around the UK and using a pair of La Sportiva Akasha's. Great shoes, not the stickiest rubber in spotivas line up but not the hardest. Steer clear of Scott runners. Unless they changed their rubber compound because my Supertrac RC II's were phenomenal in the dry. Up there with my approach shoes. But in the wet, the became the superdeaths

I’m surprised at the Zegama not performing - they have Vibram Megagrip on the outsole don’t they? Tends to work on wet rock. For scree you’d likely benefit from deeper lugs though. La Sportiva Mutant is probably your best shoe for wet Lakes in my experience. Generally the rubber that works on Lakes wet rock is VJ Butyl, La Sportiva Frixion White (the best I’ve personally tested) and Vibram Megagrip on various shoes. Edit: saw you ask about Salomon. Their Contagrip hasn’t been great at wet rock stuff traditionally but I know lots of people love the newer SLab Genesis. Lots of mountain runners wearing that particular shoe for big mountain races.

I’m surprised at the Zegama not performing - they have Vibram Megagrip on the outsole don’t they? Tends to work on wet rock. For scree you’d likely benefit from deeper lugs though. La Sportiva Mutant is probably your best shoe for wet Lakes in my experience. Generally the rubber that works on Lakes wet rock is VJ Butyl, La Sportiva Frixion White (the best I’ve personally tested) and Vibram Megagrip on various shoes. Edit: saw you ask about Salomon. Their Contagrip hasn’t been great at wet rock stuff traditionally but I know lots of people love the newer SLab Genesis. Lots of mountain runners wearing that particular shoe for big mountain races.

The Normal Kjerag Brut has a fantastic outsole for muddy and wet slopes but you should expect premature wear if you run on more abrasive surfaces. The La Sportiva Mutant are a good compromise but not as light as the Kjerag

I loved the Jackal 1 (haven’t tried the newer model but it looks great) and currently am in the Mutants for seriously rocky/bouldering/loose gravel and they’re like I have gecko feet on lol. I did have an issue with the Bushidos however; the middle of the sole doesn’t have any grip on the bottom, literally just a plastic plate with branding on it. I found myself slipping on rocks right jn that section of the sole which led to some of my biggest spills.