Using my ‘average’ running trainers on rough ground can be quite sharp on my feet. The option available is to go for a pair of Trail Shoes. These offer features that sports trainers, don’t. They can set you back, upwards of, £80, with £160 not being an abnormal price to pay. Recently, Steph found these. They are by a company called, Kricely. I will leave you to decide on how it is pronounced. At less than £45, these are worth a try and as of writing this, the florescent yellow ones are only £26.99! Opening up the plastic wrapping, they feel well made and have a reasonable amount of weight in them. The features are:
- Machine Washable
- Air Cushioning
- Wide Grip
- Bright Colours
- Beathable
You may notice that they are NOT water resistant like some more expensive ones, but if you are like me, you are used to getting soaking feet if you like to run over trails in woodland. It’s really not a dealbreaker. The wide grip allows for a great foothold on rough surfaces, with the shapes altering across the base of the sole. In general, these are great and are mostly loved by the reviews on Amazon. A couple have said that the Customer Service is lacking, but this was sorted, and another talks about feeling the grips through the sole at the front of your feet. Before I break it down, I have a theory about this, which I will come to, at the end of the post.
Concrete and Road:
This is where the grip is felt through the sole, but in general, they do well for walking in. Running is a little different, as they are not made for this surface. I do not think this is where they shine, but the reviewers and the company are very open about this. They do the job, when needed.
(Walking) Rough Ground and Snow:
They shine here. Over the course of trying them, at around 4.5km, I did not slip, once. This was slush, mud and snow! The showed how they hold to the ground and it made me look forward to trying out the run test, as soon as possible. I did feel quite confident and believe that running in the snow, was entirely possible, taking it steady, of course.
(Running) Track and Trail:
I’ve now manged to get them onto some rought ground and they are very good. There is no easy slipping, and my feet were dry, even though they are not claiming to be waterproof. I reckon that if these were going to let me down, it would have been at this point.
Think of these like a mix between football trainers, walking boots and running shoes. They are bright and are a breath of fresh air. For the price, they are great, but they do say that any size below a 9 (UK) are not too good. So if you have big feet, these are worth a try.
