Discussion: Rogaine Shoe Recommendations

Didn't see a current thread on this.

Last time I did a 24 hour I used RocLite 315's but that was 3 years ago. I just did a 12 hour in the OROC 340's but that was about as long as I could go in those.

Any recommendations for current shoe models for a 24 hour?

Salomon XT Wings or 3D Pros.

I use Salomon XA Pros too.

Oops, yeah XA 3D Pros or something. I get confused with all the shoe names. I use the Wings more for orienteering (not a good orienteering shoe) and running.

I've done a 24hr in Oroc 340's. Thought they were pretty good for it, but might depend on how hard the ground is. Always found Salomon XT Wings really comfy for rogaine/AR. Haven't worn any other Salomons.

Second/third/sixteenth Salomon XA 3D Pro (any version, tried most of them). The only shoe that doesn't give me blisters, even when most of the rogaine course is underwater.

Just checked... The latest version is called the Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 (phew!) They've been around for over a decade with enhancements along the way. They're designed as a hike/run shoe so I don't use them for pure trail running but they're my choice for rogaining and adventure racing. Tough with good foot protection over 24 hours of bushwhacking and trail running.

Second Tundra/Desert, Salomon shoes, use them for 10+ years now.

I plan on buying the Salomon FellRaisers! I like that they're a bit 'flatter' (have less drop) than some of the other aggressive Salomon shoes...but I can't really give a review at this point. I will try to orienteer in them this spring as a test run, then buy a fresh pair a month before WRC if I can.

+1 for Salomon XA Pro 3D in any incarnation or year. The only shoe that I can buy and go do a 24 hour run the next morning with no issues.

Aren't all these salomons a bit too heavy to carry around for 24hrs? (inov-8 trail , off-trail)

It's heavy, or blisters. Dealing with blisters consumes time on the course.

I like Inov8s for trail running & O, but find most models - XTalon, TrailRoc & Roclite don't give me enough underfoot protection so the bottoms of my feet get pretty beat up in long events. No blister issues at all probably because they drain/breathe well. ORoc 340s have worked well for me in 24 hour events, providing the protection from below, but I wish they offered it in a non-spiked version. And they don't offer much cushioning so my feet do get pretty achy in the waning hours of a rogaine.

Aren't all these salomons a bit too heavy to carry around for 24hrs?

It's okay; they're on your feet so you don't have to carry them.

X-Talon 212s or VJ iRocks are good. The VJ's have a little bit more padding and stiffness compared to the X-Talon. Lightweight and very rare to get blisters or any sort.

Yes, I would urge all of our competition to please wear X-Talons at the WRC. Better yet, Integrators. Even better, go barefoot! (Not that I haven't worn O-shoes at a rogaine myself. Or gone barefoot.)

I had a pair of GoLite SunDragons (now discontinued) that I liked a whole lot for this sort of thing, but I wore them out. I've since picked up another pair of GoLites that aren't quite as good, but got them specifically for rogaines and I expect they'll work out fine. For me, at least.

Hoka's

@Joe...Uhmmm not :)

yeah, @Joe... really???

I reckon the Hokas would be pretty comfy and durable, but I wouldn't trust my ankles in them.

Most of my 'feet' issues in rogaines come from wearing active-ankle braces for 24hrs straight.

@Tundra/Desert
"Yes, I would urge all of our competition to please wear X-Talons at the WRC"
Are you saying that the terrain is very hard underfoot or that there will be a lot of road/track running?

I believe it would improve T/D's chances of winning if everyone else wore crap shoes.

Maybe he should have suggested Manolo Blahniks.

Knowing the price point, I wouldn't do that.

After going through a series of Saloman, Hardrocks, and just about anything I could afford, ended up with blisters every time. Until I tried Keen mid hikers, which I have been using for two years now, with no significant blistering. They are pretty inexpensive online (about half of what you pay in the big box retail store that i Really Enjoy Immensely but will remain nameless). My impression from all of this is that shoe choice is highly personal, what works for one person may not work at all for another. Two important things to consider on my choice:
First: Keen's run a half size small, so wearing a size 9 shoe normally (US), I use a 10 1/2 - one size large to accommodate heavy sock and foot size increase on long events, and an additional half size to account for the undersizing that Keen does.
Second: My wife pointed out that I now own more pairs of shoes than she does, thanks to all the Salomon, Hardrocks, etc. that line the closet.

When I compare my collection of shoes to other women I am often told (rather disgracefully) that "Exercise shoes don't count". Apparently sandals, slops, slippers etc also don't count. I believe the exclusion is on the basis of 'specific purpose' like exercise shoes for exercising, slippers to keep your feet warm, ugg boots in summer to show your 'bogan roots' etc. As such one can argue on that basis that one has no shoes at all!

Heck, I count ice skates and ski boots!

How about skis?

Skis are not shoes as per the aforementioned definition of "specific purpose".

High heels have the specific purpose of destroying your ankles and calves so they shouldn't count either.

You are correct in that high heels don't count as shoes, however their specific purpose can range from work shoes, to warpath heels and the most advanced of our weaponry: CFM boots/heels. (A good idea to learn to recognise these) Don't doubt for a second that if we come across some heels, no matter how many we have (some still never worn and in boxes) we cannot resist buying more because we "just don't have any shoes to wear". It doesn't matter if the heels we buy are so painful that we need an epidural administered to wear them for an extended period of time or that they are the price of a full carbon fibre bike (that's what credit cards were invented for). They are not shoes therefore normal logic to do with pain and finances do not apply.

I count ski boots, but not skis, also the boots that I wear with snowshoes, but not the snowshoes themselves. Basically, if it's got a foot-shaped space in it, and it's designed to interface with the world (so socks don't count), then it's a shoe. Swim fins would count if I had any. I should count how many pairs I have.

Reading your post it seems you don't have any.

Jjcote: you need to go out and buy some shoes. :)

Hmmmm, how do you classify those ?

Gross. Look at those toes!

Are there non-gross toes?

Yep. Hobbit toes are cute.

I took a look around the house and counted footwear. Omitting shoes that are not mine (quite a few of those), I came up with 62 pairs, from running shoes to boots to orienteering, cycling, rock climbing, ski, kayaking, dress shoes, sandals, etc. etc., but omitting one pair of fully destroyed cycling shoes that are on their way to the trash can. (I undoubtedly missed a pair or two somewhere.) The majority of those get used, though a few pairs are at the point where I ought to toss them. No Blahniks.

Thanks for the feedback. Haven't heard the term CFM in a few years. If all the other competitors at WRC wore CFM's, I'd have a shot at winning....

@fletch: Ditto on the Active Ankles, but the longest I've worn them so far is 12 hours.

I'm a bit wary of Salomons. First and last pair was 7 years ago. Took almost 2 years to get rid of the plantar fasciitis that developed. I don't know if it was a problem waiting to happen or if the shoes contributed. Anyone else with a similar experience?

No. Hoka's for distance. I need to count my shoes.

I got PF several years ago from a pair of O shoes that were too narrow (I have extra wide feet), so beware of ill-fitting shoes, especially as you get older.

I've been able to stave off PF by using a heel pad...

Since I switched to a standing desk at work, with a nubbly pad to stand on, my occasional PF bouts have disappeared. I also roll my feet on a tennis ball while eating lunch sitting.

I've had super success with my Adidas adiZero XTs on a 50mi hike (in a day), 50k trail run, and 24 hour rogaine. They don't make that model any longer though. Grr.

I think the keys for me have been: ample toe box and narrow fit behind that to keep my foot in place (fit!!), and double-layer socks (micro movement without rub).

I've worn Active Ankle braces for several 24 hr rogaines. For me the biggest issue with them was the plastic side braces and velcro straps rubbing on my lower leg. To get around that, I cut the feet off a pair of socks and wear them over my primary sock. The second pair provides extra protection for my lower leg where the braces can tend to rub. I haven't had any more problems since adopting that approach.

For shoes I like Salomons.

I moved the strap higher on my Active Ankle, and it stopped blistering me. I've since switched to the PUSH brace - the larger PSB model at the link below. I've never used an ankle brace for longer than a 5-hour run though - too worried about blisters. For longer runs, I use Leukotape and prayer. :)
http://www.pushstore.co.uk/listproducts-A0001/Ankl...

To protect from the active ankles rubbing, i tape with layer of hypafix and then leukotape on top. Stirrup wrap under heel to protect the sides, and a wrap around behind heel to protect the heel. The tape also provides some extra support.

I don't get blister/rubbing issues with the active ankles. I get swelling and extreme tenderness (pain with any skin contact) over the lateral ankle ligaments. Sometimes it is several weeks before I can actually wear the braces oain free again (as in put them on and try to move, let alone run)

Just to throw in another shoe besides all the Salomons: La Sportiva Helios.
Maybe not suitable for the most technical or muddy terrain, but good enough for woods and paths.
+good bit lighter than the Salomons
+more breathable
+just 4mm differential between heel and toes, but still good cushioning
+no blistering so far in 24h Rogaine, 100km hike, 10h night rogaine and a number of long training runs
-they run small, so make sure you take a size bigger than you normally do

The only mod I made was to change the insole for a thinner inov8 insole to have a little more room for my toes, when feet swell in the latter stages of a race.

I also have the Adizero XT4, but their sole is a bit stiff and doesn't "roll" as well on smoother trails. The fit is similar

For several years I used orienteering shoes for rogaines, and they were on the whole pretty satisfactory. Then there came along the Little Rincon Rogaine put on by the Tucson Orienteering Club in a small but beautiful mountain range with lots of steep rock and boulders. Good traction on these boulders, and on the downhill sections quite fun jumping from one large boulder to another--for about 6 hours of the race, at which point the sole of one shoe peeled off from the rest of the shoe. On a prior trip to Arizona for another rogaine, we had experienced considerable annoyance from grass awns, so fortunately we had most of a roll of duct tape along with us, intended for lower leg/foot protection if necessary, so fortunately there was something around to quasi re-attach the sole to the shoes (the second shoe lost its sole about an hour later) every 30 or 40 minutes. After getting no willingness from the vendor to send the almost new shoes back to VJ with a complaint about defective quality (they had a total use of about 4 hours over the two days of a two-day A-meet prior to this experience), I decided to give up on O-shoes in general, and since then I have used more general purpose running or trail running shoes for both O-meets and rogaines. I mostly use Asics, Brooks, or Mizuno shoes since they seem to have somewhat wider (though not really wide enough) toe boxes but still a relatively narrow heel. They don't make a great fit to my feet, which seem to be a bit atypical in shape, but they do better than other brands I have tried on. In general, I've only rarely had blisters during a rogaine pretty much regardless of what shoes I wear. It may be that my inability to sustain anything more than a walking pace over the time scale of a rogaine puts less demands on the footwear than is the case for someone who actually runs most of the 24 hours.

Nothing will shut you down sooner in a 24-hour Rogaine than sore feet!

Last July at the WRC in Russia I used a brand new pair of Altra Lone Peak 1.5 trail running shoes. (I also have a pair of their lighter Provisioness shoes that I wear for every day.) These are zero drop shoes with a very wide toe box. Zero drop means that there is no heel rise - the heel and forefoot are the same distance from the ground for less impact and more stability. The toes are not pushed against each other or pinched against the top of the shoe.

These were the most comfortable shoes that I have ever worn in a Rogaine - no hot spots, no blisters, no heel rub.

I had trouble with a vendor too, El, wouldn't do anything about my Porsche. It just wasn't strong enough to pull the plough.