Salomon - S/Lab Genesis

Best shoe for mixed UK terrain in terms of grip is the La Sportiva Mutant in my opinion. Sticks to wet Lake District rock and is decently lugged. Would be perfect for the ultra. Of the ones you mention, I’ve raced the Thundercross and the Genesis and got on fine. The sense ride would be less grippy than those 2 although a great shoe in itself. What didn’t she like about these? I’ve not ran in it but apparently one of the best shoes for UK out there at the moment is the new Inov8 Trailtalon. Looks great.

For what it’s worth I have a pair of Salomon Genesis that I got the Key Cobbler in Keswick to resole with Vibram Litebase. Specifically used them for Lakes Sky Ultra at the weekend. Super technical/steep and wet race and they were brilliant.

If you like Salomon shoes and their relatively narrow fit, I’d give the Genesis (regular or S/LAB) a try.

Sadly, soft collars just don’t work for me. I really wanted to like the S/Lab Genesis, but I had to drop them. The ankle collar just doesn’t work for me my malleoli are extremely sensitive, and any contact causes irritation, even with socks on . Great shoe otherwise, but definitely not compatible with my anatomy.

I have the same problem as you and the shoes that block my heel best are the NNormal Kjerag and various Salomon models such as the Genesis

They are good everywhere except wet rocks on technical trails

With the Norwegian climate, for example, I would never have thought you’d get along well with Salomons, since their outsole doesn’t perform well on wet rocks. I also have the Genesis, and if you’re looking for a precise fit, you could consider the Kjerag 2 even though you’re a bit heavy, if your limit is around 40 km, they might work fine. The Tomir are less agile, and I’ve never really gotten along with them. Then again, it depends on the terrain you use them on I do sky races, so I prioritize precision and grip over comfort.

FYI: I’m a very wide boy, but the Salomon Speedcross and Genesis both fit very comfortably. None of their other shoes do, but those are both great shoes you might want to try. Hoka also has nice wide options across their lineup. If it‘s grip you want, I find the Speedgoat is second only to VJ Shoes - but VJ run narrow.

both the vanilla and slab genesis are good shoes but very different from the speedcross - one won't necessarily translate to the other. But worth a try.

Yeah I’ve been through 2 pairs and they only have about 100-200 good rocky US northeast running miles in them. I'm chonky for a trail runner though (190lb). The wet rock grip is atrocious anyway so I’ve moved on, however they are the still the comfiest shoe I’ve worn so it’s a shame about the outsole. Have a look at the Genesis for a more modern outsole.

I would second the Salomon or s/lab genesis. Wasn’t crazy about SG 6. Mafate speed 4 lite is good if you want a soft ride. Mount to Coast T1 is solid. People love prodigio pro (sadly didn’t work for my feet and felt a little bulky). Norda 001a also a strong option. Speedland GL:PDX if you want more bite. Haven’t tried it out yet but Kjerag 2 looks promising as well (Brut if you want more traction and less cushion)

Trail version of the brand you already like. But if that doesn't work, Salomons are usually a good bet if they fit. Ultra Glide, Sense Ride, or Genesis are all sort of all-rounders that for me feel close to road shoes.

Salomon Genesis has been my go to all around shoe. Just killed my first pair at 370 miles with 161K Vert. Outsole and upper are still good shape, but I collapsed the midsole with heel striking and pronation.

This might be a fit thing. I tried the AP5s and found myself having very bad medial foot pain very soon into my run. Switched to the Salomon Genesis, and have not had it happen since. My podiatrist linked the pain to overpronation, and it was telling that I only had it with the AP5s, not with the SG5s I had before or the Genesis I have now.

1- Hoka Tecton X3 Amorti légendaire, sensation de rebond sur le plat, stable, accroche tres bonne, gaitre trop pratique dans les terrains pleins de graviers. 2-Salomon S/lab Genesis: la chaussure de trail la plus polyvalente, ça fait 3 ans qu'elle est sortie et au départ de tous les trails de 40k + la moitié des coureurs la porte, légère, accroche, tient bien dans le temps, très comfortable. 3-Salomon Ultra glide 3: des chaussons avec des crampons.

Probably overkill for what you’re doing, but should still serve you well. I’ve got hundreds of miles in both the S/Lab and regular version. The regular Genesis outsole is considerably more durable, but that durability comes at the cost of weight. S/Lab size 10 US is 266g vs Regular Genesis size 10 US 303g

Yeah I’ve been through 2 pairs and they only have about 100-200 good rocky US northeast running miles in them. I'm chonky for a trail runner though (190lb). The wet rock grip is atrocious anyway so I’ve moved on, however they are the still the comfiest shoe I’ve worn so it’s a shame about the outsole. Have a look at the Genesis for a more modern outsole.

With the Norwegian climate, for example, I would never have thought you’d get along well with Salomons, since their outsole doesn’t perform well on wet rocks. I also have the Genesis, and if you’re looking for a precise fit, you could consider the Kjerag 2 even though you’re a bit heavy, if your limit is around 40 km, they might work fine. The Tomir are less agile, and I’ve never really gotten along with them. Then again, it depends on the terrain you use them on I do sky races, so I prioritize precision and grip over comfort.

As always it’s very personal depending on how well the shoe fits my feet and the terrain I’m running in (technical mountains, mud, rocky). I like sky running races around 20-30k and VK’s. Sometimes short road races from 5k to Half Marathon. Current rotation: - Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx. Great allrounder. - VJ Ultra 3. Cushion. Great for easy and long runs. - NNormal Kjerag Brut (mud) - Salomon Aero Glide 3 (road and treadmill) Recently retired shoes: - Nnormal Kjerag 1. Fast but too small lugs to have good grip in mud/loose debris. Too little cushion for me. Kjerag 2 has more cushion but same outsole. - Nnormal Tomir 2. Great allrounder but didn’t fit my feet (too little big toe space). A bit heavy when wet because the insole keeps a lot of water. - Salomon S/lab Genesis. Great allrounder but worse grip on wet rocks than Vibram Megagrip and VJ. - VJ Maxx 2. Really good allrounder. But didn’t fit my feet (too little big toe space). Shoes I’m considering next: - La Sportiva Prodigio Pro - Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx - Merrell Skyfire 2 Matryx

The norvan ld3 were great all rounder shoes. Haven't tried the ld 4 and don't know if I will know that I don't have my pro discount anymore. The Genenis are tried and tested shoes that work great in a variety of conditions. The Matryx upper is an upgrade over the Arcteryx's upper. I would personally go for the Genesis.

Look at Solomon Genesis. I was wanting the same thing and these are perfect in between. I think you will be disappointed in approach shoes with the type of terrain you do.

I think a lot would depend on the terrain. I've used the S/Lab Genesis and mostly liked it, but at the end of my last 100k, over very rocky terrain, my feet got really beaten up, and I think I would have preferred something plated like the Hoka Tecton X3, which I love (and have used as my one travel shoe for roads and trails). If that's not a concern, what about either the Norda 001 or 005?

I bought the s lab genesis recently after getting back into trail running after some years of not running. I used to love Solomon shoes of the past. Ran through so many pairs of all models of sense pros. I hate the S lab genesis. To me they feel unremarkable, clunky, and super long. They are sloppy on the downhill and side slopes. Less than 100 miles in and on the hunt for something else.

You just described the S/lab genesis. Its a bit higher than 30mm in the heel but that difference is negligible since you still retain enough ground feel with that one. It is quite roomy in the forefoot, has a 8mm drop, grips on everything, has a rock plate and is also a pretty durable shoe.