Salomon Women's Fellraiser W Trail Running Shoes - Lightweight, Waterproof & Durable for Hiking, Trail Running & Outdoor Adventures

I trail hike with my dogs daily. I normally wear This is the 3rd style of Salomon sneakers I've tried. I also own the XR missions and the Speedcross 3. I bought these to replace my missions (which I LOVED). They are a great, comfy shoe right out the box- I opened them and worked a full day in them no consequences.The trail support traction on the bottom is the same as the Speedcross series (something my missions lacked) and is extremely helpful in all terrain, sidewalk-trail. The toe box is not as large as the mission, which aesthetically looks more feminine - so says the better half. There is still, however, plenty of room in the toe box and there is no unnecessary pressure or toes falling asleep.I am a dog walker and during my average day at work I will walk 7-10miles. I spend a lot of time on my feet and actively moving through different terrains. These shoes stick you to the ground, even if the ground is wet. Typically the tread on a pair of Salomon's can last me four months. I also suffer from a number of joint problems and past injuries (15 years as a ballerina was not kind to the body). The standard insoles that come in the Salomon are great! They Have a good hard arch, and the overall construction of the show is tough which prevents my in-stepping. Before Salomons my shoes would all be worn the same way. I suffer less from knee pain and my hips lock up less- I tried a pair of $80 nikes a couple days and by day three my hips were stiff, I was wearing my knee brace and I was popping ibuprofens to bring down the swelling!I will say though with the trail feature of these shoes they are a bit heavier than the Missions. Still very breathable and the as always the design is fun and colorful. If you don't plan on doing any cross terrain activity and are looking for a great running shoe or work a job where you're on your feet all day and just need excellent support- I would recommend the XR missions. More lightweight and easier to carry around, they are still technically a "trail running shoe" but they don't have the intense cleat-like grips like the fellraiser.I recommend Salomon shoes to all my fellow dog walkers currently and have bought pairs of Salomon sneakers for my mom (who has 1 arthritic knee and one replaced knee), boyfriend (who had cracked knee cap in a bicycle accident) and will recommend them to anyone looking for a solid, we'll made shoe. Its just about finding your right pair.Fellraiser::Pro:Great grip for all terrainSmaller, sleeker toe boxSupportCon:On the heavier sideLaces are very longThe tongue doesn't stay in place and pinchesKit reviewsSalomon FellraiserRRP: £85.00, Price: £60.95 from AmazonPurpose:I intend to use the Fellraiser's for trail running, Bootcamp style training, and if I get myself in good enough shape, ToughMudder and/or a Spartan Race.Initial impressions:They look awesome, a nice red and black colour way, well made, light, low profile with a Quicklace system that I prefer and impressive grip on the sole.Fit:I ordered my normal shoe size of UK5/EU38. I have neither wider nor narrower feet than average and these trainers fit like a glove. I suspect that if you have wider feet you would need to size up as they are snug.After putting the shoes on, they felt quite tight. I wear Hill's Twin Skin anklet socks, which I highly recommend for eliminating blisters caused by rubbing. They are thicker than average socks so I expected a snug fit with the Fellraiser. After adjusting the laces and walking around a bit the shoes moulded to my feet comfortably.I really like the lace system, I use Lock Laces on my other trainers as I get annoyed at having to adjust laces that are loosening while running or working out. Laces such as these are also faster to put on or remove during a Triathlon.The insole of the shoe is nicely cushioned and thanks to the Sensifit system these shoes are a pleasure to wear.There is plenty of room in the toe box and so far there is minimal slipping in the heel. I am confident that after a bit more lace adjustment any slipping will be remedied.Performance:So far so good. I took the shoes for a quick test run with my Mum's dogs on a rain sodden playing field. The conditions were pretty slick and muddy under the wet grass.The Fellraiser's grip extremely well, especially when changing directions quickly.The sole packed with dirt but at this stage the lugs performed well and one bang on wall when I got home released the mud.The next test will be a trail run in Rendlesham forest. The conditions will vary from packed mud, deep mud puddles, sand, fallen leaves, exposed routes, and stones.I bought these more as a pair of lighter-weight walking shoes as I'm not much of a runner. They are WONDERFUL for tough muddy hill walks, by far the best treads on any shoes I've had before. Just been on a walk in them up a slippy hill in north Yorkshire and no slip ups occurred (amazing for me!) so although I've had them a few months I feel suddenly inspired to review!They are very comfortable, and easy to slip on and off thanks to the drawstring laces. Also, being light weight they are nice for longer excursions or hot weather. Also easy to clean off (I've even put them in the washer... )I can tell they're be ideal if you do fell-running as they give you such good grip going down hill, I feel very sure-footed wearing these. Buy them!!!These were the first off-road trainers I bought, so while I can't compare them to anything else on the market, I can say that when they wear out I will quite happily buy another pair.Here are a few of my thoughts on the most important aspects I considered when I was buying them:Size: I ordered one size larger than my normal shoe size, as I do with all my running shoes. I know other people have found these too narrow, and I would have to agree, they are indeed narrower than my other trainers. In fact, when I first tried them on I thought they were definitely too small, very uncomfortable, and would give me horrendous blisters. However, as they were a good size length-wise and I desperately needed them I kept them anyway, and after many, many runs (about six miles each) they have actually been amazingly comfortable! I would say I have got quite narrow feet though, so if you have wide feet I might choose something else.Grip: I bought them for running on muddy farm tracks through the winter, and for this they have been perfect, no more slipping and sliding! I end up carrying a lot of mud on the soles, but it doesn't impair the traction so I don't care, and it all falls off within seconds once it's dried. I don't know what they'd be like for anything more extreme, it's my impression that the grip on slick stone is no better than average.Road running: Part of my regular route is on roads and pavements, and they have been fine for that too, not uncomfortable or inconvenient at all.Quick drying: They claim to be! I don't think they dry all that fast after a run, but quicker than regular trainers as there is no padding to get soaked. However, while I'm running my feet don't FEEL so wet, for my other trainers one puddle or some dewy grass leaves them squelching for the rest of the run, but that feeling lasts literally moments in these.Over-pronation: These trainers don't advertise as being for over-pronators, but it was something I was concerned about when I chose them, especially given I was going to be running on roads in them too. I swapped out the insoles for some more supportive ones, and despite them being a tight fit in the first place it's worked fine.I bought these fir trail running. First time I've bought Salmon. They are narrow but I manage fine just buying 1/2 size bigger. I took them straight out onto a 5k muddy hills and trail run and they handle the terrain really well. They feel quite chunky & heavy so I wouldnt want to use them for distance running. They are water resistant and my feet certainly were still dry but I wouldn't expect to stay dry through streams or deep water. The lace arrangement takes a bit of getting used to & it would have been useful to have a pouch behind the tongue to tuck excess in. Overall I was cautious at first but now I've adjusted to the weight I love them.This is the second pair of these I have bought to keep in case anything happens to my first pair or I wear them out !!! I don't run but power walk 5 to 8 miles regularly and these are the best shoes I have had ! They are very light and comfortable from the start, easy to get on and off and adjust, as my feet swell, due to the elastic lace. Great when the roads are wet , keep my feet dry and easy to wipe clean . I am size 6.5 and got a 7 they are fine but would recommend going bigger than your standard size!