Trail show review: Inov-8 Terraclaw 250, La Sportiva Helios 2.0 and Salomon S-lab Sense 5 Ultra

Firstly, I should point out that I didn’t get these for free and nobody asked me to review them, so I don’t feel under any obligation to say nice things.  So, views are my own.    After much trial and error, these three will be my off road shoes for 2016.   The choice will depend on terrain and required pace.    And sometimes which ones are the cleanest or match my outfit.

Secondly, I prefer lightweight shoes.  Thankfully (touch wood) I’m not prone to injury.   But don’t think I’m lucky, because my unscheduled “rest” days are usually caused my unscheduled stunts. Plus, I’m a forefoot striker and have a high cadence, so cushioning and support seems unnecessary and cumbersome to me.

Thirdly, I like space.   I’m a UK size 4 in my dancing shoes, but I like extra room in my running shoes for comfort.  Plus, my feet tend to swell, blister and my toenails have been known to pop off during races.  Having a little bit extra saves my toenails getting bruised, especially on descents. 

Inov-8Terraclaw 250

Fit: I’ve got size UK5.  Usually I go for 5.5 in trail shoes, but I’d could even go for 4.5 these. There’s loads of room.

Price: £120

Pros: Wide toe box.  Great for soft ground.

Cons: Struggling to find any yet.

Verdict: Great all-rounder.  Reasonably priced and readily available.

For the technical stuff, click here

If I were to only buy/own one pair of trail shoes, these would be the ones.  Although if I only owned one pair of trail shoes, it probably meant that my house had burned down. 

I’ve flitted in and out of Inov-8 shoes since I bought my first Roclites back in 2008.  They are are reliable and trustworthy brand and probably worn by half the field in any UK trail or hill race.  Like most running brands, their products have come on leaps and bounds over the past few years. 

The Terraclaws provide fantastic traction in most conditions, but come into their own when it’s wet and muddy.  After wearing Salomon S-lab Sense – which are useless on soft ground - for six months prior to getting the Terraclaws, it took me a few runs to have confidence in the grip, but once I ‘let go’ I could feel the difference.    

The toe cap is also double layered to offer better protection, lugs are positioned wide enough so they don’t clog and the tongue is stitched at an angle so it doesn’t slide. 

I’ve worn these on the road on the run up my local hills and haven’t noticed I’m wearing trail shoes, so that’s a good sign.  

They’re perfect for the UK hills in the winter and stomping about on my favourite Kilpartick, Pentland and Lake District hills.  And I would wear them in an ultra-distance race if I were expecting sloppy conditions.    

Marco wore them on the Lakeland 100 (it's been hot and dry that past few years) and swears by them, but they wouldn’t be my first choice for hard packed or dry trail. Mind you, in the latter stages when my feet are feeling a bit fat, I might just swap into them.  I’ll be packing them just in case. 

La Sportiva Helios 2.0

Fit: Sizes come up small.

Price: $125

Pros:  Very comfortable.  Lacing system is great. 

Cons: Not available in the UK. Sizing, especially as you’re likely to order online.  The soft heel feels great once the shoes are on.  It’s a bit tricky to

get them on because the heel keeps collapsing.

Verdict: Lightweight, flexible, responsive

For technical stuff, click here

I’ve had a pair of the original Helios for a while, but they’re a little too neat for me.  See aforementioned comment about space.  They’re OK for about 5/6 miles, but then my toes start to hurt.  I have, however, worn them on few runs in the Kilpatrick Hills and they are kick-ass on wet grass.

Some of my Centurion Running team mates are big fans of the Helios, so when I heard there was an updated version out, I was keen to try them out.  Nothing to do with pretty colour, honest.  OK, little bit about the pretty colour.  Unfortunately, they are not available in the UK (yet?), so I had to order them from Germany.

I’m glad I did as the Helios 2.0 are considerably better.  Light, soft and super flexible…they are like slippers.  They’re great on grass and mud, but cushioned and springy on tarmac.  I would even wear them as road shoes.  

It’s worth noting that Centurion RD James Elson wore a pair of Helios SR when he ran a GB team qualifying distance of 242km at the Athens 24 hour.  Although they wouldn’t be my first choice shoe for a road ultra … wearing the new Helios 2.0 wouldn’t be the wackiest idea.

One concern I have is that I can feel the rocks and stones when I wear them.  I wouldn’t change that though, as the benefit of wearing them on trails and soft ground outweighs any negatives. I just probably wouldn’t wear them on rocky course like the Lakeland 100.  Could get away with it on a Lakeland 50, but that’s a personal choice. Anything over 50 miles and the rocks would play havoc with my feet.   They’d be perfect on trails like the Thames Path, South Downs and Ridgeway though. 

Again, the sizing is an issue.  Even though I went a half size up on the ones I have, I could have done with another half size.  That’s two sizes up on my dress shoes.  It was too much of a pain in ass to send them back to Germany, so they’ll do.   That does, however, mean I probably won’t do any ultra races in them.

Salomon S-Lab Sense 5 Ultra 

Fit: Slim.  Standard.  I have 5.5 and there’s plenty of room.  Possibly too much space for

training, but ideal for ultra-race fat feet.

Price: £145

Pros: Fighting talk

Cons: The price tag is eye watering.  Same colour, again.

Verdict: Unless it’s really muddy, these will remain my racing shoes. 

For technical stuff, click here

Ah the ruby slippers.  The Rolls Royce of trail running shoes.  I’ve been in love with the shoes since I bought my first Sense Ultra 4 last summer. 

At first (online) glance, I failed to see any difference in the 4 and 5.  To be honest, the only reason I bought the updated version was because my 4s have served their time after maxing out at 600 miles.  They were sent to Salomon heaven after a heavy duty weekend on the South Downs Way.

They are my race face shoes.  At the risk of sounding like a complete t*t, they make me feel nimble and fast.  I appreciate that’s on my head, but there are definitely mental benefits in the magic shoes. 

There’s enough protection and cushioning for me, and I never have feet issues when I wear them.  That’s rare for me, as my feet will always be my weakest link.  With the Sensifit, Endofit and Quicklace system, my feet feel 100% secure with zero movement - uphill and downhill.

Changes are quite minimal on the S-Lab Sense 5, just some fine tuning.  The upper material is lighter and there’s slight modification to the tread design.  Both contributing factors to making it the lightest Sense shoe to date.  The lightweight upper mesh keeps out debris and the contragrip outsole seems to provide more grip on rocks.

I sometimes give the shoe a hard time when I end up on my backside on slippy terrain, which is a bit ridiculous as they’re just not made for soft ground.  They perform best on dry trails.  It’s like running in spikes on the road and complaining about the discomfort.

Quick summary...

	Inov8 Terraclaw 250	La Sportiva Helios 2.0	Salomon S-Lab Sense Ultra 5
Weight	250g	183g	220g
Fit	Wide toe box	Neat	Slim. Standard
Drop	8mm	4mm	4mm
Stack	16mm and 8mm	19mm and 15mm	18mm and 14mm
Benefits (or just marketing spiel)	Dual-C sticky rubber outsole Multi-directional lug pattern, which allows for quite debris release. Double layered toe cap Welded overlay that wraps forefoot Welded sewn tongue, to restrict sliding	HyDrain Mesh for maximum breathability and fast drainage Fast lacing system for easy on and off Integral gusseted tongue and new heel cup design for comfort. MorphoDynamic mouded sole and cushioned platform	Lightweight materials and welded construction make this the lightest Sense shoe yet.   Quick drying breathable mesh Quicklace and pocket Endofit and Sensifit for precise foothold in varying terrain. Molded EVA and Contagrip

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....

...these are a few of my favourite (ultra-running) things...





Hydration packs: If you're anything like me, you'll probably have a collection of backpacks and bottle belts. All with pros and cons, but your "perfect solution" hasn't been invented yet. The Nathan Trail Mix Bottle Belt is as close as I've got to my perfect solution. I've worn in on various training runs and races - including two 95-milers - and not have a bit of bother with it.

My latest "perfect solution" purchase is The North Face Women's Enduro Boa. Once you get over the initial shock of paying for it - retails at a healthy £85 - you will realise it's not your run-of-the-mill pack. I find it hard to find rucksacks to fit me (resulting in some serious abrasion) because I have narrow shoulders and zero boobage, but this fits like a glove and redistributes the weight just right. Plus the anti-slosh control (which essentially means there's internal wiring, controlled by a knob, which tightens the bladder) so no more annoying sound. The downside is the exterior storage pocket is made of mesh, so useless if it rains.


Waterproofs/windproofs: I've never been a fan of running jackets, but the man from Montane convinced me otherwise. As the title sponsor of the Montane Highland Fling, they sent me a box of goodies for being second lady. I know the Montane Featherlite range is highly rated among the hill running fraternity and now I know why. As the name suggest, it weighs next to nothing and takes up next to no space. Previously it was the rustle-factor that put me off waterproofs, but this is the same as a long sleeve - with added benefits

For the feet: I've dabbled with a few trail shoe brands over the years - including Brooks, Saucony and Asics - but I'm now a firm Inov-8 convert. Now I run in Roclite 275 GTX. They are lightweight (my old Asics Trabucos were like bricks) and provide good underfoot cushioning. The negatives are (in my opinion: the fabric tends to "burst" well before the end of the shoes shelf life; they ain't cheap; and I don't really see the need for Goretex (which adds to the expense) in trail running shoes. If it's wet, your feet will get wet anyway; And unlike bigger brands, don't change their products/colours often. Do you have any idea how troublesome it is to get gear to go with green shoes? Think pink and blue, Mr Inov-8 please.


I ordered Injinji socks from the US and few years ago, but thankfully you can now get them in the UK. I wear them on long runs and races and think they help a great deal. There's a little pocket for each toe, which eliminates skin on skin contact between your toes to prevent blisters from developing.

My latest little diamond of a find, was Flexitol Blistop. It was specifically designed to protect the feet from blisters and sprays on a like transparent second skin. After reading a review in Running Fitness, I used this for the first time on the West Highland Way Race. Anyone who was there (or has read my race report) will know how wet the conditions were. Sometimes it was like wading through rivers. My feet really only blister when they're wet. And in same spots over and over again. Well, I sprayed this very liberally (best to do it outside, as it's potent) and only got one small blister. I didn't get any on the Clyde Stride. When I say liberally, I mean the packaging says it provides 42 applications, but only TWO for me. It's worth it not to have problems with your feet during a race.

I may have fallen out of love with them a little bit earlier in the year, but I still rate lock laces for comfort and ease of changing shoes. Just don't wear them on a hilly run in the rain, as they allow wet feet too much movement. The result is very bashed toes. I'll stick with them in my road shoes in future.

I DO believe the hype about compression gear. I like Skins, 2XU and New Balance have a nice new range. I just wish someone would come out with something a little more girlie. Raidlight have got the right idea - their ladies range comes in nice girlie colours with lovely flower motifs. I know that sounds really lame, but it's quite boring when everything looks the same. Only problem is that even their smallest size tights are quite baggy. I like lots of support.

Love or loathe them, arm sleeves are the best things ever invented. Well, in my world they are. They're perfect for Spring and Autumn, when it's too cold not to start with sleeves and too warm to keep them on. Plus, you're not in and out of your rucksack on a long run, when the weather turns. I really like these sleeves by 1000 Mile as they've got the thumb holes. There's something quite strangely comforting about thumb holes, isn't there?

The gadgets: Although I love them, I don't have much luck with ipods. Actually, I think this I'm on my 6th or 7th. I doubt it will be my last, but so far it's the best. It's tiny, clips onto my waistband and has a multi-touch display and an inbuilt radio. I do like listening to the radio, especially in the morning.

My luck with Garmins, is not too dissimilar to that of the ipod. I've had a few Garmin Forerunner 205, but upgraded to the 310xt last year. It's fairly similar to the 205, but with a longer battery life - approx 18 hours, not the 20 hours it promotes. The best thing about this 310xt is it's ability to get a signal. Great for me, as a lot of my runs start in built up areas. Previously I could spend 10 minutes loitering on street corners outside my office. I was once propositioned on a dark winter's morning. How do think I paid for the upgrade? Just kidding :-)

Food on the go: I know this is very much a personal choice and what works for you might differ from run to run. I find it quite difficult to eat during races, but this is what works for me on runs. Wine gums are my sweet of choice just now. I used to opt for jelly babies, but went off them after a while. I'm also partial to a Midget Gems and Skittles. All of which are hard to eat on road runs and races, but great for a munch whilst stomping up a hill.
I also like gold old Scottish tablet. I tried it for a first time couple of years ago and thought it had magical powers. After I introduced the GM to wonder drug, she had to go one step further a discover Mrs Tilly Vanilla Fudge and Tablet. I kid you not, after 22 years of friendship, this is by far my favourite thing about the GM :-) Now we start most training runs with:..."just you, me and Mrs T".

When it comes to fluids, unfortunately I'm not a "could-murder-a-glass-of-water" kind of gal. Truth to be told, I rarely drink water. Ever. On runs I prefer sport drinks such as Lucozade or Powerade (whatever happens to be on offer when I do the shopping) and dilluting Ribena.

For a quick fix I like flat coke - sometimes with gas for a good burp :-) and for an even quicker fix, a Red Bull Shot. Looking back at this list, I feel suitable ashamed. What a load of rubbish. The funniest thing is going to do the shopping pre-race day and getting some really strange looks at the the supermarket checkout. Especially when you throw in a couple of Slimfast Shakes for emergencies.

My legs have threatened to cramp in a few races this year. All hot races. Zero Sport Hydration Salts are an anti cramp formula of electrolyte tabs and magnesium. They're tasteless, so you can pop thme in water or your sports drink.


From the medical cabinet...I have been regularly using (not just when needs must!) the same sports therapist for the last couple of years. He advocates pre-race deep tissue massages and applying Deep Heat prior to long runs and races. These days people smell me before they see me. And if, heaven forbid, you're in the same car as me, as you'll be breathing out of your eyes! For pain relief I like Nurofen Express. Gaviscon double action for indigestion, Sudocream to prevent skin abrasion and Resolve Extra for stomach issues (and hangovers!).

My nearest and dearest know I'm quite fanatical about suncream. I think it's stupid and childish knowingly let yourself get burnt. Especially when you know how much your skin can take. After spending 18 years in desert climates, my skin has had enough abuse for one lifetime. These days, I've been know to put protection on my skin when's raining...just in case. Let's be honest, in Scotland the weather is pretty changeable. Anyway, Banana Boat Sport is fabulous. It's non-sticky and sinks in within seconds, so there's no mess. It's also waterproof and lasts all day.

Last but not least, my other favourite ultra-running things are Mark Johnston's evil speed sessions and Nathalie Jones' nutritional plans. And, of course, the Ambassador of Deep Heat's (AKA Jan Mieszkowski) deep tissue massage.

Anyway, I've been meaning to write this blog report/list for ages, so here it is. If anyone has done something or would like to do something similar, please let me know as I would like post a link.