These trainers did the first half of the UTMB with me last year, and were brand new. I took this photo of them as they were looking a bit sorry for themselves after today’s training run. There’s plenty of life in them yet, but it’s got me thinking about what shoes to use this year. The model in the photo is the great Salomon XA pro 3d ultra, and they are one of the best trail shoes for my feet. On the plus side they have never given me a blister, they dry amazingly quickly (I never go for the goretex version as I think it is sweaty, and definitely heavier, so ironically slower drying), and the lacing system is great. On the downside they suffer from the infamous Salomon holes that appear on both sides on the top just behind the toe box. I’ve destroyed countless pairs of these shoes over the years, and this always occurs – wakey wakey Salomon. They’re great shoes, but this problem does need sorting, and it’s an easy fix, or moving the stitching slightly. The other negative for me is that they do not offer a high level of protection from below, especially when they start to wear. Many people have suggested I look at the x wings series, as these are tougher beneath the foot. I’m still on the fence about the choice, so we will see…