inov-8 Men's Mudclaw 300 Trail Running Shoe

Product Information

More cushioned and roomy than previous versions but lacks subsequently lacks the tight fitting capabilities of it’s older brothers.

Doesn’t matter if you’re looking for your first pair, or on your 15th pair, these are a part of fell running culture, much like the Walsh. For years, inov-8 has provided the ‘go-to’ shoes for running when the ground gets wet, slippery, muddy, gnarly and so on! Yes micro spike/mini crampons would have made the icy sections easy, but outside of using something like a ArcticTalon with Tungsten Carbide tips, you’d be hard pushed to run up there without slipping and sliding. The 6mm footbed is low enough to the ground to respond well to the terrain and provided good proprioceptive (sensation) feedback.deep DUAL-C STICKY lugs spread in a multidirectional pattern gives you grip whether you are coming up or down hillside. Alternatively, you can measure the length of your foot and add between 1 and 2cm to find the correct insole length. I recently ran an uphill and downhill trail in Ireland that was on the Mourne Skyline MTR race route and the trail incorporates many elements – forest path, tree routes, gravel, stone steps, mud, road and it had rained heavily before the run and drizzled whilst running. If you fancy a change from roads or trail you’re going to need to swap those road shoes for some full on fell shoes if you want to stay on your feet! In direct comparison to Salming Elements, they are the clear winner and you can tell inov-8 remain true to their fell running roots.

If you have the previous version of the ‘300’ in yellow and black, don’t be fooled into thinking this is the same shoe. During the Sedburgh race I passed a couple of people who mentioned that they were really feeling the shoe under the ankle bones as they traversed around the hill. The 2015 incarnation though does have a wicked and eye grabbing colour way and having used many versions on inov-8 (fave the 212 here) I was keen to put the Mudclaw 300 through its paces.

These firmly griped the rocks and provided a lot comfort to not only the foot but the toes and the ankles. The EVA foam, 6mm drop and Meta-Shank all work together to make this a great shoe for longer days out.

First impression of the 300's (other than the incredible yellowness) is that the fore-foot seems a lot wider than any other mudclaw I have ever worn. The heal support has dropped – a good thing as early shoes were too high and agitated the calcaneal (achilles) tendon. Imagine binning old saggy shoes with worn down studs for new tight fitting beauties with aggressive, defined studs – oh bliss, they stick to the ground. The rand around the lower part of the upper is now stitched and should in principal last longer and be more durable. I spent the day running around in them, capturing the race and then put them away, as the majority of my year was taken up riding off road instead.

They are also the most solid around the toe box and toe crease that I have seen in the mudclaw range, with the rand giving confidence in the construction. An aggressively studded sole guarantees grip when ascending, descending or contouring in the steepest and wettest of conditions. If you are unsure whether the item you are purchasing is classed as PPE please contact KONG Running. Having seen them about, I waited until my current 333's were on their last legs before going to Pete Blands to try a pair on, and get them on my feet.