Cotswold Outdoor are a company that cater to the outdoors market and they have a part of their site set up for the Irish market with everything priced in Euros.
As well as dealing with outdoor activities like hillwalking and camping, they also have a large range of products which are relevant to running. One of the suggested brands that I was asked to look at was Jack Wolfskin. Just under this brand alone, there are hundreds of products listed that seems to cover everything to do with outdoor activities from camping to walking to running. Just under base layers alone, they list 49 Jack Wolfskin products.
Another part of the site that caught my eye was the section for trail running under the 'Activity' tab. As well as the usual watches, base layers, jackets and so on, they have a nice selection of trail running shoes. I know from my own experience that using an old pair of runners on trails or mountains isn't the best as the shoes weren't really designed for the job. I've had running shoes in the past which have literally fallen apart from running on rough surfaces on trails.
The photo above shows a typical running shoe for the road compared to a trail version. The one on the left is an Asics Gel Cumulus and is designed for the road. Lots of cushioning in the heel....very light mesh on the top of the shoe to cut down on weight and a limited amount of grip. It is designed to provide cushioning for someone constantly running forwards on a flat hard surface and landing in a consistent fashion. The problem is that with a trail or mountain race, there is a lot of lateral movement of the shoe and the soles in conventional running shoes seem very prone to coming apart. The upper mesh is also liable to rip and the lack of grip is a major factor in muddy conditions.
By contrast, the one on the right is an Inov X-Talon 212 which is a trail running shoe. There is less cushioning but this makes the sole stiffer and more durable. The upper mesh is replaced with a more robust fabric to resist scuffs and tears. The soles also have a much better grip.
For anyone is doing any type of trail running on a consistent basis then it might be worth looking at a pair designed for the job.
If you're interested in trail running shoes or some other outdoor gear, have a look at http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/ie/
It might be worth mentioning that for someone who wants to do the occasional cross country run without forking out for spikes, then trail shoes are a good compromise as they give a bit more grip on mucky surfaces than ordinary runners and can be used for hill runs also.
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