How to choose the right shoes for the Marathon des Sables
Another highly personal part of completing the Marathon des Sables, is what shoes will you wear for it?
Covering 250 kilometres of soft sand and rocky ground in relentless heat isn’t your usual event, therefore your feet have different demands placed upon them than your usual Saturday morning Parkrun – but what do you need to think about before setting off for Morocco, read on for how I tackled it.
Considerations for your shoe selection
1. Gaiter attachment
You’ll need to have Velcro stitched to the sole for the gaiter to attach to (see pictures below for this), therefore I’d anticipate some barefoot running shoes may not have sufficient space to allow this (although we’re fully prepared to admit we may be wrong on this). Whilst the majority of MdS is run on sand and soft ground, there are occasional stretches on firmer gravel roads (see my film below for this on the long day), therefore don’t assume you won’t need to condition yourself to running on firm surfaces.
2. Feet swelling
Also, you may find your feet swell due to the strain placed upon on them. Having spent many years pushing my body to the limits in the Royal Marines, I anticipated this and so ordered a size above my typical running shoes (i.e., ordering a UK size 12, where I usually wear a UK size 11 for day-to-day activities).
3. Shoes that are damaged from the training demands
I bought 2 pairs of exactly the same shoe (Inov-8 ParkClaw 275) so that I had a pair for training in that would handle the vast mileage we wanted to do for conditioning with the pack and the long day (aka ‘long drag’), and another pair that I occasionally trained in to break them in before they got the Velcro tailored. I think this approach is what minimised the blisters and led to a successful completion of the race.
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These are some of the options I saw at the start line and a some good starting points for you to consider:
I opted for a similar option when I ran the MdS in 2019 where comfort was the ultimate decider for me. These are a little heavier, however more orientated towards ultradistance events, therefore I’d anticipate them to potentially cause less blisters than the Parkclaws I wore.
Whilst Hoka’s trainers certainly require some visually getting used to, they were prevalent on the start line as well as being worn fashionably.
A company that’s been at the forefront of endurance and ultradistance events since we’ve known, Salomon offer many options that I think the Sense Ride Fours would be a good fit for most MdS runners, however these would be my first choice for considerations for the race. Of course, the best practice would be to get a pair to see how you get on and take them to the tailor to check they’re content that Velcro strips can be added.
4. New Balance Men's Fresh Foam X Hierro V7
I’ve not used these, however, they look really well orientated to ultra-distance multiday races due to the sole thickness, and semi-stretchy upper.
5. Adidas Men's Terrex Two Ultra Primeblue Trail Running Shoe
I bought these some years afterwards and would opt to use these for the next trail race (whenever that is), as they’ve got ample cushioning in the sole, and importantly, stretch when your feet swell. When used with a set of gaiters, I think they’d be the best for keeping your feet cool, whilst also giving you optimal grip.
6. Mizuno Men's Wave Prodigy 4
Perhaps more road running styling, however the combo of semi stretch upper and sole thickness makes these sneakers appear to be a good consideration for the MdS or other ultradistance multiday race.
7. Raidlight Responsiv Ultra 2.0
Be far the brightest option that I looked at, Raidlight are another long-term producer of ultradistance gear so I’d expect their trainers to be similarly well orientated for the Marathon des Sables.
