Hi, hope you can help. 13 year old daughter has been selected to run for her county (like a state) in a cross country championship. The race will be held entirely off road on grass. She has no experience in running off road, she is an adult size 7 shoe and we are looking to see what would be the best shoe for her without spending too much money. Any advice would be very helpful. Based in the UK. Thanks @RunnersCorner2024
Thank you for reaching out with the cross-country footwear question. Congratulations on being invited to compete in the XC County Championships, and yes, she'll really appreciate going to a lightweight shoe with the addition of spikes for traction. I'd suggest looking for either the XC spikes or long-distance spikes as both of these will have some of a midsole for a small amount of cushioning. Depending on the actual conditions on the day, she may want to have a few different lengths of spikes to use as well. The spikes/shoes normally come with a set of 7 mm spikes and a wrench for inserting or removal of the spikes. If she doesn't have any time to practice one or two short workouts before the race. Then, just go with the 7 mm spikes and stretch her calves, and Achilles well after her pre-race warm-up and after her race. If she's able to do a couple of workouts to get used to the new sense of grip, she may try two longer spikes at the toe of the spikes (especially if conditions are wet & muddy). I do not recommend long spikes under the ball of foot area as these are more likely to cause her to trip. For some suggested brands or models in the UK, try looking for women spikes as these will fit narrower than the men's or unisex spikes. Brooks Mach 19, or Draft XC, Nike Rival XC 6 (unisex), New Balance XC Seven (unisex), and Hoka Crescendo XC (unisex). To name a few. I hope this helps in your search and good luck to your daughter. Gord
@@RunnersCorner2024 hi, just wanted to say thank you so much for your help and apologies for the delay in replying. Several hours of Internet browsing later my daughter is a proud owner of a bright pink pair of Brooks XC shoes and travels for her race on the 15th of this month. Thanks again, I doubt we'd have worked it out without your help. 👍
What did you find with sizing? Same as other hokas or?
The shoes fit a bit more snug than other shoes. Perhaps a half size up is better. We tried on a size 10 to make sure and the 10 1/2 fit better
Thank you, what size are the spikes it comes with?
Hi, hope you can help. 13 year old daughter has been selected to run for her county (like a state) in a cross country championship. The race will be held entirely off road on grass. She has no experience in running off road, she is an adult size 7 shoe and we are looking to see what would be the best shoe for her without spending too much money. Any advice would be very helpful. Based in the UK. Thanks @RunnersCorner2024
Thank you for reaching out with the cross-country footwear question. Congratulations on being invited to compete in the XC County Championships, and yes, she'll really appreciate going to a lightweight shoe with the addition of spikes for traction. I'd suggest looking for either the XC spikes or long-distance spikes as both of these will have some of a midsole for a small amount of cushioning. Depending on the actual conditions on the day, she may want to have a few different lengths of spikes to use as well.
The spikes/shoes normally come with a set of 7 mm spikes and a wrench for inserting or removal of the spikes. If she doesn't have any time to practice one or two short workouts before the race. Then, just go with the 7 mm spikes and stretch her calves, and Achilles well after her pre-race warm-up and after her race. If she's able to do a couple of workouts to get used to the new sense of grip, she may try two longer spikes at the toe of the spikes (especially if conditions are wet & muddy). I do not recommend long spikes under the ball of foot area as these are more likely to cause her to trip.
For some suggested brands or models in the UK, try looking for women spikes as these will fit narrower than the men's or unisex spikes. Brooks Mach 19, or Draft XC, Nike Rival XC 6 (unisex), New Balance XC Seven (unisex), and Hoka Crescendo XC (unisex). To name a few.
I hope this helps in your search and good luck to your daughter.
Gord
@@RunnersCorner2024 hi, just wanted to say thank you so much for your help and apologies for the delay in replying. Several hours of Internet browsing later my daughter is a proud owner of a bright pink pair of Brooks XC shoes and travels for her race on the 15th of this month. Thanks again, I doubt we'd have worked it out without your help. 👍
@@Exnavrig67 best of luck 🤞 let us know how she does in the race