Shoes for muddy race

SavBrookeS
SavBrookeS Posts: 44 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm signed up for Spartan and was wondering what type of shoes and clothes I should try to wear?

Replies

  • hofosho1020
    hofosho1020 Posts: 179
    I did a mud race last year and wore real short and tight spandex shorts so they wouldn't get all bunchy and gross if wet. Also a dry fit tight t-shirt or tank for the same reason. I wore well worn in running shoes that I needed to replace anyway so I could just toss them after the race. : )
  • hofosho1020
    hofosho1020 Posts: 179
    Also....short and tight was key in keeping mud out of areas you don't want filled with mud, if you know what I mean LOL
  • ptjolsen
    ptjolsen Posts: 365 Member
    Ahhh this is a good topic...I have my first coming up this summer.
  • SavBrookeS
    SavBrookeS Posts: 44 Member
    Thanks!
  • beautifulbeast11
    beautifulbeast11 Posts: 202 Member
    I made sure to keep my old running shoes for that event. OR some people went to walmart or goodwill and grabbed some.
  • monjacq1964
    monjacq1964 Posts: 291 Member
    Not your good shoes, that's for sure. Just a junky (but wearable) pair that you don't care too much about.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I did a mud race last year and wore real short and tight spandex shorts so they wouldn't get all bunchy and gross if wet. Also a dry fit tight t-shirt or tank for the same reason. I wore well worn in running shoes that I needed to replace anyway so I could just toss them after the race. : )

    Excellent information I wish I'd known before my first. I more sweat capris and they were practically falling off me by the end. My second one turned out much better thanks to clothes like this.
  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
    I made sure to keep my old running shoes for that event. OR some people went to walmart or goodwill and grabbed some.

    This old pair or Goodwill.
  • jimmie65
    jimmie65 Posts: 655 Member
    Barefoot!
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    I'm signed up for Spartan and was wondering what type of shoes and clothes I should try to wear?

    DO NOT WEAR any zig tech type of running shoe. I wore a KSwiss shoe like this p7598212dt.jpg with the holes in them. BIG MISTAKE. They fill up with mud and eventually rip.

    This is what happened to me on the Tough Mudder. An old pair of shoes that you dont care for with no holes or crevices in the soles are a good option.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Also....short and tight was key in keeping mud out of areas you don't want filled with mud, if you know what I mean LOL
    Doing Warrior Dash this summer for the first time, so this thread is helful.

    I was already planning to wear shoes that I can throw away....
  • MellyLikestoRun
    MellyLikestoRun Posts: 83 Member
    Yep, old shoes - you will want to dump them afterward. I saw some people had run duct tape over the arches so their shoes wouldn't come off. I second the tight clothes. I did Warrior Dash a couple of years ago and had clumps of mud in my bra and dirt in my ears. It was awesome.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I go through about 6 - 8 pairs of sneakers in a year, I save them up for my mud races the following year and just change the insoles. At the end of the race they get added to the pile.

    clothes, well you can look through my pictures to see what I wear. I found that my cotton/spandex shorts kept falling down. I didn't mind, but some chick couldn't let it go. I finally told her that if she minded seeing my *kitten* so much she should probably just go ahead and pick up the pace to pass me.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
    I'm wearing my Vibram Spyridons and tech capris/ tank. I've been told by several friends who've done Tough Mudder and Spartans NO COTTON! LOL.
  • Kimbie500
    Kimbie500 Posts: 388 Member
    Please wear shoes that are similar to what you are used to. I did my first mud run in Vibrams I hadn't trained in for a year (because I didn't want to ruin my "good" trainers) and ended up fighting plantar fasciitis for months and was completely unable to run as a result. Otherwise, I second the tight and short recommendation.
  • SassieChik03
    SassieChik03 Posts: 39 Member
    I ran a mud run last year and wore Vibrams. They simulate being barefoot, and they were just fine after the run - well, after a thorough cleaning. My husband wore junky sneakers he had, and he ended up losing the sole to one of them in a mud pit. We actually saw several "lost" shoes along the course. We saw a lot of people using duck tape to keep their shoes on their feet too. I didn't have any issues with my Vibrams. :)
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    A tight tank top - spandex material - cotton will get wet and weigh you down.
    Tight spandex capris.

    Old running shoes that I taped on
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I suppose it's personal preference, but on my spartan last year the trails were a muddy mess, it had been raining for 36 hours before the first wave left off, but the time I hit the trals about 750 people had run through, the people in vibrams were really struggling through the muddy trails . . . they just couldn't keep their feet. Maybe they weren't used to running in them?
  • Dezmodus
    Dezmodus Posts: 68 Member
    Great info folks! I've got a mud race coming up and I think i'm going to try the tape trick. I have a pair of old running shoes (my current dog walkers) that will be perfect for this :D
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
    Inov-8 Bare Grips, for sure. Best investment ever.
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
    I've done the Warrior Dash twice, both in Vibrams. They hold up real well, don't come off, and after a run through the washing machine look brand new.
  • Vragis
    Vragis Posts: 19
    Did Run For Your Lives last year. Bought trail running shoes for it (I highly recommend trail runners). If you get good ones, then you can just hose them off after, dry them out, and keep on keepin on. Mine are Brooks Cascadia and I like them a lot. My wife got a different brand but we both got them from REI
  • fullofhope76
    fullofhope76 Posts: 92
    Tight stretchy pants that cover your knees, if you will be crawling, this saved me...and shoes that you can tie super tight and can't pull off. I did the dirty girl mud run last year and have it scheduled this year too!
  • CarrieStL
    CarrieStL Posts: 162 Member
    BUMP!
  • CarrieStL
    CarrieStL Posts: 162 Member
    A tight tank top - spandex material - cotton will get wet and weigh you down.
    Tight spandex capris.

    Old running shoes that I taped on

    Tape- brills. BUMP.
  • letobot
    letobot Posts: 205
    I wore tight fitting tech capris, a wicking tank and bathing suit bottoms (under the capri's) when I got changed, no lie I was bone dry with no mud anywhere....for shoes, I wore an older pair of cross trainers. They did get disgusting, but after washing them, they came out like new. Also, wear wicking socks.
  • LadyMud17
    LadyMud17 Posts: 193 Member
    My five fingers! I love them, train in them, and I kick *kitten* in every race in them. Also they come clean in the wash!!
  • emr51983
    emr51983 Posts: 6 Member
    Tight stretchy pants that cover your knees, if you will be crawling, this saved me...and shoes that you can tie super tight and can't pull off. I did the dirty girl mud run last year and have it scheduled this year too!

    Yes, cover your knees! And wear clothes that you don't mind throwing away. Last time I did a mud race, it was just that, MUD. And there was about 2 miles of a foot of mud. People were losing their shoes left and right, then having to dig for them in the mud. I also got scrapes all over my knees.

    I wore really old clothes that I actually threw in the trash at the mud run. I'm talking everything, even my undies. I wore old sneakers and I duct taped them to my ankles (not the most attractive look, but I was flying by all those people digging their shoes out of the mud.

    Just bring a towel and try to clean off, then get a pal to cover you with the towel while u throw all your clothes & sneakers away. It's much more fun to drink and eat afterwards when you're wearing some fresher clothes. I personally brought a cheap sundress and flip flops.
  • SavBrookeS
    SavBrookeS Posts: 44 Member
    I love all the great tips and ideas! Is 8% spandex alright or do I need to find 100% spandex shorts/pants/capris?

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