This is rather a niche shoe. It is (sort of) a fell shoe with cushioning. The grip on mud is OK but not as good as an Inov Mudclaw. However, it's a lot more cushioned than the Mudclaw and on mixed terrain that includes harder ground it's a much more comfortable shoe to run in. I did a 26 mile trail / XC / Road race in them in Feb 2008 and they were ideal for the mixed terrain. The upper is very comfortable as well, and despite the padding dries out fairly quickly (although they smell revolting when they are wet). I was initially sceptical about the lacing system but I now think it is better than "normal"laces.

They were an absolutely great shoe for the wet summer of 2007 - there was a mixture of mud from the heavy rain but still patches of pretty hard ground and the Speed Cross was absolutely ideal.

I'm not a fell runner but I suspect that they might not work as a fell shoe - I ran up Jacob's Ladder in a pair and despite the cushioning there was little real under-foot protection and I ended up bruising the balls of my feet.

The other problem I had with them was that I wore them day in, day out last summer and after about 300 miles had destroyed the heel cusioning. However, I was so impressed that I immediately bought another pair.