Free delivery on orders over £80Scarpa Spin ST Review
Watch The Review Here:
Photos: Scarpa & S.Phillips-Rose/Andy Johnson
Scarpa have released the Spin ST, a fell shoe designed for muddy, rocky and varied terrain.
We took the shoe out for a spin on the hill to find out whether the Italian innovators have made a holy grail for running on trails.
Written Review Contents: | Summary | Our Tester | Initial Thoughts | Thoughts after a few weeks | Recommended for
Key Stats
Model: SPIN ST (Women's & Men's)
Ideal for: Fell running, racing or very muddy routes
Main Features: 7mm Vibram lugs exclusive to Scarpa. Protective Collar and NBS lace lock
Stack Height:
- Men's: 22mm (heel) / 18mm (forefoot)
- Women's: 22mm (heel) / 18mm (forefoot)
Drop: 4mm
Fit length: EU 45. Sizing as expected
Width: Normal
Fixion ST Outsole: 7mm Vibram Megagrip outsole exclusively designed for Scarpa
Price: £150
Summary
Scarpa only started making trail running shoes a few years ago. By using their 90 years of footwear experience they have made some superb shoes that have been very well received.
Their UK-based athletes have been asking for a shoe designed for rough, wet and muddy UK conditions (a fell shoe) and this year the Italian company has delivered. But are they any good? And can they go up against the inov-8 X-Talon and adidas TERREX Speed Pro SG?
Our Tester
Ross – Overpronator with prescribed orthotics. A fell runner and racer for over 20 years, who lives on the edge of the Peak District.
He loves long Lake District fell races and European ultra trails. Because of the low stack, he generally gets on well wearing a fell shoe with his orthotics.
His favourite fell shoe was the Salomon S/Lab Speed and Speed 2. As they are both now out of production, he saves them for special race occasions.
Initial Thoughts
Straight out of the box, the Spin ST look like a ‘proper’ fell shoe. It’s low profile and the lugs are big and look like they will do the job required of them. Putting my orthotic in and then slipping them on, they feel like a fell shoe too. I found the lace lock a bit fiddly, but it performs the job required by them.
On my first run, I crossed a field after 5 minutes with a little angled up-and-down trod. This is a really good test of a shoe's traversing ability. Many trail shoes fail here immediately. The Spin ST performed exactly as I hoped. I enjoyed solid foot placements with a secure foothold. Cushioning feels good and is plusher than I’ve experienced in many fell shoes, although, I don’t notice any extra stack or feel unstable because of this.
The descents are mainly peaty and rocky near where I live, which might not be the best test, but I’m still able to let gravity do some of the work and let myself go. I was really impressed; they held my foot well, felt very stable, had a great ground feel and gave me the confidence to keep pushing.
So far, so good.
Thoughts after a few weeks
After 12 miles:
So, I’ve only worn them for 3 runs, but on one of those occasions, it was for a couple of full gas efforts on Dead Mans Descent. The biggest compliment that I could pay them is that I forgot I was wearing them. I felt I could trust my feet 100% and I was able to rely on the shoes doing their job. Ok, it wasn’t the Lake District or a particularly grassy descent or had much wet mud so that matters, but based on my experience so far, I’d be happy to wear them for any Lake District fell race this autumn.
So, the grip and the foothold are what I’d expect from a fell shoe but what about the other features?
I’ve gotten used to the lace lock after Howard from Scarpa showed me the right technique. I still think it would be quicker if they just tied, but I’ve had no issues with the laces slipping or becoming loose.
Its most noticeable feature, the protective collar, could turn out to be its best feature. The reason; when traversing in lower cut fell shoes the cuff can press into your foot just below the ankle bone and make things uncomfortable. This just doesn’t happen with the Spin ST. If I really think about it, I can feel the higher cuff against my ankle but it’s barely noticeable. The collar just seems to mould around my foot and ankle rather than put any pressure on it. It’s not the most attractive feature and it's different from most other fell shoes, but Scarpa may have made one of the best fell shoes for traversing. At least out of the models that I’ve tried.
Cushioning is also better than I expected on such a low-profile shoe, so it’s one you could use for longer outings and perhaps even Bob Graham rounds if it was going to be wet underfoot.
And finally, they work really well with my orthotics. They fit easily inside, and I guess when running I’m benefiting from them working with the TPU insert. I can’t actually feel the TPU insert, and I find it impossible to tell that it’s in there, so it doesn’t add too much structure. Overall, the shoe is still very flexible and will work for most runners.
Overall, this is a shoe that I’m really looking forward to using while racing.
Recommended for
For fell runners and racers, obviously. Also, for those who run on muddy terrain and would prefer more traction or technical terrain and would prefer more precision.
The Scarpa Spin ST is available at Ellis Brigham in-store and on our website - Women's and Men's
