New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v2 £105

The Hierro is an ultra-distance option from New Balance. With a soft, fairly flexible sole, the Hierro offers protection for long efforts on rugged singletrack. The forefoot lugs are angled to pull you forward while the heel lugs bite solidly on descents. Overall lug design is deeper, though it still performs on hard trails. A beefed-up toecap shields you from rocks, but without being so tough that you stub your toe from the inside.