Discussion: Inov-8

I'm thinking about trying a pair of Roclite 320's. I'll have to order a pair online and pay shipping costs to find out if they fit. I have a wide foot and like lots of room in the toebox.

Any feedback on fit would be very helpful and appreciated....

the thing with innov8 s is the heel cup
they have a bad rep for shredding heels.
I had a pair, they seemed fine for a few months, then pow ! No skin on heels. I think the plastic maybe changed shape with age.
Its a well known problem, so much so that at one time the innov8 published advice about how to over come it, along the lines of - steam heel cup over a kettle and bend it when it goes soft.
maybe they have sorted it these days.

have a scan through forum.fellrunner.org.uk under equipment - various threads on innov8, some on sizing, if you search far enough back you'll probably find the thing about steaming them.
Aside from this they are great shoes. When I first raced in mine on the fells they gave me a big surprise because on a couple of occasions on steep greasy ground I began to slip and then they gripped, just as I expected to land on my arse (or ass).
My feet are fairly wide, had no issues, but I do think the size was not what I would usually expect

I highly recommend Inov8 for a wide foot. I've always had problems with a pinky toe bunion (lots of pain and swelling). At the start of this season I got a pair of Inov8 Flyrocs and they have been fantastic! Since getting them, I haven't had any problems with that painful bunion - even through a 24-adventure race and a 6-hour orienteering run.

I used Inov8 RocLite 315 for awhile and am very satisfied. They are very light weight and I found them pretty comfortable. These are trail running shoes, keep that in mind. I managed to run for a little bit over 200mi in total before they felt apart. At the beginning I used them mostly for short, sprint like, eventd and up to middle-classic orienteering events on "easy" terrain, but later was wearing them for all events (and I guess that was the main cause they felt appart after using on rocky terrain). Other than that, great shoes. Better price-performance than my VJ (dis)Integrators.

I got the Mudclaw and from day one had heel blisters. I replaced the inner sole with a thinner Solomon, wore in my heels and now they are pretty good. The heel cup just seems the wrong shape and too low, at least for my heel.

I just bought some new mudclaws, and their heel and heel cup seem to be redesigned compared to my earlier version - it extends higher, and fits softer. Both old and new mudclaws had decent but not spacious toeboxes. They have amazing grip off trail!

Thanks for the info!

I have the Mudclaw 270s and have always taped up my heels before races with duct tape and have no problems

The biggest problem with the three Mudclaw flavors of Inov8 that I've owned (270, 330, 340) is by far the tendency of the midsole material under the heel to wear out quickly and the shoe, to pronate as a result. The Flyroc 310 that I've also had for a while showed no such problem. YMMV if you aren't into weekly trail 50 kms.

The Mudclaws are fine shoes in their first several weeks (now that they've seemingly fixed the heel blister problem). Probably the best in steep terrain like the San Francisco Bay Area and Switzerland, both trail and off-trail.

I haven't had any problems with my flyrocs and roclites in terms of durability including using them in two 24hr adventure races. What I will say, they are awesome offtrail for shorter distance stuff. I do prefer salomons for longer 24hr type of events because of the extra cushioning as there is usually some hardpack and pavement thrown in. Yes, the inov-8's have a wide toe box. They are known for that. They also have a lower profile/heigh in comparison to most competitor trail shoes, which can be nice on the ankles in technical terrain and when offtrail/orienteering. The flyroc's can be a bit rough on the feet on hardpack and pavement if your not used to them. However, they are very light and feel very fast if you allow your feet to adapt to them. The roclite's have a tad much cushioning, although not quiet as much as some of those spongy feeling trail shoes that elevate you a few more millimeters. What I like most about these shoes is the uphill traction when offtrail in slippery stuff (as good as most XC cleats), the side stability in offcamber sections, and the wide toebox area. If you are someone who has toes that rub together in alot of shoes, then you may end of loving inov-8.

I 've been wearing montrail vitesse for a number of years. Love them, but haven't been able to get them since columbia took over the company. They also have a decent toe box, good protection, and not much padding. The only bad point is that the grip could be better.

They also have a lower profile/heigh in comparison to most competitor trail shoes

That's the major thing going for the Inov8's. Being as ancient as I am, I still remember the early trail shoes from the major running shoe manufacturers in the early 1990s. They were low to the ground. It was possible to run downhills aggressively in them.

Later the same manufacturers added a ton of padding, which for downhill purposes meant a vastly increased chance of twisting an ankle. The smaller fish who got into the market in the late 1990s (Montrail, etc.) largely stuck with the same premise, and the need for fat high heels seemingly has not been questioned until the Inov8's arrived. Sadly it seems most of the market still prefers

spongy feeling trail shoes that elevate you a few more millimeters,

or else certainly some of the majors, whose R&D budgets vastly exceed anything Inov8 could come up with, would have made a low shoe with more durable heel cushion.

I have worn my mudclaws for over 600 miles of trail running and orienteering and they still work. They do not have the same support now as they did in the beginning, so my feet do pronate more in them now, but otherwise I am amazed at how well they held up! The one thing that they can't grip is ice, but everything else (including wet rock) is fine. I have not had blister problems with the heel and the toe box seems very comfortable to me.

inov-8 x-talon 212 is the best orienteering shoe ever made for continental terrain!

I've put about 150 hard miles on my Roclite 320's. For an Inov-8, they're quite inflexible, and I actually didn't find the toe box that roomy. You'll find more room in the Roclite 295. However, I love the tread, and they are great on technical descents. If interested, the review on my blog:
http://runjunkie.blogspot.com/2008/10/rj-review-in...

I got a pair mudclaws to see if I wanted to carry them and on my first 4 mile jog I tore up my heel. I hear they are better now.
Jalas heels never bothered me but about one in four have heel problems.
VJ has been the most heel friendly, but I noticed their heels got stiffer a couple of years ago. No complaints yet, but I do expect some.

My Mudclaws still give me heel blisters after several months. i'll try that steam heat method. Besides that they are superb O shoes. Light with fabulous tread. Great for clinging to our steep California hillsides.

I had some Mudclaws with spikes. They were comfortable shoes unless it was a whole lot of steep contouring (same with any shoes). The spikes fell out one or two at a time until only two were left. They were great for shoes because of the cushion and felt great.

I bought a pair of Roclite shoes for training. I have only used them a few times and they were pretty good. They are not great on slippery rock (we have a lot here) but everything else they are great at (rock covered in hard snow). Nice cushioning and traction for woods training.

I've had a pair of mudclaws for awhile now and they are great. No heel problems, but I think I have a skinnier heel than most people. I also tie my shoes specially to keep the heel from slipping. I've done it for years and almost never get heel blisters.

I have had my 330's for over a year, but only have 200k on them and they just came apart in the stitching on the upper at the Nav. Cup, as well as I discovered some rear studs broken as well. I really like the shoes (even though I also had heel blister problems), I really want another pair or the metal studded model, but they have to last more than 200k. Any suggestions?

I called Inov-8 and told them about my shoes ripping out after 200k, and they were very willing to replace my shoes, after I went through the retailer.

Ordered 3 pairs (free shipping both ways)

Roclite 320
Roclite 305
FlyRoc 305

All size 12.5.

Observations:

All very light.
All seem to have decent arch support.
Torsional support seems about the same as Montrail Vitesse and Vasque Blur.
No problems with width.

The 320's:
- are definitely a bit narrower than the other 2.
- have ok toe protection
- sturdier construction (maybe) with good upper support

Roclite 305:
- A bit roomier than the 320's.
- Very little toe protection
- Funky clear vinyl toe guard and upper support system
- Same sole and tread as the 320.

FlyRoc 305:
- More stable platform than the other 2 (less roll-able)
- Toe protection somewhere between the Roclites
- Lightist (I think)
- Good ground feel
- Roomiest toe box
- I think they'd be great AR shoes. Seem like they'd drain water very quickly.

My brief experience:

When I first put them on, I thought the FlyRoc's were going to be the keepers, but after wearing around the house, running up and down the stairs, and doing jumps and twists, I started to feel some rubbing on the side of both little toes....

The funky, clear vinyl on the Roclite 305's and lack of toe protection kind of put me off that pair and the larger fit let my foot slip around.

Have worn the 320's around the house for about 25 minutes and so far, so good.

Any updates or success with other Inov-8 models, used for orienteering (other than the Mudclaw 330 O)?

I kept the 320's. Have worn them at two o-meets and an 18-hour adventure race. The shoes performed great in dry and wet conditions. The first meet was in the pouring rain and the AR was wet. Traction is about as good as it gets without spikes. At the AR, my teammate couldn't climb a steep muddy slope in his vasque blurs but the 320's had no trouble.

The 320's are light, drain well, dry quickly, have great traction, shed mud well, and have good ground feel.

I own two pairs of Inov-8s. I use the x talon 212s for bush orienteering. They are extremely light and great for anything under about 13km. Much sturdier than they first appear as well. They offer great traction and in Granite they are superb. Not the greatest for contouring around steep hills because of the mesh. Overall Great shoe. I've also recently got a pair of f-lite 230s. They feel very similar only geared towards road and mountain running rather than fell/orienteering running.

I've been slowly switching over all my shoes to Inov-8, so I'll add some opinions:

Mudclaw 270
I've been using these for a little over a year for orienteering events and the occasional (short) trail race. I used to wear Integrators for O, and I find that the Mudclaws are much more comfortable, especially since I don't think they've ever given me any blisters. The grip is very good, especially in sprint or park type terrain. I have lost of a few of the rubber studs on the outer edge of the shoe over about ~70 hours of orienteering and racing, and the mesh is a little torn on the upper, but otherwise I'm quite happy with them.

Terroc 308
I got these a few months ago as a beefier trail shoe with more support for my foot. It feels a lot stiffer in the sole than the Mudclaw, not squishy at all like you get with most road and casual trail shoes. I used it for a 3-day backpacking trip recently with no issues, and then for the N. Amer Rogaine Champs. In the latter I did develop hotspots on the heel, and also managed to rip a hole in the mesh upper when I tripped over a log. I like minimal shoe, so this one is a bit too beefy for me for trail running, and I certainly wouldn't use it for O. It's a good shoe for general trekking around type stuff where you want a lot of underfoot support.

X-Talon 212
I got these the week before the Team Trials with the intention of using them as a sprint shoe. Super light with a nice low profile and good tread. Used them for the sprint and they felt so awesome in the woods that I decided to use them for the middle. And then I was addicted and ended up using them for the long, too. Running through the woods with these shoes feels like what I imagine it should feel like - as if your feet have tread and you are just springing through the woods. Obviously I am very happy with these. I do have very narrow feet, especially the heel, so I can imagine other people not having such luck with the fit. Also, there's probably increased risk associated with wearing a shoe that has nothing hard in it to protect your foot.

Race Pro 12
This is one of their hydration packs, with plenty of extra storage. I used it for the rogaine and was quite happy with the fit and comfort - the 2-liter hydration bladder is horizontal along the bottom of the pack, which makes for a very comfortable weight distribution. Only complaint is that filling the bladder was a bit cumbersome. I'm not sure if it just takes practice or if they need to perhaps revise their design, but that was a definite downside.

Are the Mudclaws cut wider then the X-talon 212s? I don't have appreciably wide feet and regularly wear VJ twisters and XC/track spikes. However, the 212s were too narrow for me and I can only figure that those for whom they fit have sticks for feet.

I think the Mudclaw 270s are similar in width, since they fit me and feel similarly good. I did try on one of their shoes that was too wide for me but I can't remember which one. I even said, "I should write this down so I remember later." They were brightly colored, so perhaps they were the Roclite 285s.

looking at the 'roster' of shoes there, it looks like they've got rid of the MudClaw 330 'O' the one in slate and orange and replaced it with the lemon/slate colour, as well as introducing MudClaw 340 'O+' - which has dobs!
ooo, decisions!

I am moving to Inov-8 for all of my trail/orienteering shoes. I have been through two pair of the Mudclaw 330's because of breaking studs, and running through two pair of the Flyroc 310. I am able to replace my 330's with another model, and there are too many choices! I am not sure which is the best model...

I have decided to turn in my 330's since after 20 hours and 78 miles and most all of the rear studs broken off for the Flyroc 310, which I have ran trails in for years. I hope they grip well in mud! Luckily my dealer will replace them for free!

How have you managed that? I got c.650 miles from my first pair of 330s before the back section of tread started to break off, and the current pair are on something like 350 miles.
And I'm a fat knacker who runs on stony track and road in them.

Now that is amazing! I am going to pass your comment on to my dealer! Have you tried the Flyroc's?

Well I have about 200 miles (38 hours which is what I log) on 330s and have lost several of the nubbins on the heels already. Hasn't affected performance as the nubbs are pretty over aggressive.

I have decided I will try the Flyroc orienteering and see how they work, since I needed a new pair any way. I really liked the 330's and I will buy a new pair if the Flyrocs don't work out, and go back to the 330's and live with the broken studs.

Does anybody know when in April the Oroc 280 and Oroc 340 shoes will be available in North America? I'm in need of some new pairs of shoes and was wondering if the release is 2 or 6 weeks away.

I can tell you the Flyroc is not a good orienteering shoe but the Talons are awesome!

I've heard that the first shipment is getting to the Framingham, MA warehouse in early May.

http://Wiggle.co.uk/ says 'Early April' for the 340s. It might be worth an email to them to see if they know more, as that would most likely mean shoes on your feet before May.

I'm super-happy with my Mudroc 290s ... they don't seem to get much chatter around here, but I can't imagine liking a pair of shoes much more.

The X-Talon 212's are quickly becoming the most popular orienteering shoes in Sweden (no scientific, but a lot of anecdotal evidence), even among elite runners. I recently bought my first pair of X-Talons and immediately understood why. I have now used them for a couple of competitions and several trainings and I don't think I will ever use a "normal orienteering shoe" (like the ones from Silva, VJ, OLway etc) again. You need to tie the shoe strings of the X-Talons hard, but then they are extremely light, very comfortable and give an excellent grip on most surfaces.

The only problem with X-Talons 212, they are designed for the narrow feet! I bought pair few month ago but had to return it back - they felt way too narrow in the front part.

Yes, and those of us with narrow feet rejoiced and were merry and gay.

Is there a corresponding shoe for those of us with big fat clompers?

Maybe we need to band together and start a letter-writing campaign for wide x-talons.

http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&P...

Inov-8 x-talons 160.. even more light.. looks promising.

The 160s are only listed for UK sizes 1-4 (equivalent to US adult sizes 2-5).

and it specifically says for "young runners" - ie, smaller feet.

Just a comment on the 212's - I have typically wide female feet and was a bit worried about the narrow forefoot of the 212s, but about halfway through the first run I stopped noticing it. The shoes are so soft that they don't feel tight at all.

My only gripe is that the laces keep coming loose, no matter how hard I tie them.

http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&L...

This is the even lighter version of the 212s - minimal cushioning, but ideal for xc, etc.

it's not about how hard you tie them...
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm

This chap needs to do orienteering. After all it is a small step from http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknottech.htm to the nuances of a good protest.

I've had good luck with the durability of the ORoc 280s and I find them comfortable on my medium-wide feet...
http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG1&L...
I particularly like that the spikes are on the inside cleats.

I'm not sure why Inov-8 thinks tall people don't like light shoes. The 280 only goes to size 12. The ORoc 340 is available in my size (13) and appears to be a perfectly good shoe, but it's quite a bit heavier than any O-shoe I've worn in the past.

Any recommendation on inov-8 shoes for urban O? I am thinking of either the f-lite 230 or 220, just not sure which would be better.

I like the X-talon 212's. I've not worn the f-lite models, though.

I am looking for shoes that will be used for just urban sprint O, so mainly concrete and paved areas with small areas of grass. I have decided which shoes I would like to use for semi urban (Roclite 285).

I'd certainly use the X-talons for pavement and grass only events. The sticky rubber grips pretty well, I think.

I know you asked for inov-8 brand shoes, but I also really like these saucony kilkenny's.

Unless they've changed things, the f-lite 220s have the translucent rubber rather than the sticky rubber sole of the 230s. I'd stick with the sticky. ;-)

If you're willing to look away from the f-lites, the x-talon 212s are lighter than both of those f-lite models, and I find that they "mold" to my foot better than the f-lite 230s. The f-lites are great on hard trails and paved surfaces, but the x-talons are better on grass. In just about any kind of sprint race I'd choose the x-talons over the f-lites. If it's really a purely urban race then the f-lites would probably be nice. FYI, there are now lighter versions of both the x-talons and the f-lites for 2011.

Functionally there's not a ton of difference between the F-lite 220 and 230. They have done away with the translucent so the 220 is now a sticky rubber sole. Both are two-arrow shoc-zones, meaning they have a 6mm differential between heel and forefoot, and both are on the performance last. For urban o purposes they will perform close to identically.

If you can find it, there is also the new F-lite 195, which has a 3mm differential and is really nice.

I wouldn't use the Talons (either one) on concrete and pavement. The lugs on the sole will wear away in no time, and also feel lumpy underfoot. They're definitely an offroad shoe.

Watch the "sticky sole". It's a lot softer and will wear quicker. Inov-8 specifically say this on their website somewhere.

Louise, the X-Talons are ideal for sprint orienteering races, with excellent grip on paved surfaces as you frequently twist and turn. The WA Sprint Champs in 2010 were held in pouring rain, and many runners were slipping and sliding on both grass and pavement - not me!

At 2-3km a time you won't experience significant wear on the lugs, and unless you are an elite you probably won't be doing more than 5-10 sprint events a year.

The stickiness of my XT's soles has diminished, but with no apparent effect on the grip.

Having said this however, I don't believe that paved surfaces do wear out the XT's lugs. AP'er PG has used them in road running races, including a 10-miler and a half-marathon. Seems there was little or no wear on the soles, but he did get injured heels shortly afterwards, no doubt due to the lack of cushioning in the heel that good road shoes usually have.

I don't usually wear my X-Talons for urban sprint, but I'll back simmo's statements on out State champs in the rain. They were excellent for cornering on wet pavement.

Old school Inov-8's for $25. Mudclaw 270's.
http://www.6pm.com/inov-8-mudclaw-270-silver-red

Too small for me... only sizes left are men's 5 and 6 (apparently women's 6.5 and 7.5).

I have a question about the size. Did anyone who bought oroc 280 buy the same size you generally wear? I mean, I ve heard that orocs are smaller and you need get 1 size bigger. Is that right?
For example, according to size comparison chart of inov-8, 27.5 cm equals to 10.5 US. But the salomon slab-3 i wear now are 27.5 cm but are 9.5 US. So what do you think which size I should get. should i consider US size or cm scale? I have to get it online and no choice to try it anywhere around where i live.
Thanksss.

i've both inov-8 xtalon and oroc and in both shoes i've UK seize 7.. So for me it was the same.
I'm thinking about ordering xtalon 190, anyone any experience with this new shoe?