Inov8 - Parkclaw G 280 Mens

I have picked these up recently and have found them reliable and sturdy underfoot so far. Previously I had a set of mizuno trial shoes which were good on the mud but slippy on pavements and particularly curbs. The Innov8's don't suffer with this and handle the terrain transitions well. Hope this helps.

yeah, I like shoes that resemble the shape of a human foot. I love my parkclaw 280 fit snug heel cup, great midfoot lockdown and spacious toe box. Just need to 1/2 up. Insoles is "super\* thick so can be changed to adjust fitting further.

Comparative review of three trail running shoes after a couple of hundred kilometers (most in the NB, least in the VJ) Use: forest trails, grass, obstacle courses (including rope climbing), mud & paved surfaces. Not used on hills and rocky terrain. Standout features and pros: Hierro: all day comfort, plushness, lots of padding around the heel and ankle, Vibram rubber compound stick to everything, great for walking too, mild outsole lugs that feel great on paved surfaces too, nice forefoot flexibility allowing ground feel even with the enormous amount of midsole. This is the Sunday long run shoe. Parkclaw: do-it-all road to trail show, immediate perfect fit, no break in period required at all. The soles strike a good balance between responsiveness, comfort, ground feel and agility, good enough for obstacle races and rope climbing, nice forefoot flexibility, good outsole durability, rugged upper that can withstand abuse. This is the very day trainer. VJ Spark: minimalistic off road performance, most aggressive outsole with VJ's own rubber provides ultimate traction including mud, very nimble, lightweight and agile shoe, but still some comfort even on paved surfaces and even without much padding. Hug the feet tightly. No rock plate so proper flexibility. Great for obstacle and rope climbing. Thick insole so there are options for experimenting. This is the specialist shoe. Cons: The NB is simply too bulky for (technical) obstacles and fast short races: the mid- and outsole extend way beyond the foot. The outsole lugs are not aggressive enough to handle mud. The midsole is more plush than responsive so this shoe does not feel fast. The Parkclaw is so do-it-all that there are many compromises for each specific use case. The outsole lugs aren't aggressive enough for mud. One big disadvantage of the Parkclaw is the Inov8 graphene G-grip outsole that feels very slippery on wet hard surfaces. One of the worst I've encountered, but it's not so bad that it ruins the overall experience, you just have to be more careful. The laces are plasticky and come undone easily. I wouldn't recommend these as walking shoes. The VJ Spark sizing is off: all my shoes are either 11 or 11.5 US sizes and I ordered these in size 12 US because of what I read online. Still in size 12, the toe box was (initially) very narrow and required me to change the lacing system and required breaking in. The tongue is a thin flap with no padding. Outsole lug pattern is (obviously) not meant for paved surfaces. Probably great on descents but I have no way to test that. Outsole durability to be assessed.

My take is that the graphene rubber was designed for ultimate longevity, sacricing wet grip. It seems to wear very slowly, I guess the outsole will last 1000 km with mixed use. What do you mean precisely with the idiotic foot shape thing? I do like the VJ Sparks in the wet, especially on wet hard surfaces. On wet grass and undeep mud, the feel is great and they've got grip to spare! They don't seem to drain as well because there's a lot of plastic around the outside where the upper meets the sole.

There's going to be a compromise: you need aggressive lugs for snow and mud, but aggressive lugs aren't comfortable on road and wear down faster. So you need to decide for yourself what's more important to you and then choose the shoe accordingly. Examples of trail shoes with less aggressive lugs good for running on road: Inov8 Parkclaw, New Balance Hierro. Examples of trail shoes with aggressive lugs good for optimal grip in mud: Salomon Speedcross, INOV8 Mudclaw, ST version of the Saucony Peregrine. Many trail shoes including the regular (non-ST) version of the Peregrine are in between these two extremes.

Normal road shoes can handle that. Unless you're running in autumn and winter and those paths turn muddy, then it's nice to have shoes with lugs. I use road-to-trail shoes for that, the Inov8 Parkclaw.

New Balance Hierro, they're plush, cushioned, comfortable, grippy, but also a bit slow and heavy. Great hiking shoe as well. Inov8 Parkclaw: jack of all trades, master of none. Very durable, very allround, comfortable right out of the box, but the cushioning doesn't give much energy return so it feels a bit old fashioned and a little bit uninspiring. Doesn't feel like a trail shoe when running on road, but it does have trail shoe features like (mild) lugs, toe protector, ankle collar. It has a really wide toe box but also a good lockdown. Nike Vomero: cushioned road shoe that has an outsole tread pattern that is much more trail-like than other road shoes

Because everybody else already mentioned Topo, I'll say Inov8

I have a pair of Inov8 parkclaws that have more than 300 kms on them including obstacle courses and rope climbs and they look like they're new. They're not perfect, but they are the most durable running shoes I've owned.

Mine are the 290. The trail talon gtx look like a completely different shoe so I wouldn’t like to say if they’re ok or not. But yeah I think generally inov8 are a good solid choice. And I agree they easily stand up to the wet muddy slippery winter trails. I have the parkclaw as well and the grip on both is great. I only slipped and fell once in the talons and that was downhill on thick mud.

My best road to trails are innov8 park claw I think

Any trail shoe will wear down faster on pavement than it will on trails, so as long as you're aware that your use case will result in a shorter lifespan for your shoes, then yes, there are trail runners that would work well in this situation. Look for something with shorter/flatter lugs and a durable sole. Since you're in the UK, it should be relatively easy to find inov-8 shoes to try on. I might recommend the Parkclaw for this situation, they're intended for road and trail.

Inov8 with graphene has very good grip. Nike trail have no grip at all

I started noticing this a couple years ago and planned accordingly. For me I have huge feet and it's hard to find good shoes. For those in my situation and like a low drop and low rise, look into Inov-8. I've only bought these shoes since early '23 and I hope they never change.

Topo mtn racer has better grip. Inov8 has better grip also; Trailfly for hard trails and Mudfly for wet/mud.

I’ve been wearing Inov-8s for 15+ years for trail and fell running and even moved to them for XC races when achilles injuries meant I could no longer wear spikes. Always done the job for me, reasonable value and regularly available with chunky discounts online.

Inov-8 has a bunch of models in a wide size now. Even the older models I use have a lot of room for my toes. Durability is fine I think, compared to what I read about Altras.

I'd say yes (not having used the latest models personally though). I find mine very comfortable.

I just ran a 50 miler in Altras and my feet were amazing throughout. But I have trained in them and Inov-8s for over a decade

Don’t know of any places that offer that kind of support but you could try inov8. They’re outsoles are supposed to be tough. The ones I’ve used fell apart before the sole showed any wear. They’re sizing isn’t very consistent though so worth trying in a shop if you can find them.

Only Inov-8 and VJ are going to be mega-grippy in the Adirondacks, followed by footwear with Vibram, then everything else. That said, I'll still throw on a pair of Sauconys for the Great Range and just keep the footwork quick and light. At least the ADK granite isn't as slippery as Vermont schist!

VJ or Inov8 both are wider and VJ has the best rubber on the market

You should give the Inov8 shoes a try. I remember the older Merrell Moab shoes to last pretty long for most people, though no idea on the quality of their current shoes. How much do you weigh?

Have you found an alternative with similar feel but better grip and more robust outsole? I like my 13s for grassy Scottish trails, but they do not feel secure on wet rocks and the outsole wears out too quickly. Inov8s are too narrow for me..

Love the inov8 fit and grip - hate the lack of energy return. Feel like I've got bricks on my feet after 50 miles! Looking for an alternative, gonna be trying the Topo MTN racer for my next winter shoe

I ran Lofoten for a few months in autumn/winter and i'm from the UK and Inov8 are probably the best call here for ground conditions, both very similar.

If you want grip on rock I cannot recommend the Decathlon TR2 and MT3 enough. Uppers will last you 1400km-2000km, i've had 6 pairs so i know. Inov8 do some great trainers but i've had 2 pairs both fall apart in less than 400km on the same trails i run with the Decathlons and i've worked with some athletes on FKT and races and their trainers fell apart quicker than we would have liked too.

Yeah I’ve used both Altra and Inov8 on long distance hikes and Inov8s are far more durable. Altras will give you 500 miles *maybe*. My current pair of Inov8s have 700 miles on them and they’re still going. They also have the best sole material I’ve found for slippery mud and rocks.

Never needed support shoes when running trails. Road I use Gel-Kayanos or GT1000s. Off road I run in Inov8, model depends on terrain. I've had some Salomons but they went AWOL.

Too narrow for me. Gave me bunions

Always always always Inov-8 shoes. Still love my Nathan running vest for hydration for longer trail runs.

I just ordered Inov8, they have anatomic shaped toebox options and wide options, and also zero drop models. I love zero drop and I've been wearing it exclusively for year and a half, but for racing trail I think I might benefit from some drop. I think my calves might also love 6mm drop, but we'll see. Anyway, there are some great YT reviews for new Trailfly and Trailtalon, check it out. Also, I had a pair of Inov8 years ago and they were indestructible, which I cannot say for Altras. LP7 is better made than other pairs I own, though... Torin and Outroad uppers are so poorly made.. I still loveand wear them, but such a shame.

I used to do a race where there were waist deep river crossings. I used a pair of inov8 trainers which drained well, they also had insoles with holes in them that helped. Probably more importantly I used to cover feet in vaseline which helped protect the skin from becoming prematurely "soak softened"

Been in inov8s for decades. Great trail shoe. Full on off roaders are the mudclaw or xtalon. Then there's the intermediate ones. Give them a go.

Inov8 Absolutely love their shoes. One of my pairs is 5 years old and is in desperate need of repair but somehow still get me round semi mudi trails.

Find a reputable gear store with lots of choice, get your shoes fitted and walk around the store, wear the socks you intend to hike in and make sure your feet are warm before you start. If you can borrow a pack off the shelf with some weight in it (if you don’t have your own) walk around the store and up/down steps if you can. Buy the ones that fit best at the price you can afford. If you have weak ankles boots might be better but training walks in shoes can make your ankles stronger. Better grip is more important that being waterproof. I bought a pair of Inov8 shoes off the back of many recomendations, they were the worst shoes ever (for me). I stick with what works for me - Merrell Moab.

Inov-8 are a blast. I have now a pair of Terraultra. Best shoe ever with my VJ Maxx. Incredible sole, and perfect for thin foot.

You need to try them on. I tried Merrell, La Sportiva and inov8 when I bought some trail shoes recently. I thought I'd like the inov8 but the La Sportiva fitted better because they are available in half sizes. I have 2 pairs of scarpa boots and would endorse those too. go outdoors is good if you're near one.

I’ve had this with all my trail shoes. Altras, inov8 and Salomon. They’ve all split around the sides all within a year of owning.

I’ve been really impressed with the peregrines. Used them a fair bit over the lake and some steep rocky downhills and they’ve been fab. Far better than my previous pair of inov8s which I think had involvement from Torville and/or Dean in the design

Inov8 have become my favourites

Altras or topos....stable, but not sure they are "affordable". Agreed with others, no such thing as ankle support, but stability for sure. I had a pair of Saucony that felt great, but were ankle sprainers beyond a doubt. Running in Topos and Inov-8s now.

I had a pair of Inov8s which were the best, again from around this time period. And then they changed everything but kept the names the same, my next pair tore my feet up - you can't win!

LP 6,7,8 have been fantastic for me. Dipped my toes in Topo’s but they did not work for me. Inov8 also worked well for me - not as wide as Altra but I found the volume to be quite roomy.

Man, I've beat the hell out of my peregrines and never seen this Inov-8 fits me well as a not wide shoe, but depending on where you are, may not be able to try them on in any stores

I swear by inov8 trainers since I bought some last year for hiking the highlands. Very lightweight, decently wide fitting and super comfortable, waterproof too (obviously to a certain extent).