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Reddit Reviews
For most UK hiking trail runners are great, I made the switch to Inov8 G 270 from a pair of Scarpa boots and don't regret it. I have a pair of slightly larger boots for when its really minging out but as someone else who also runs hot, trust me your feet will thank you.
I’ve gone through 7 pairs of the G270 and love Inov-8 in general. I’ve used them for all distances up to 50M. Got a pair of the V2 as soon as they were available, curious about trying my favorite shoe in a low(ish) drop. The heel hold was very bad for me, and it worsened my minor tendency to overpronate. The result is I got shin splints after less than 250 km and had to retire them. Unfortunately not for me -still haven’t tried the zero drop trailfly as I’m still on G270s, but I have lost a bit of confidence.
I’ve gone through 7 pairs of the G270 and love Inov-8 in general. I’ve used them for all distances up to 50M. Got a pair of the V2 as soon as they were available, curious about trying my favorite shoe in a low(ish) drop. The heel hold was very bad for me, and it worsened my minor tendency to overpronate. The result is I got shin splints after less than 250 km and had to retire them. Unfortunately not for me -still haven’t tried the zero drop trailfly as I’m still on G270s, but I have lost a bit of confidence.
Worth noting that G270s are very passive lug-wise for inov-8, have stopped being made, and inov-8 have gone massively downhill in the past few years, including but not limited to using a new factory with massive QC issues and replacing the excellent mudclaw with the mudtalon, which falls apart and much worse on rough terrain. The classic mud shoe of theirs was the mudclaw, which is coming back for sale this winter, however it is being made by their new shitty factory, so it remains to be seen if they will survive a week of running.
I feel the 'new' range is just uninspiring and feels old fashioned. I tried the Trailfly Speed which was heavy with a dull foam. Standard Trailfly was heavier with more dull foam! They just aren't competitive with other shoes out there. La Sportiva Prodigio shows how a modern all round trail shoe should be (and it's been a massive success). It's a shameas they used to be one of my favourite shoe brands, I went through 4 pairs of the G270's loved that shoe. Numerous Roclite, Mudclaw, X-Talon. I just don't consider them as an option any more. I live in the Lake District and not many of my friends wear them either any more. Mudclaws used to be the go to. See a lot of VJ, Terrex, Nnormal, La Sportiva and Hoka now.
Just for statistics: I still really like them. After the updates to all the product lines they fit my feet even better. Luck of the draw I guess. First used the Trailtalon 235 in 2019 followed by two pairs of the Trailfly G270 V1 and a Trailfly G300Max. So I never wore the fell running models of the glory days everyone seems to miss so much. Now using Mudtalon Speed, Trailfly Speed and Max Models. They fit loose in the heel which you can counter with adjusted lacing. All of them are extremely durable with good grip. I also like the wider toe box. The look is quite dated and uninspiring though.
I'll chime in as someone who's worn out two pairs of the Trailfly G270 V2's. Best outsole (great grip, low stack, very comfortable padding), but sub-par (even for "modern" Inov8) durability. Both shoes had a worn out outsole and ripped uppers within 250-300 km.
That’s quite accurate. I have a Hoka Speedgoat. First impression is good. Yet it’s the least used shoes (almost never). It just doesn’t feel good when running. I wear Inov8 Trailfly G270 every time. On my fourth pairs of those now (from back when it was called Terraultra). This is obviously personal to me as everyone know that everyone’s different 😆
UK13 tried a bunch of shoes, from Salomon to NNormal to Inov8 and La Sportiva. The old Wildcross, if you can still find them, were great for muddy English trails. Never versions not so much. I'd steer clear of NNormal and their Kjerag as their (lack of) cushion doesn't suit heavier runners. Killian is 60 kilos, you and I aren't :) La Sportiva Jackal did wonders for me, very stable like all their shoes. Probably because their DNA is mountaineering. I've tried the Prodigio Pro for last year's CCC but had heel pain - could've been from training in Korean, though. Last but not the least - Inov8 G270 is a great local catch, if your Achilles can handle zero drop. Plenty of cushion and graphene traction to go.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Deep mud and soft ground

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Salomon - Speedcross Series
Best for Quick draining and drying for wet trails

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Altra - Lone Peak Series
Best for Road-to-trail transitions

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Nike - Pegasus Trail Series
Best for Steep technical descents

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Altra - Lone Peak Series
Best for Technical rocky terrain

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La Sportiva - Prodigio Series
Best for Ultra-marathon racing

Top pick
La Sportiva - Prodigio Series





