Inov8 - TRAILFLY MAX

Inov8 trailfly max are wide and cushioned. They're more a summer trail shoe. The new trail talon max would be the more aggressive lugged alternative if you were to run in mud

I’ve just gotten the Trailfly Max, taken them for two runs, 43km total. Even in wide the toe box is not as wide as my standard width Topos which will probably help them appeal to more people. The grip on the outsole is absolutely fantastic. The supercritical midsole feels fantastic, but I do hope they take that foam to their lower-stack Trailfly because the high stack of the Max is definitely not the smartest choice for the horribly uneven terrain I was on yesterday. However, for OP, they may not be the right fit since it seems they are looking for stronger arch support and the Inov8 has very little and the whole shoe is purposely very flexible to allow for “natural” foot movement to “strengthen” the muscles in the foot.

Thanks so much. Really useful, some good options to look into. I actually tried on a trailfly max recently in wide, and felt very snug in midfoot also - abit too snug for me to be confident using without issues. Perhaps worth trying a size up as they did feel like i would otherwise get on with them very well

For flat feet, stay away from Topo - they have super high arch support that caused me major issues even with just low arches. I've been having good luck with Inov8 lately and have also heard really good things about Norda. Altra Experience Wilds were also nice. Hokas in a wide didn't work for me because they only widen the midfoot, but still have a pointy little toebox. Xodus Ultras were also a bit too narrow in the toebox for me for anything over 50k.

I'm loving the Roadfly Max right now. I'm using it for door to trail on mild dry trails right now. Going to be ordering a pair of Trailfly Maxes as soon as I wear out the Altra Experience Wilds I'm using for wet and technical trail right now.

I'm in Inov8 right now and pretty happy. I have a wide forefoot that blisters badly in narrow shoes. I did Altra for a while, but started struggling to get over 300mi in them - build quality seemed to drop. I switched to Topo for a bit, but the high arch support messed up my low arch feet. Inov8 in wide has enough room in the toebox and also has the high build quality of the Topos. I'm doing Trailfly Max for trail and Roadfly Max for road. Just did a 100mi a few weeks ago in them and it's the first one I've ever done with zero blisters.

Normal width, large toe box See altra, topo, inov8. I’ve actually found Hoka challenger 8 (wide) to be a little bit snugger than inov8 trailfly max (wide).

mmmm...they have rather a robust outsole. To my opinion not suited for roads. Fits best in non technical terrain and mud. Check my review: [https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2025/05/inov-8-trailfly-max-review-long-haul.html](https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2025/05/inov-8-trailfly-max-review-long-haul.html)

How frustrating! Inov8 shoes in wide fit might work, then. I found the Trailfly Max wide throughout but my heel slipped as my heel is narrow. There are other models in wide as well. Their return system works well. Good luck!

The new Trailfly Max in available on the Inov8 website for 150£ or 170€. Spec wise its fairly similar to the current Trailfy with an increased midsole stack of 24/18mm, comparing that to the Trailfly, the total stack should be around 36/30mm. The interesting part however seems to be the new nitrogen infused EVA midsole, which is claimed and should be lighter and bouncier, since I didn't find any reviews of yet, it remains to be seen. The weight is not listed on the official website. It should be great shoe for long distances, especially who likes the wide forefoot with some drop, at the moment only a wide option is available. https://preview.redd.it/0zf4m50mgfoe1.jpg?width=493&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f4a333e7005f2b29e5cab0b8fda7264c1f77660

Appreciate the feedback, allready read it yesterday morning 😁. From the newer Inov-8 line up I only have the Mudtalon and I can relate to the heel lockdown you mentioned. The ankle collar is shallow, the heel cup height looks adequate but it feels like it's barely touching my heel, so secure lockdown in the heel is an issue. The shoe is totaly runable, it's just something to keep in mind if you are heading for some technical terrain. Otherwise I was surprised by the fit of the shoe, which felt a bit shallow in volume and a bit rigid in the forefoot, but with some breaking in it's realy comfortable, with good lockdown in the midfoot and no slipping in the forefoot. Regarding the Trailfly Max, it looks like a potential replacement for the Zegama 2 I'm curently using for more runnable terrain. My only problem with the Zegamas is the toebox is really shallow, I'm always feeliing a bit of numbness if the socks are not super thin. For me the Zegamas didn't feel too soft and mushy like some described it, the balance between cushion and ground feel is something I appreciate, which seems to be the case in the Trailfly Max as you described.

I just switched from speedgoats (wide size) to the inov8 trailfly max (wide) and love it. Switched as the speedgoat toe box got norrower in the version 6

I have 2E, high instep, high-med arch and med heel. Have always hard trouble finding the right shoes. Loved the old NB Leadvilles. Had been using the Speedgoats v5-6 the past few years, but found the v6 a bit narrower and causing some pain and blistering on both the inside and outside edges. Am now using the Inov8 Trailfly Max and loving it. I did need to go a half US/EU size up from what I used in the speedgoat due to different toe box shape. The NB Hierro and Hoka Challengers are similar in feel to me. The Hierro was a great fit, but too soft and unstable in the heel on technical terrain but I may still use it for more tame conditions. The Challenger is similar in ground feel to the Hierro, but the outside edge of the toe box curves in too early for my feet putting pressure on the small toe. Both the Trailfly Max and the Hierro required some playing with the lacing to get right. While the Trailfly Max is amazing on my feet, it is slightly snug in the midfoot, though I have higher than normal wide volume there.

- Had used the speedgoat 5, but the 6 was too narrow. - Tried the NB hierro this summer and was great but felt unstable on technical stuff. - Inov8 trailfly max has been awesome and my new favorite (needs to be 1/2 size up from Hoka size)

inov8 Trailfly. You've got the Trailfly Speed, Trailfly Max, Trailfly Zero or standard Trailfly all with either a standard or wide variant. I'd also add that their last is as wide as the old Vivobarefoots and wider than the newer Vivos. Comparable to the Altras that I have in a similar size. I measured these by overlaying the insoles on top of each other.

inov8 Trailfly. You've got the Trailfly Speed, Trailfly Max, Trailfly Zero or standard Trailfly all with either a standard or wide variant. I'd also add that their last is as wide as the old Vivobarefoots and wider than the newer Vivos. Comparable to the Altras that I have in a similar size. I measured these by overlaying the insoles on top of each other.