Trailtalon Speed

I love my Inov8 shoes, and think their new lineup is great. Anatomically shaped, regular and wide options, comfortable and stable, and there are models for all diff terrain (same rubber compound). They seem to be misunderstood, these days. The closest replacement for the Roclite 275 v2 is the Trailtalon Speed (6mm lugs, similar midsole stack, 6mm drop instead of 8mm). I’ve run multiple 100mi races in Trailfly Speed and Trailfly Zero **Roadfly** has a 0-2mm tread **Trailfly** has a 4mm tread **Trailtalon** has a 6mm tread **Mudtalon** has an 8mm tread Of those models, the variations are with drop and stack height following drop and stack (without the tread depth): **Zero** (i.e. Roadfly Zero) is zero drop, 18mm **Regular** (i.e. Mudtalon) is 6mm drop, 24/18mm **Speed** (i.e. Trailtalon Speed) is a 4mm drop, 17/13mm **Max** (i.e. Trailfly Max) is a 6mm drop, 30/24mm

They’re all the same shape, and the models (i.e. Trailfly Zero, Trailfly Speed, Trailfly Max) have different drop and amount of cushion. However, as far as aggressive sole, choose which line of Inov8 shoes based on the tread/terrain you plan to encounter: Roadfly = 0-2mm tread; Trailfly = 4mm tread; Trailtalon = 6mm tread; Mudtalon = 8mm tread

I’m using inov8 Trailtalons wide aw25 Admittedly almost none of my running is on tarmac, but the small amount that is feels fine. I found them a bit stiff in the sole for the first 3 outings (9-30k) but they’ve worn in and I get a good degree of flexibility They have 6 mm lugs with a reasonable amount of surface area on each so tarmac and paving isn’t too slippery. Ive also used mudtalons (aw24). They were great for the really sloppy stuff in Feb and March but generally I think I prefer the trailtalons. Mudtalons are not as good on the road and I prefer something that’s a bit more versatile for occasions that warrant it. Good luck. Lots of great advice on this thread

I’d suggest inov8 Trailfly . I’m on my 3rd pair and I find them perfect. They recently redesigned their last placing a specific emphasis on brining in a much wider toe box. Lug dept is 4mm and offset is 6mm. Great for dry trails. If you live in an area where it gets wet and muddy in the winter then you could go for the trailtalons, basically the same shoe but with a 6mm lug - same offset. Much better in the mud. Because of the deeper lugs they take (in my experience) about 50k for the outsole to wear in, but I’m finding them great now. Good luck.

Interesting that you don’t like the trailtalons for longer distances. I’m running in a pair now. I’ve used the trialfly over 50+km but I hear you on the energy return issue. To deal with that problem earlier this year I switched to Trailfly max for a 125km in the Pyrenees, they were a disaster (I’d rather stick to the regular trailflys). That said they do a trailtalon max version and if you are one of the many who do get on with them, those might be a great option for you.

If you don't have a very wide heel/midfoot you could also try the Inov8 Trailfly or Trailton wide models. Foot shaped, wide at the front and with a durable graphene sole. Both available in zero drop versions. I went from the Lone Peaks to these models and couldn't be happier, they better hold the midfoot in place on oneven trails if you don't have a beefy midfoot.

Inov8 Trailtalon, with rockplate, footshaped, choice of regular/wide and 6mm drop/zero drop. The front of the wide version is comparable in width to the Altra LP, the midfoot and heel offer much more stability. Also the Inov8 Trailfly model (designed harder surfaces) has a rockplate, but only the Trailfly, the Trailfly V2 doesn't have a rockplate.

While I like my trailtalon wide, I agree that they’re very wide even compared to Altra. I will not get the wide in the future. Upper durability hasn’t been a problem so far. The heel collar has degraded somewhat but with no impact on how it feels.

Trailtalons have 6mm lugs and still do great in mud. The boomerang footbed helps on tarmac. Still much more a mud than road shoe though.

Can confirm the same for the Trailtalon. I’ll also say the inov8 footshape is broader at the forefoot than the prodigio pro.

I feel you. Did the barefoot thing for a few years, then decided for me it was more about the trails and I switched to super minimal shoes. That was over a decade ago. I loved it, still do. But if I started building any real distance week over week my calves just don’t cope well. I grabbed some Inov-8s with a 4mm drop in a wide fit and just that much less Achilles stress has been a godsend. Took some adjusting, and I still would rather have the ground feel of a minimal shoe but now it’s my stamina that holds me back rather than my soft tissues and that’s hard to complain about.