Inov8 - X-Talon 200
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 15, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
164
49
"Comfort is superb for me, no problem at all running them all day everyday when I WFH with constant meetings or music going on for 8+ hours."
"Distances 20KM+, I think the Prodigio Pro's good balance of comfort and grip just wins here."
"I did run a 100km race in the full size up without touching the shoe once in the whole race."
8
3
"Even after nearly 500km the outsole probably has another 500km in it. So great job on the durability part."
"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."
"I have a pair of old Fujilyte 2 to walk the dog and these MFs still stick to the ground as fairly new."
4
0
"Highlight for me is the way they drain"
"waterproof too (obviously to a certain extent)"
"they handle wet and drain fast"
9
11
"I have narrow feet and hike/ backpack I love my La Sportiva Bushido trail runners."
"the X-Talons were like a tight glove with minimal movement running."
"I have narrow feet and hike/ backpack I love my La Sportiva Bushido trail runners."
13
3
"They also have the best sole material I’ve found for slippery mud and rocks."
"the 6mm lugs really helping in the shitty clay mud of the Surrey and South Downs hills."
"imo x talons are excellent at wet rock"
Disliked most:
4
41
"I hate the baffle design of my Therm A Rest Neo Air XLite and have to use it at a fairly low pressure for comfort. Which makes the insulation way worse than its R-value would suggest."
"leaked out the valve all through Washington, leaving me on the ground multiple times per night, waking me up every hour or so."
"I'm a side sleeper and my arms and shoulders ache and/or fall asleep or go numb on the Xlite."
8
37
"The problem is that the precision fit isn't precise - a massive step back given their intended use."
"They all fit differently. ... It was infuriating. ... So, a warning to all: Try all models of a given brand, because you can't rely on equivalent fit."
"I did end up going for a run with them yesterday though and I don't think they're going to work for me. I want them to, but there's just not enough room for my toes in the end. ... Ultimately I do like them and their build quality is clearly superior to Speedgoats. But between their non-wide toebox and having to *size normally* to accommodate that instead of *sizing down* like the internet suggests because they *fit long*, I found they fit a bit awkwardly. ... I've ran in them four times now and rolled my ankle three of those times. Yesterday put me on the verge of injury. I want to like them, and they're built very well, but they're not built for my feet. I think they're just too narrow and throw off my balance."
4
19
"very fragile when they come into contact with any rocks or roots. ... When I finished they were full of holes. ... For 160 euros I'll be lucky if they last the month."
"In the front right corner of the left shoe (and vice versa with the right one) they have a strange sharp strengthening that cuts against my toe. ... It doesn't really hurt the first few kilometers, but if I run over 8 km, especially in the descents they destroy my toe to a point it really hurts a lot and I can't wear the shoes for another 2 days."
"the material is starting to tear on both sides where my foot bends. ... Low miles on the shoes. ... so it appears durability has decreased as well. ... It’s very disappointing."
0
1
"hate the lack of energy return. ... Feel like I've got bricks on my feet after 50 miles!"
3
2
"Far better than my previous pair of inov8s which I think had involvement from Torville and/or Dean in the design"
"Wouldn't like to be caught on wet slabby rock."
"Wouldn't like to be caught on wet slabby rock."
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.
r/trailrunning • Why are so many trail shoes now high stack + high drop? ->Topo mtn racer has better grip. Inov8 has better grip also; Trailfly for hard trails and Mudfly for wet/mud.
r/trailrunning • What to choose as second shoes? ->I much prefer the new Mudtalon to these - have had both. The X-talon a pure soft ground shoe I think though. Wouldn't like to be caught on wet slabby rock. You can get a range of fits in the newer shoe too - precision, standard and wide which helps.
r/trailrunning • Inov8 X Talon 260, worth a buy? ->Would love to know how inov8 ranks here, imo x talons are excellent at wet rock
r/trailrunning • The best wet rock grip, Arcteryx, Adidas, Salomon, Altra, LaSportiva, Icebug, VJ ->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.
r/trailrunning • Looking for my first trail running shoes..help needed ->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.
r/Ultralight • advice wanted on trail runners for hiking ->I'd say yes (not having used the latest models personally though). I find mine very comfortable.
r/Ultralight • advice wanted on trail runners for hiking ->I can also confirm the durability of Inov-8s!
r/Ultralight • Another discussion on shoes - please help ->I don’t have answers, but I’m with ya! Have run in the X-Talon 200’s and lighter options for years. They are all gone now. I’m trying the Mudtalon Speeds now. Beefier shoe than I’m used to, but not terrible, 4mm drop, which is at my upper limit. Main complaint so far is that the material is starting to tear on both sides where my foot bends. Low miles on the shoes. …so it appears durability has decreased as well. It’s very disappointing.
r/trailrunning • What happened to Inov8 shoes? ->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.
r/trailrunning • Getting back to running after paralysis: check ✅ / Making my shoes last more than 3 months: not check ->VJ or Inov8 both are wider and VJ has the best rubber on the market
r/trailrunning • Nike ACG Ultrafly 2 ! ->I maintain that it was a crime to replace the Mudclaw and Xtalon with that shoe. They replaced their fell shoes with a trail shoe that's good in mud. They're just shit at contouring and too fragile to bash through heather etc.
r/trailrunning • What’s the best trail running shoe you’ve ever owned and why? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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