Inov8 - X-Talon 212

Adidas terrex speed pro sg. I have these and inov8 talon 212. Talon slightly better grip but i always go to the terrex because they are more comfortable and slightly wider in the toe box if you order half size up.

Damn, it's been a while. In my home region (soft woods with widely available marshes/bogs) they were very popular about a decade ago among trail runners and orienteerers before VJ effectively took over. Still see them occasionally but they aren't nearly as big as they used to be. I still my pair of X-Talon 212 but out of all the pairs I've got they're the only one that boldly claim perfect fit and funnily enough they have the worst for fit me. That's one of the reason they're still alive — I barely use them. Have to admit though, for the purpose they're good. Light, grippy, shed mud away quickly and pretty tough upper.

After trying a few different shoes, I've decided that Merrell Long Sky 2 and Skyfire 2 are perfect for me. Fairly firm, don't have a massive drop and grippy enough for all but the worst weather conditions. I also have some Inov-8 x-talon 212 which come in handy when it's wet and muddy. I don't think they make them anymore, very narrow shoe but I've run varying distances up to 32km in them with no problems.

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.

VJ iRocks for racing. Scott Supertrac RC2s are the closest I’ve found to roclites for daily training. I’ve got a pair of the OMM fell shoes to try but I’ve been out with the flu so haven’t given them a go yet. Luckily still have some old 212s that i save for special occasions…

Inov8's are now in the 260-270g range (it's a shame they do not do X-talon 212 anymore) but there are VJ's in the 220-250g range.

I have the innov8 MudTalon and the Innov8 talon212. I bought the Mud Talons to run that same 21k Spartan race last year due to the great traction and the softer insole (I thought would be beneficial for the longer distance). It was a huge mistake. They retained water like buckets. Zero drainage. That central Florida course is loaded with water and deep mud crossings (mid thigh to waist deep for long stretches. By mile 5 my shoes felt like cement blocks. Other than the miserable drainage they're pretty comfy for an OCR shoe. The Talon212's were my old trusty OCR shoe but were basically barefoot shoes or very minimalist in terms of cushioning which made me hesitate to wear them on the 21k run. They're equal in terms of traction but have far superior drainage, very flexible, and lightweight. Unfortunately they are no longer sold in stores so you'll have to search for them. I'm doing the same race this year but I'm bringing the 212s! My wife wore the Craft brand Spartan shoes that they sell at the race and on the Spartan site and she loved them. Said they held no water at all and were comfortable enough to get through the run. Long story short prioritize drainage for that Florida course! Good luck on the race Aroooo!

If you don't care about the cost get the V2. The heel cup lockdown and overall fit was a lot better than v1. The V1 personally felt really sloppy and all over the place. The rubber is supposedly softer but I don't notice it, it's not as big of a difference as the jump to the vj butyl rubber or even the terrex continental (though this isn't as good as the vj rubber). Depending on what you want them for inov8 has just re-released the x-talon 212 and the Adidas terrex speed pro SG are amazing for race day!

Inov8 x talon 212 are the most perfect shoes. Never gotten any little injury or blister from them. In fact, when I needed to run through a small injury, they were more comfortable to wear than my road shoes. Incredible traction and pretty agile and good for feeling the ground. Unfortunately the new models are way different and not as good anymore.

Is there anything left in their lineup that's decent on rough open fell, tussocky grassy muddy stuff? The Xtalon 212 was my universal "off road with some path but will cope with proper muck" shoe for everything up to marathon. I still haven't found anything quite like them.

Yeh xtalon long lugs, mud and rain + gaitors is a must for me with my lab running through hilly woods. I only wear them for that occasion and lasting me years. I wanted to get trailfly max when I saw I pic of them, went to the shop to try them and the shallow heel cup was the reason I'm looking elsewhere, different brands.