Inov8 - X-Talon 255
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 15, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
1103
405
"The roborock I have kicked and smashed with my foot so many times out of anger when it doesn't collaborate, and still he rocks 4-5 yrs later and no broken parts"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"I've used them for 1500 miles of multi-day hiking with no issues!"
5
5
"personally the wider comment has me worried as I have, as a veteran ski boot fitter once told me, "possibly the skinniest foot [they've] ever seen" and found the V1 and V2 perfect for trail and off trail."
"Narrow foot here- Salomon low Ultras or La Sportiva mesh Raptors, I’ve had both."
"Given your narrow feet, La Sportiva and Salomon tend to run slimmer."
36
5
"They also have the best sole material I’ve found for slippery mud and rocks."
"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."
"imo x talons are excellent at wet rock"
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"
2
0
"waterproof too (obviously to a certain extent)"
"inov8 trainers which drained well"
"they also had insoles with holes in them that helped."
Disliked most:
61
88
"And then during a race in September the mid sole of one pulled right off with less than 200 km on them."
"My Timps got holes after 4 weeks of wearing lol ... Forgot exactly where but it was the toe box. ... Never seen running shoes with such a shitty build quality before. ... Altra is definitely skimping on the materials since they were sold a few years ago."
"I beat the ever living shit out of my shoes in the Colorado high country and have had to shoe goo the soles twice in spots so it’s definitely not bomb proof."
0
4
"the new Innov8 last shape I find really narrow in the mid and quite long in the toe so I sent them back."
"The problem is that the precision fit isn't precise - a massive step back given their intended use."
"the new Innov8 last shape I find really narrow in the mid and quite long in the toe so I sent them back."
0
1
"hate the lack of energy return. ... Feel like I've got bricks on my feet after 50 miles!"
0
5
"But far too narrow. ... I’d get pain running on side hills from the tendons in my ankle resisting the torque because my forefoot wasn’t spread wide enough to give it support."
"But far too narrow. ... I’d get pain running on side hills from the tendons in my ankle resisting the torque because my forefoot wasn’t spread wide enough to give it support."
"Inov8 aren't that wide apart from the toe box. ... I tried their wide fit and found trabucos to be wider around the arch of your foot. ... I have flat-ish arches so find it very uncomfortable if my foot ends up collapsing over the end of the shoe."
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 ->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 ->I love Inov-8 shoes, but for some reason their new wide toe box shoe, the inner heel padding wore out on my after 200 miles. First time I had a blister in ages. Other than that, they make the best quality shoes.
r/Ultralight • Another discussion on shoes - please help ->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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