Inov8 - X-Talon G 235
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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!"
92
25
"My longest day in them was 32 miles with 10k gain and not a hotspot to write about. And this was over East Coast muddy rooty rocky wet."
"Best shoe for mixed UK terrain in terms of grip is the La Sportiva Mutant in my opinion. ... Sticks to wet Lake District rock and is decently lugged."
"Yes they're great. I live in PNW and am always on slippery rocks and roots"
12
10
"the X-Talons were like a tight glove with minimal movement running."
"a bit more supportive ... Turns out padding and isolation from scorching hot jagged/sloped black basalt surfaces is important."
"It’s really great as the toe box is wide anyway but then you can get a better fit for the heel/body of the foot"
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."
29
14
"Super comfortable resin shell, has shorter nozzle so no discomfort with insertion for me, YMMV. ... Just prefer the tuning & fit/design of the InAwaken, it can be used all day with no problems physically or musically. ... I can’t speak for you but had zero comfort issues (my ears are small/medium in width). The inner shell is very smooth with no bumpy nodules. Has the best fit of my x4 current iem’s."
"The fit is incredible, light, shorter nozzle, so sits great in-ear/canal area isn irritated. ... Can wear all day with zero fatigue."
"Hours and hours of usage everyday and no headaches, no sweat ... I prefer using IE-300 for longer sessions out of them all."
Disliked most:
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."
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
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."
10
16
"The ankle collar just doesn’t work for me my malleoli are extremely sensitive, and any contact causes irritation, even with socks on ."
"The ankle collar just doesn’t work for me my malleoli are extremely sensitive, and any contact causes irritation, even with socks on ."
"Great shoe but murder on my pinky toes."
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? ->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 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? ->Love the inov8 fit and grip - hate the lack of energy return. Feel like I've got bricks on my feet after 50 miles! Looking for an alternative, gonna be trying the Topo MTN racer for my next winter shoe
r/trailrunning • favorite technical trail running shoe? ->I’ve gotten great longevity out of Inov8 trail runners. 800-ish Appalachian Trail miles on a pair.
r/Ultralight • More durable/longevity trail runner and hiking shoe options? ->Always always always Inov-8 shoes. Still love my Nathan running vest for hydration for longer trail runs.
r/trailrunning • What trail running shoes & gear are you all rocking this season? ->It's a bit strange but the shoe seems to move around my foot more when running. The actual grip of the lugs is great, but my foot moves around in the Mudtalons more, so they're not as stable. Very often I'll put my foot down and because of the instability my ankle or lower leg will twist or move awkwardly. I've never had that issue with a pair of fell running shoes before - the X-Talons were like a tight glove with minimal movement running. It's not much of an issue for training runs but I can't race in the Mudtalons.
r/trailrunning • What happened to Inov8 shoes? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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