Inov-8 Trailroc 150: a brief review

Recently, during the very hot weather that England has been experiencing it decided to rain for a few days, turning the hard and dry trails back into wet, sticky and very slippery mud. My favourite trail shoes are still by far the Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS (see here for full review: http://caveman-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/vibram-fivefingers-spyridon-vs-spyridon.html). But in very wet and sticky mud, the limited depth of the lugs can lead to them quickly clogging up leaving you back to slippy-slidysit-on-your-butt-before-long style running on ascents and descents. Therefore, for these wetter conditions I am still looking for a minimalist, bareform trail shoe with a little more grip. This is why I decided to try the Inov-8 Trailroc 150; Inov-8's latest and very minimal trail runner for serious barefoot enthusiasts.

Inov-8 Mudclaw 265 Review

Recently, I have had the privilege of trying out the new serious off-roaders from Inov-8; the Mudclaw 265. These extreme mud-pluggers certainly looked the part, but will they earn my approval or be put back in their box and returned?

Straight out of the box these were clearly another fantastic looking trail and fell shoe from Inov-8. The colour scheme looks fast, professional and attractive. Couple this with the serious studs on the sole of this minimalist trail shoe and you can see why it may get the heads turning of anyone interested in finding a decent, lightweight high-performance fell and trail runner!

Inov-8 X Talon 190 Review

Over the last few weeks I have tried and tested the Inov-8 X-Talon 190 fell and trail shoe. I have seriously put these shoes through their paces in a variety of conditions and terrains, from soppy mud in the East of England to the Scottish Highlands. Therefore I feel I stand in good stead to tell you all what I discovered to be the good, bad and the ugly of the super light light racing shoe from Inov-8.

 

A great looking and lightweight trail/fell shoe

Coming soon ... review of the Inov-8 X-Talon 190

For the full review please click here:
http://caveman-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/inov-8-x-talon-190-review.html

Hi everyone,

It has been a long while since I last blogged, but don't fret. In this time I have accumulated a variety of minimalist trail shoes and am just about ready to emerge from this difficult English winter with a few well-thought out reviews. The first will be of the Inov-8 X-Talon 190. I hope to get this up in the next week or so.

In the meantime, enjoy my previous posts and speak to you all soon!
CavemanClarke

Inov-8 X-Talon 190 minimalist trail and fell shoes

Barefoot shoes for Christmas!

As Christmas is coming around fast, some of you may be hoping for a new pair of shoes to go run in?! I thought I would give my recommendations in case you are undecided on which pairs are best for what. Of course, they will all be bareform or minimalist shoes of some variation, as I thoroughly recommend getting your gait and form back to how we are designed and created to run.

Best for muddy, wet and slippy trails goes to:
Inov-8 Trailroc 235
Reasons:
Fantastic grip from the studs. Sheds mud well. Drains well when wet. Light and comfortable. Removable insole allows quick drying and lacing holds foot well in slippy conditions.

Inov-8 Trailroc 150 coming February 2013...

Some of you who have been commenting on the Trailroc 235's have also been asking whether Inov-8 are going to be bringing out an even more minimal version of the 235's? Still with the zero drop and fantastic grip that the current 235's have, the Trailroc 150's are set to arrive around February 2013. Please see the video below from runningshoesvideo to find out more about the 150's.

Inov-8 Trailroc 235 review: an update

Nearly 60 km have elapsed whilst wearing the new Trailroc 235's from Inov-8. Sharing the weekly distances between the Trailroc's, Vibram Fivefingers Spyridon LS and non-LS version I have managed to get a pretty good idea of the pro's and con's of the Trailroc 235's. I have been promising an update along the way, and so far have managed to keep you up to date via the comments section of the Trailroc and Baregrip post I uploaded a few weeks back (http://caveman-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/inov-8-trailroc-235-and-baregrip-200.html). I thought it is about time I gave a more in-depth follow-up for those of you interested in the new series from Inov-8.

Positives:

Trailroc 235's after another satisfying run

• Zero drop allows natural biomechanics
• Grip on any terrain and in all conditions
• Lacing system holds foot well
• Water drains really quickly
• Foot remains well ventilated
• Comfortable to wear for long distances
• No blisters or hot-spots
• Flexible for a trail shoe
• Correct level of protection for technical trails
• Look sexy!!! Fantastic aesthetics
• Removable insoles for custom fit and preferences 

Inov-8 Trailroc 235 and Baregrip 200: a comparison with other minimalist trail shoes

After a long break away in the Pennines, walking 268 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm inside the Scottish border, I have got hold of two new pairs of trail running shoes from Inov-8.

Long have I been looking for a durable, grippy and protective trail runner for longer and more technical trails, so I ordered the Baregrip 200 and the new Trailroc 235. Both of these shoes sport a 0mm drop from heel-toe and fit into the 'minimalist' category of trail shoes.

See the video link below to find out what I make of these shoes and if they match what I have been looking for...

Happy running everyone, and drop me a comment if you have any questions
CavemanClarke