Inov-8 Road X 233 shoe review

The best running shoe

Road X 233 

The Road X 233 (hit for product details) was my first taste of the Inov-8 road range, in fact, of any of their range. I had been experiencing some trouble with my hips, and after being fitted for a 'support' shoe I thought I can either let my shoes for ever tell me how to run or I could learn how to run again and become more free with my running. Why the review now? I'm having some slight plantar fasciitis pain and I want the additional support of the Dynamic Fascia Band™ shank that is embeded in the midsole of these shoes. I'd forgotten just how good they are as I've gotten to know them again over the last couple of weeks.

The Kinvara had worked well for me for the last 12 months, but research and development had led me towards running more minimalist. Enter the world of Inov-8.

The runningwarehouse website with its shoe fitter and comparison guide suggested that the Road X 233 would be a close fit to my Kinvaras. Many hours of trawling reviews convinced me that these were worth a try. So, how did they work out? Will they be the best running shoe?

The Road X 233 (hit for the wiggle.co.uk link, they're a great supplier) are what Inov-8 call a 2 shock zone shoe, or they run off a 6mm drop - My kinvaras were off 4mm. This was an easy transition, in fact, possibly a backward step? Known for the wider toebox, the 233 was instantly a whole lot roomier than the Kinvaras, but still felt secure fit wise. I did need to lace them a little tighter to begin with. The Inov-8 foam is much denser than the Kinvara and also a lot less - The Road X 233 is 9mm thick at the heel and 3mm thick at the front. This drop in stack height did take a little getting used to. Finally I was getting some 'ground contact'. I was being made accountable for how my foot landed. They also have the Dynamic Fascia Band™ which Inov-8 say replicates and supports the foot's plantar fascia ligament. What does it do? It is designed to store additional energy from your foot and give you a little extra whip with your toe off. 

For me this is where the real difference was. My first run in these and I suddenly became a lot more aware of how hard I was landing, so I spent a week doing 2-3 minutes of barefoot in the gym before each run just to get my gait and fore/midfoot landing right. When I used the correct gait and motion, these felt 'just right'. The cushioing felt like it moulded to my foot and was right where I needed it. When I got lazy and landed more on my heel I could certainly tell what was happening, thus the Road X 233 have certainly helped me to transition to the fore/midfoot striking when I run. On a side note I ran a 10km PB the first time I wore these in a race.

You might be looking at the soles and thinking 'how can these things grip'. Inov-8 have placed a super sticky compound on the high contact points near the heel, mid and forefoot strike zones and it works a treat.
I've run on the flat and some crazy 20% incline hills (road) in both the dry and the wet. I've been able to ascend and descend these hills with full confidence - the only issue I had was wet socks slightly slipping inside the shoe.

As you can see my shoes are now a little dirtier but still holding up really well after 300kms of use. For a smooth transition into the minimalist/natural/barefoot running style, these shoes are a must have. All my friends can pick them up at 

www.barefootinc.com.au

Let them know the fish sent you :)

Cheers, Lachie

Use the fish followers code fish10 to get 10% discount on Inov-8 shoes and the rest of the range at barefootinc!

Keep Hydrated on the roads with UltrAspires 2013 packs

Inov-8 Road X-Treme 138 or Inov-8 f-lite 232- preview

Ok, so a disclaimer here :) If you're after the inov-8 Road Extreme 138 or the f-lite 232, so was I. I've since bought the inov-8 f-lite 252 If you're looking for a review, I have only written this post as a preview.

But... I reckon the 252 will be very similar to the 232. 

The big difference being the 3mm drop in the 252. Here's the link to my review post of the 3 mm drop f-lite 252. 

To read my original 138 or the 232 post, keep reading on..

Inov-8 you tempting mistress. Your subtle curves, sheer mesh and alluring style. Why do you do this to me? Is is because you make the best running shoe?

I am incredibly tempted by the new Inov-8 Road X-TREME 138 which is touted as their lightest ever shoe. It weighs in at 138g and is touted as a barefoot shoe. 

Road extreme 138 sole

Why am I tempted? Well it weighs in under my Inov-8 155s and has the fusion sole + the additional grip of the road x on the sole that will afford a little more traction and confidence in the wet. It is zero drop - which will compliment my Inov-8 Trailroc 235s that I use off road. While the reviews of the Inov-8 Bare X 180s (which I have been hanging to buy but have waited foe these) are all incredibly positive I feel that I want a little more grip on the road, particularly when it's wet. 

What is holding me back? 

Inov-8 state that it has no midsole. What does this mean? Well my Inov-8 Road X Lite 155s have a 3mm midsole as do the trailrocs. These appear to have no midsole which means minimal, if not no foam padding at all. That scares me - would I be able to truly run barefoot? 

However, later research has found a new f-lite with the anatomical last (wider fit to allow great toe splay or just more room for normal to wider feet like me) 

What is it? I introduce the Inov-8 f-lite 232
http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-RoadX-233.html?L=26

f-lite 232 

f-lite 232 sole

It's a handsome beast. This f-lite 232 (So you're tempted, pick up a pair from the awesome retailer on this link) has a 3mm footbed and the f-lite sole that offers a load more grip than the extreme and bare X range. But, it's also zero drop.

This could be what I am looking for. Or it was, in late August I purchased the f-lite 252, with the 3mm drop. Follow this link to the review post, or keep reading my preview/wish list post below... 

So, the Inov-8 Road Extreme: I would use them as a weekly trainer and perhaps keep them as a 5-10km race day special. 

The Inov-8 f-lite 232: A weekly trainer up to 12km and comfort pending the half marathon training and race distances.

Readers, I open this forum up to you all. 

Which will be the best running shoe?

Who has the Inov-8 Bare X range and is looking forward to the upgrade? Why are you going to upgrade and to what? 

If I can run 28km in the zero drop Inov-8 Trailroc 235s on a gravel/hard pack running/walking/riding trail should this be an easy transition? 

Any feedback and thoughts would be greatly appreciated and responded to. I'd love to get the word out there make sure we runners can make the right choice. 

Perhaps I might be sensible and look at the Inov-8 Road Extreme 178 as a safer option and leave the barefoot running for the trails where it is really needed. 

The Aussie f-lite 232 and road extreme range will be in from March 6th, 2013! 

Use the fish followers code fish10 to get 10% discount on Inov-8 shoes and the rest of the range at barefootinc!



Cheers and happy running, Lachie

The best running shoe review - Inov-8 Trailroc 235 review

                          

A Shoe review: Inov-8 Trailroc 235 review

So these first reviews might take some tweaking, but hopefully they can guide some people in the right direction as to whats out there...

These shoes, I love! But, if your now considering the Inov-8 Trailroc 150s -I seriously think you can't go to wrong. You will need to have developed your natural running and be comfortable in the 'barefoot' range to truly maximize their performance. That shoe is uber light and felxible and has the same insane levels of grip provided by the trailroc 235. For now though I have racked up over 400km in my 235s and continue to love every run in them.

All the techinical details are here at the adventuremegastore:  It's not my domain so I'll leave it to the experts. 

I can say the Inov-8 Trailroc 235 is a zero drop, minimalist trail shoe. It's promoted as being fast... I have done some barefoot running in the gym and over a few hundred meters along the streets while working on my gait and technique, so I had been quite keen to see if I could really do it. 

To be honest, as this shoe is not yet available in Australia (As of Feb 2013 it now is!), I um and ahhed about it. I wanted the Inov-8 Trailroc 245 (Which would match the 1 arrow 155s that I have, hit the link to a great retailer to find out more) but when these came up on sale I had to hit the button. 

A big thanks to the very patient team at www.barefootinc.com.au for all their patience in answering my questions. The advice was spot on. Without them I would not have made the purchase.

My questions were: 

How does it fit compared to the Inov-8 Road - X 233? ( a link to my review of a great shoe) What is the grip really like? How will I go transitioning to a zero drop shoe?

The answers may appear below.

First up, the shoe is better looking in the flesh. I can't say what it is, it's just a better colour than what is pictured. 

The fit is more true to my Inov-8 Road X 233 - for me that is the better length. Width is an exact match to the inner sole of the 233 and X lite 155. All have the Inov-8 anatomical last which  allows for a wider toe spread (more room at the front!). 

On the trail they felt fast and furious. They have a tri-compound grip where the front, midfoot and rear sections of the shoes have different tread patterns according to how we use our feet. The front offers more grip for digging in and gripping the trail. I smashed out a quick 4km through the bush and on a fire access track. The traction up and down the ascent / descent was spot on and I could take on some crazier angles to avoid the huge puddles. My foot landed where I wanted it to and it stayed there!

When I did hit the puddles I had no hesitation in my stride - it was like they weren't there. So, the grip is awesome. 

My feet and calves also felt great. Me, I was knackered after going out so fast! It was a real blast getting them down and dirty straight out of the box. 

On the street today I did a rolling hill 2.6km in a personal best time (4:10 minute/km) - the 0 drop encouraged a quicker cadence and I was rewarded. They bigger lugs and tread did initially feel strange on the tarmac but this was forgotten by the end of my run. 

I have the 3mm (1 arrow) Inov-8 X-Lite 155s and the drop to the Trailroc 235 (0 zone) was barely noticeable. Hopefully this is because I have developed a natural/minimalist/barefoot stride. I am going to use these on the trail, on runs up to 7/8km in the next two weeks. I'll also use them for my tempo work, which is a 400m hill sprint with a walk to repeat. I aim to build up my feet and calves for the Lara 10km Fun Run on the 4th and then the Bush bashing 10km Marysville on the 11th of November.

An update...

As of February 2013 I've now put over 200+kms on these babies and I still love them. When I used them for the Lara and Marysville runs I felt like I could run forever. They were great on the gravel/crushed rock of Lara and exceptional on the downhill, off road sections in the Marysville run where I went flat out like a crazed jack rabbit. Both runs I ran a PB. In fact, they feel most at home either ascending or descending a bush/forest track. I've yet to feel like I've put a foot wrong and when I've gone close, these shoes have helped make me stick.

Stay Hydrated on the trails with UltrAspire - See the range at UltrAspire.com

Today I did a 12km hill climb on predominately road but with a 800m trail loop that dropped and rose 200m. You probably may have heard me laughing my head off in this section. I could run freely and not worry about grip or slipping. The only concern was the knee high grass and not knowing what the actual surface was like. 

Have they hurt my feet? No, I now feel as though I am a barefoot runner. Yes, I do have to be aware of my form but the subtle changes that I make whilst running make all the difference. When I wore them in the 28km Two Bays Trail Run in January I was able to tackle everything this epic run threw at me - trail, rock, sand, slippery wooden boardwalks. In-fact, their grip even saved me a few spills. Hit this link to find out more about the terrain we faced. 

I've joined the Dandy Runners, a group that runs the trails in Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges and in my runs through there I've not put a foot wrong. I've had to run up 20% inclines on clay, sand and rock and the tri-compound grip has been exceptional. Wherever I've asked them to take me, they've taken me there and beyond.

The shoes themselves have really held up. They are a lot dirtier now, but the stitching and tread is still as good as new. If this continues, I'll fall apart before they do...

For me, I highly recommend the Inov-8 Trailroc 235. It is the best running shoe I have. Now I want some of the bare-x for the road. I'm really looking forward to the next stage of running natural. If you like the sound of them, take this link here: Inov-8 Trailroc 235 

Cheers, Lachie

To get all your barefoot trail gear head to www.barefootinc.com.au 

Use the fish followers code fish10 to get 10% discount on Inov-8 shoes and the rest of the range at barefootinc!