Our Score: 5 out of 5 
Price: £110

Review by Westie

PROS

1. Light, flexible and unrestrictive.
2. Great grip.
3. Attractive colourway.

CONS

1. Expensive.
2. Only come in one colour.
3. Unsure how durable the lightweight mesh upper will prove to be over time.

DETAILS & FEATURES

• Weight (UK 8): 245g
• Fit: Anatomic
• Upper: Synthetic, TPU
• Lining: Mesh
• Footbed: 6mm
• Midsole: Injected EVA
• Shoc-Zone: 1
• Differential: 3mm
• Sole: Trailroc
• Compound: Tri-C

USER REVIEW BY Westie

“There was a little knockity-knock at the front door, ‘that’ll be them’ I thought. The postman handed me a package, which I first thought felt rather light knowing it contained a pair of trail running shoes (they weigh-in at 245 grams for a size 8). I ripped open the packet and there they were: the Inov-8 Trailroc 245s in a beautiful blue and lime combo; absolutely stunning. The Trailroc’s are an entirely new model from Inov-8, designed specifically for use on loose, rugged, and eroded terrain.

"Sitting on the secure bottom stair and not a rugged eroded mountain, I tentatively eased my foot into the 245s and sighed with relief; my tootsies can move: they’re free. This is because the shoe is built on Inov-8’s anatomical last which allows the toes to move and splay as millions of years of evolution intended. I walked through to the garden, the sticky rubber outsoles squeaking on the floor tiles as I went, and thought, “Whey hey! These are like slippers, very comfortable and nice and low to the ground. The 245s have a heel to toe differential of 3mm (Inov-8 Shock-Zone 1 arrow) but they are also available with 6mm differential (255s) and the 235 with a zero drop.

“Time for a nosey underneath I thought, so I made myself comfortable in a somewhat damp garden chair and had a look at the out sole. Hmmm, three different types of rubber. This is Inov-8’s new Tri-C Compound which uses a soft sticky rubber on the toe and arch areas for improved grip, an endurance rubber spanning from the heel to the metatarsals for durability, and a hard sticky rubber on the medial and lateral forefoot for improved wear rate.

“As I did a couple of laps of my small garden, the Met-Cradle Lacing system held my feet nicely in place without feeling in any way restricted. As far as the upper is concerned, the 245 has very little construction, it consists of a lightweight mesh which makes the shoe nice and flexible and allows the air to move around the foot keeping it relatively cool. In addition, the Metaflex sole allows the shoe to move and bend as nature intended. With the shoe being so flexible I found that I was able to run naturally without my gait being ‘corrected’.

“The protection offered by the shoe’s rand is less than I’m used to with the 295s, but perfectly adequate and a huge positive is that it does not narrow the toe box, so allowing the toes to spread freely.

“So how did the 245s perform outside my garden? I slipped the shoes on for 30k at Adidas 24 hr Thunder run and several 10k runs since, and can confidently say they’re fantastic and the shoe I’ve been waiting for Inov8 to produce. The level of proprioception is excellent, I know exactly where my foot is when running, and the shoe is responsive and provides a good deal of drive and push-off from the forefoot. My foot is held nicely in place when running without in any way feeling constricted and the toes can wiggle until their heart’s content.

“I have tested this shoe on mud, grass, trails, rocky and stony ground and their performance has been first rate. The 245 is a shoe I feel confident running in because it holds the ground well and the feedback is top drawer. And, not a whiff of a blister or any hot spots!

“So to conclude, I love this shoe; it’s light, flexible, non-restrictive, low to the ground, has space for the toes to splay and is grippy on various terrain: wonderful! Alas, there is a downside and that is the cost. The shoe retails at £110 and I think this is quite steep; but part of me is desperate to overlook the price because they’re everything I want in a trail shoe, I guess only time will tell if the customer is prepared to pay this price, but I think, with a good wind behind me, I’d be tempted!”

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