Currently, I am going back and forth between four pairs of trail shoes, and on rare occasion, a pair of road shoes, for the right trail. Of course, spinning about ten miles of earth under my feet daily, I have strong sentiments about each. Sometimes the shoe will dictate which trail to run, and sometimes the trail will dictate which shoe to wear.

Description:

My current favorites are a pair of Inov-8 310 Flyrocs. They have relatively firm heals with an extremely flexible soul, and run about 11 ounces (310g) each. They have mesh uppers, which is great for my desert heat, and nice aggressive tread. The soul is thin and gives me a real good feel for the terrain. The toe box is good sized for a relatively fat footed guy like me, but they formed to fit my foot on the first run. I have never had a shoe fit so nicely after only one run, which was mostly noticeable during downhills.

I would love to knock these things, because no shoe could seem this perfect. I’ll think of something wrong with them in a minute. I just put the first 100 miles on them, so I figured it would be a good time to critique. I had a pair of Pumas years ago that were the only others I’ve felt the ground better with, but they only gave me 200 miles total.

Performance:
Because of the flexibility and the paddle-like tread, these knobby feet of mine are perfect for pushing a light (145lb) runner over soft sand. I cross soft sand like a lizard with these on. They also have the greatest grip on rocks out of any of my shoes. I leap off rocks like a super hero. So, I’m like a super lizard, or a lizard hero, with these things on my feet.

Drawbacks:

They’re cool in the heat, aggressive for hills and down, paddles in sand, and they’re even pretty. What’s wrong with them? Well, two problems I have found are probably both my fault and not the shoes’. One, they don’t handle cactus well. Needles go right through, like they’re almost welcome. That hurts you know, but I figure, is that the fault of the shoe, or the fault of some idiot running through patches of cacti?

The other problem I have found, is that almost exactly after an hour of running, my calves start becoming fatigued. Now, I’ve compared notes, and will share other comparisons momentarily, but another runner had the same problems with the lower legs. He stated that it went away after a week or so, but I go back and forth between shoes, so I don’t get the luxury of adjusting to them. Put another way, they seem to be lower leg building shoes; not a drawback really.

Categorized:

I suppose that means that there really is not a lot wrong with these shoes. I should say that I pronate slightly with my right foot, but chiefly, just have two descent arches. I would not at all recommend these for someone who needs motion control, or for the other extreme of needing a lot of cushion either. Really, they are like adding tread to bare feet. You’re on your own with control and support, but the freedom really connects you to the earth.

Comparison:

I read a review by another runner, who weighed about 40lbs more than me and used his for hiking as well as running. Mine saw more soft sand, and less snow (like none) , but all in all, similar conclusions were drawn. We both agree that the “feel” of the trail is probably the greatest essential property, or element, the Flyrocs have.

Summary:

Damn! The Inov-8 310 Flyrocs are fun. I would have to rank them to be either the best or second best pair of trail shoes I’ve ever had up to an hour of running. I still have many miles to put on these sand slippers, but I would certainly get another pair later. ~Trail tested. TreadSetter approved.

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