Inov-8 Trailroc 255 Trail Running Shoe

These shoes were my weapon of choice for my first ultramarathon and for the 6 month training schedule preceding it. This is a good shoe basically. However, I did a lot of thinking and decided to remove two stars from my rating. One for poor longevity and one for a really awkward fit. Here's my full opinion in a Pros & Cons form:*Pros:- Outsole: Perfect. Just enough flexibilty, just enough protection, good grip, also great on pavement.- Upper: Very breathable and drains well. These are also great as water shoes.- Fit around the ankle: perfect.*Cons:- Very awkward fit. This is the main issue here. I followed the Shoefitr app and went a full size up from my usual. When shoes first arrived I thought they were too big. No they weren't. The 12.5 US I bought actually has the same inside length as other shoes I wear in size 11.5 US. Just so you have the refernce, I either tried on or used extensively all the following models, all in size 11.5US, all had great fit with distinct characteristics: Inov-8 X-talon 212, Merrel Trail Glove, Salomon Speedcross 3 & Sense pro, Brooks Cascadia 9, Saucony Peregrine 3 & 4. So why does the Trailroc 255 feels so weird? This is because the front portion of the shoe is SLANTED INWARDS. This causes 2 things to happen: A) I had a lot of excess space on the side of the foot. This made me stumble over rocks and small obstacles I wouldn't otherwise (very annoying). B) My big toe was safe from harm but my smaller toes kept pressing on to the side of the shoe. I ended up having blackened toenails on my smaller, rather than my big toes. WEIRD. Never happened to me before. Again: Shoes are the right size, right length, right volume but has a very strange shape, at least compared with other shoes I tried. I can't understand why would Inov-8 deviate so much, both in fit and sizing, from the X-talon, a shoe that I loved and raced to the ground. But than again, fit can differ from person to person. So take this with a grain of salt.- Longevity: Very poor. Outsole started separating after roughly 100 Km of use. I managed to fix it with some Super Glue but the shoes would have been otherwise trashed after 200 Km more or less. Also, The insoles started riding up in some point which I could only fix by throwing and replacing them with some Saucony insoles I had left from an older pair. All in all, shoes did survive the task eventually but trail dedicated shoes are expected to have longer life than this.- Style: Not a major consideration, but these shoes have an odd design. Let's just say that they look best covered with mud and are not very suitable for around town use (Sorry I do need to get off the mountain and into the city occassionaly).*Bottom line:Buy these shoes only after you've tried them on.Hope this helps...

Like most overuse injuries I have recently suffered from one late in my taper for the JFK 50 miler (Nov 21st), so I decided to get a shoe with some cushion and drop.For two weeks every run, even low effort runs was bothering the injured foot. After a couple days of walking and dog runs I got my confidence up and took it on a run at the closest mountain.After my overuse issues at recent marathon I had no expectations for the rocky firebreak road up the 850 foot mountain near my house. My climbs were typical if not a little strong, but on the decent a was flying. The rockplate, cushion and grip made that rough road decent the fastest I ever had and I PR'd my six mile two summit effort by 4.15 minutes. The decent is usually pretty nerve racking, and only a matter of time before I hit a rock the wrong way so I am tentative and reserved. I have run up there with the best shoes on the market, NB MT110s, INOV8 Trailroc 235s, and Brooks Cascadia's and these were the best shoes for most trail running situations.Don't get me wrong these don't match the grip of the MT 110s and if I was doing something more steep, technical and shorter then I am wearing the NBs. I prefer zero drop but there are times when you just need cushion. That time is usually late in a race when you will need the great toe box as well.An an odd note for INOV8 shoe's this was the first pair I didn't feel confident running in right out of the box. I had to wear them in a couple of days. Its not something that effects my review because I expect to do that with most shoes but I have never had to with INOV8 before. It only took about two days of walking in them though.

i purchased this pair of Inov-8 Trailroc 255 Trail Running Shoes specifically for obstacle course racing and after going through one race, there is no going back. these shoes were absolute lifesavers going up and down hills, and great on trail runs. i honestly can't think of any issues specific to the shoes themselves. whatever problems i experienced were related specifically to the race conditions (ie. sand/silt getting into the shoe through the mesh after wading through puddles/lakes, hitting the top of the toe box only because of soaked running socks and running downhill). i expect these to be solid on trail runs and will even use them for lighter hiking shoes.

Love these Inov-8 trailrocs! Out of the box, these fit like they were custom made for me. This is my second pair of the same shoe. The first ones I wore out from so many miles.I'm a Spartan racer, and I have worn these for my last 5 races. They are so light that I can barely feel them on my feet, while at the same time being sturdy enough to handle rugged terrain. They grip well on wet or muddy surfaces. When going through water, they release the water easily so I do not feel bogged down. Going through mud is another story, of course its going to retain some dirt if you submerge them, but you could get the mud seals if you needed them. The laces tie tight and don't slip.I also own a pair of trailroc 245's which are a lighter duty sole. I use these for training or for less rugged runs. I've found they don't grip quite as well on slippery surfaces and you can feel the terrain a lot more in them compared to the 255's. Depends on what kind of run you're doing which will influence your shoe choice.I had some Soloman's which were a lot heavier than the trailrocs and did not release water. I use those for hiking, mountain trails, and for runs where there will not be much water.The Trailroc 255 is my shoe for trail running. Will keep buying them when the current ones wear out.

What a lovely trainer! Shaped to support natural foot movement (like barefoot footwear try to do), it's got great grip and comfort on mud trails, gravel, woodland and rocky. It's an ideal choice for beginners and intermediates with only high-end racers maybe needing to look for the even lighter options. It's most at home on tracks but is ok even on truly off-road affairs. I find it pounds the feet on tarmac over anything more than a few hundred metres so limit the amount of road you include on your offroad running. They don't retain the water you may absorb during the run, the mud falls off well and they dry quickly between runs if treated right. I love Inov8's they truly have mastered off road footwear!

Only been out in them once so far, but they seem pretty grippy. I ordered my usual size and found these to be a bit smaller than other brands, but not so much so that a size up would have been a better fit.

Admittedly, I tried these shoes on at a retail store to ensure that I got the right size and at the same time some good advice about whether this model was the one for me. After about an hour in the shop trying on a couple of sizes and using the on site expert to give me tips on lacing approaches I found the size 10.5 were the ones for me (normally a size 10, but with wide feet).Amazon saved me £30 on the store retail price and delivery was in advance of when they stated they would arrive.Using them - received them on Wednesday in time for my fitness class and they performed admirably. There was no discomfort sometimes associated with new shoes and they felt great.The reason for these shoes is that I attend the BMF classes (Google them if you want a friendly productive team based fitness approach) and this is performed outside in all weathers. My previous shoes were slipping on the wet grass and these provide excellent grip whilst not impacting on my ability to perform the exercises.Lightweight, breathable and comfortable, I feel these are going to be a very worthwhile expense and last for many months/miles to come.

Bought these for an ultra race in the Lakes and have found them to be really comfortable, pretty durable and am pleased with them. Thanks.

All is perfect. I've received my shoes at time. I like this shop and this product. Thanks a lot. Albert