Did a 50 mile ultra this weekend gone and I didn't even break these in!! Straight out the box onto a ultra trail they were a dream to run and I got a PB
In the past i was a big fan of Inov8 . Unfortunately their shoes are rather firm & lacks cushioning . Their shoes are rather narrow too. The graphene grip has decent grip but i do think they are overhyping the advantage of a graphene . I tend to stay away from the brand until recently when i was walking around in the shop that probably the only place to sell inov8 shoes in my country . I tried the trailfly ultra G 280 on my feet and i was really impress with the midsole . It felt more energise & you feel it has bit more bouncy . I end up buying it . My first impression after doing a bit of trail run is that it does felt great and the shoe felt light and quite nimble . The midsole make you want to run faster & it does not feel flat like Hoka speedgoat 5 . You don’t feel much ankle pain after using trailfly ultra G 280 compare to speedgoat 5.
Interesting how the US market really go for higher stacked, soft and bouncy cushioned midsoles. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not everyone’s cup of tea 😉 Personally I like the midsole, although 4mm drop would be nicer. Upper is super comfy, maybe one of the best I’ve worn, but it looks and feels like a chunky knit cardigan. And G-Grip is just good marketing. Pretty average on wet rock and roots. Give me Vibram MG any day.
The thing with Vibram MG is that it is not the most durable in my experience wearing down faster than other outsoles like Salomon's contagrip. I think the G-Grip's strength is supposed to be durability. For what it's worth, my current favorite trail shoe is still a Vibram MG shoe though. And yeah, the US market really focuses on deep stacks with soft midsole. While I can appreciate that, I feel much more agile and connected to the trails in firmer midsoles.
Yes, G-Grip is very durable, but we’re supposed to be getting more: “Michael Price, inov-8 product and marketing director, said: “Off-road runners and fitness athletes live at the sporting extreme and need the stickiest outsole grip possible to optimize their performance, be that when running on wet trails or working out in sweaty gyms. For too long, they have had to compromise this need for grip with the knowledge that such rubber wears down quickly. “Now, utilising the groundbreaking properties of graphene, there is no compromise. The new rubber we have developed with the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester allows us to smash the limits of grip. “Our lightweight G-Series shoes deliver a combination of traction, stretch and durability never seen before in sports footwear.” Just for context, my 2 current favourite shoes to run in are the Trailfly G270 and 280. I accept the compromise to grip because the fit works well for more and I prefer lower stacked footwear.
I love the shoes Inov-8 are putting out of late. Means they are too busy to bring out new versions of their excellent fell shoes (some of the best shoes period, yet receive limited attention) and potentially ruin them like so many companies do.
I just passed 1000km on my G270s and they're still a dream. I just did a road-trail half-marathon in them and they feel great on everything. Probably my favorite trail shoe of all time. How would you distinguish the 280s from the 270s? They look pretty similar to me.
8mm drop!!! Also love the 270s, did a 145m race in them, with no foot issues. Also love what's left of my 260s for quicker, shorter efforts. Such a shame Inov8 are moving away from these great shoes :(
@@davidwright1646 I just bought another pair of the 270s brand new on eBay for $80. They've been rebranded the Trailfly G270 but it's the exact same shoe. I'm definitely happy to stick with them as long as they're being made.
Love the platform! But the upper lacks lockdown, which is not surprising given they chose to use mushy knit instead of something more credible like that in the magical G270. Disappointing but excited about version 2.0 when it comes.
No, it doesn't smell bad like the G300, which I have and continue to put in the miles. The G300's smell isn't so bad anymore. I have it in its box in the garage anyway.
I got it recently and I like it although I'm not blown away by it as I had hoped. What inov-8 should have done is go for less of a drop and have more midsole stack in the forefoot area. I also got the Boomerang insole separately which I think they should have included as standard feature. The Boomerang insole helps but doesn't quite take it from very good to great. It's a very good trail running shoe but it isn't the great all-round trail runner that can handle many things very well as I was expecting it to do. The trail runner that does it all for me is the Saucony Xodus Ultra and my vote for the 'Best Trail Running Shoe of 2022' - a true 5-star trail running shoes. The TrailFly Ultra G 280 is very good and I'd rate it around 4.3, pretty much agreeing with what GR didn't like about it. I expect to put a lot of miles into it but it won't be my choice for races or serious training sessions. Very good and very close to being one of the very best but no cigar. I'm happy with it but it will be one of my workhorse trainers than something I'll take out on long runs or races.
@@alexkhan2000 That is funny, I just bought them today because Saucony Xodus Ultra disappointed me big time with their holes in the outsole. Got rocks inside the opening in the rubber, that just destroyed both shoes. Otherwise I liked Xodus a lot even though the grip was lacking on megagrip or VJ Ultra outsoles. So I needed a new shoe and this one fits me well. Also I bought them for about $130 on Black Friday sell so if they disappoint like Saucony it will be less painful. So far I did one short 10k run in them and it was just ok, no slipping, no hotspots. I will take them on 130km 5000m+ winter ultra next weekend (lot of steeps and mud) and we will see if I and shoes survive. Forgot to add that I have recently problem with my achilles tendon so I hope that going away from low drop shoes for a while will help. Although it feels quite weird after so much time in low drop shoes. Ginger Runner: Thanks for the review as Orlok noted you can buy the bumerang insole separately but I think then the weight goes up even more.
@@JanSuchomel Yeah, it is interesting how we all have different experiences with different shoes. I need more miles and time with the Xodus Ultra but, for me, it covers my needs as an all-round trail runner. I like the TrailFly Ultra G 280 very much. I wish it had a 5~6mm drop and that the upper material was a little lighter. It's great for long straight-line smoothened trails; almost feels like a good road daily trainer. I also have the Mafate Speed 4, Speedland SL:HSV, TrailFly Ultra G 300 Max, Tecton X, Endorphin Edge, Speedgoat 5, and Pulsar Trail Pro that I rotate, but they all have some compromises that make me want to use each of them for specific terrains and situations. For me, the Xodus Ultra is the one I feel most confident in taking it out on any terrain, distance, or situation. Sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you.
@@alexkhan2000 I have made 750km in Xodus Ultra so it was not all money lost. I hope next version will have full rubber coverage then I will definitely buy. I wanted to post picture of destroyed outsole but youtube does not let me to post any link. I think if I did not run in harsh rocky terrain the outsole would survive (longer).
