Review of the Inov-8 TerraUltra G 270 

Thanks for the support Mohamed!

Appreciated. I think that bigger audience is after less than 10 minute superficial flyovers. And I'm late to the RU-vid review game with it being a much more crowded field than it used to be.

Good times. It was a really pretty / fun ADK hike / run for the whole family. Plenty of boulders, some steep pitches with ladders, etc... Good play.

Thanks for the support Darren! Where are you based?

Thanks for weighing in and saying so Tony! The founder and original owner Wayne Edy just re-purchased the company. I'm guessing he may still be UK-based but I'm not sure. But, I think that it is a great thing for the company, and returning harder to the roots.

What's the distance of your event? I'm in a holding pattern on restocking the G270 as I'm excited to try the Inov8 Ultra in July.

@@TrailsCollective 50k, 3900m elevation gain, but I’ve chosen the Ultra 3 in the end after trying both on and have zero regrets, it’s like trail running in comfy socks 🤩

@@SzechSauce that's burly. What race is it?

Looking forward to potential changes with Wayne's re-ownership as well as testing their new ultra cush model on deck.

@@TrailsCollective agreed. They will add the GFly to the next iteration for sure.

For sure a trade-off on the upper. Material isn't as plush bit it also makes less for water to absorb into. I also tested the VJ Maxx recently and comparably the G270 feels thin and pliable. I also have a pair of Mad River 2's on my feet right now. Really soft / traditional, but I carry half the Creek with me each crossing. I think higher insteps get pinched at the tongue line. My midfoot is a bit collapsed so it doesn't prove to be an issue for me, bit I get that it does for some others. 285 weight point in their lineup I would think should work for most people, but it might not be as sexy and thus catch as much momentum. Thanks for weighing in Troy!

Trails Collective thanks! I bought the VJ Maxx after watching your review - which led me to the Xero 5 - the Maxx platform with metal studs. Used them on the icy trails here in the Foothills west of Denver just this morning and highly recommend. Have a 15-mile race next week on rugged Navajo Mountain in UT and may use the G 270s for that - combo of rocky technical canyons and pine subalpine with sand. My next 100-miler is in Louisiana in early December on a mix of buffed trails, wood planks, asphalt and piney woods with some lighter technical. Will likely use the Brooks Catamount or the Hoka EVO Speedgoat. Keep those reviews coming! Thank you again.

@@TrailrunnerTroy whoa, quite the variation. Nice work still pulling the mix off in '20. A friend also just got the Xero's. I've not yet checked them out, they weren't even on my radar til this week, but will. Catamount feels great and runs fast, just more a crossover versus technically too capable. I'm about to hit the road headed for a 50k in Maryland. Lugs will be overkill, but gonna opt for the WildCross. Good luck and have fun this weekend!

I'm not close to tough enough, but if I were, the Bob Graham Round would be on my bucket list. I also regret not heading up Ben Nevis when my family and I spent a night in Fort William.

@@TrailsCollective ah yes, the BG. I plan to do an ‘unofficial’ bg later this year or early ‘22. Unsupported and solo but with a couple of re-stock bags hidden near road crossings. All the best to you, Paul

Hmmm...I wonder if you got a defective pair or whether there's just not enough out there yet to really uncover weak spots? Or whether something about your foot and mechanic finds a weak point? I used a friend who typically blows out the forfoot uppers of shoes really quickly as my VJ guinea pig. He's gotten more miles out of the MaxX upper than any other model we've tried over the years. But he's also a case of one and it sounds like you tore the seam vs the material itself? Thanks for the feedback.

Thanks for that quick heads-up this morning Peter!

Yup, I can do that. Might be a little bit...I'm pretty consumed right now in a deep dive into Northeastern US Trail Race data for upcoming articles, but I'll get there. Until then:...in general Altra and Topo across their models. As you mention though, the Escalante, Provision, and Rivera are a bit shallower (it's more the shallowness that makes them snugger as opposed to straight width dimension). Altra fans a touch wider to the medial side of the big toe whereas Topo tapers less quickly and is a bit boxier over the 2nd / 3rd toes. Saucony uses a wider last (midfoot and toebox) with the Mad River (historically the Nomad and Koa in that lineage). Niche brand Xero is also a bit boxier, similar to the G270. Nike Kiger / Wildhorse models also created with wider toebox, but, similar to some Altra's above, a bit shallower in dimension. I'm also hoping to create an online portal of sorts which will take you through a decision tree of shoe properties to get you to a good fit. One of the pieces is taking measurements of shoe width, etc... Will take me a while to get that live though.

Trying to source a shoe suitable for an 8 day ultra in Scotland and was only thinking today how brilliant it would be to have an online tool which narrowed down shoe choice based on inputs. Great channel and reviews - thanks

@@neilbeacher17 I've had in the drafting stage an online portal where I'll have the specs from outsole stickiness, to midsole cushion, to volume, etc... ranked, and for people to be able to find models that have or less of certain attributes. Unsure that I'll pull it off this year...but I'm hoping to get there.

Wide for Inov8. A bit more depth in the toebox than the Superior (I haven't worn the King Mtn since V1... We carried it, but the durability was not there even into v2 so we phased it back out), but Altra fans out a bit broader over the 5th met / outside of the foot. Stickier and more durable outsole in the Inov8, a bit firmer underfoot (though Superior's low stack height makes it a bit firmer and responsive than the midsole foam would feel otherwise), and a bit more durable upper.

@@TrailsCollective Thanks for the reply, much appreciated! That's kinda confirmed what I thought might be the case - they looked a little more tapered on the pinky-toe side which I think might cause a problem for me over time. Got too used to that Altra shape now, it's hard to go back! For what it's worth I found the King MT 2 to be pretty durable and comfortable ride so far - way better that the 1 & 1.5's anyway. Although that's just based on my experience in UK winters, mud and slop rather than on any abrasive mountain trails.

Topo (whole line) is close in toebox, as is Saucony Mad River.

Frank, thanks for checking it out and reaching out. So you'll be ditching the wading boots altogether, and wearing the runners in the river? I'm assuming there's no waterproof leg sleeve tight enough where waterproof uppers on the shoes will be at all useful? I think the Graphene is a bit tackier than the Vibram but I can't say they were hugely / that significantly different. Part of the gain comes from the micro texture or nubs on the G270 lugs, and versus some of the Vibram that ice used which has smooth lugs. I think lugs with texture does make a difference, in addition to the compound itself. A lot of our Creek crossings are shale or bluestone with the only friction coming from fractures or fossil inlays. And our logs or bridges often have a algael film, so I hear you. Finding anything that grabs without studs seems an elusive holy grail. I'm two runs into testing a model which I didn't have any high expectations for. A pair of Asics FujiTrabucco Lytes. The first run was a couple days ago after a big snow dump, so that run was road with packed snow / ice / slush. In the closing miles of the 10 miles they were getting uncomfortable underfoot, not a good crossover for pavement. The outsole rubber sounds and feels plasticky on hardpack. It feels and sounds cheap and ill considered. It rained all day yesterday and through the night, melting off the snow leaving high creek water and soft ground. My expectations weren't high but I was excited to see what they felt like she how they performed on trail. I was actually really surprised. The outsole rubber seemed to grip better than any shoe I've tried, noticeably better on the Creek / wet stone crossings. It'll take a few more runs to be sure, and I'll wanna take Graphene, Vibram, and ContaGrip, maybe even VJ's Butyl out to a crossing on the same day to compare them head to head. I don't know that it would be my top choice as a versatile shoe, or must comfortable for long trail efforts. But it could be for wet mid distance runs with crossings. And if it's truly stickier head to head, I'm actually gonna be kinda blown away as I'd mentally written off the brand long ago. Or, maybe finding one with top fit / comfort and adding hex head sheet metal screws? Or, if you can find a pair pre-studded?

@@TrailsCollective great advise! I truly appreciate the detailed info and suggestions. I look forward to your review on the Asics if that comes. If you do end up doing a head to head comparison on stickiness I’d love to see it! Merry Christmas 🎄

I wouldn't go with the G270. It's on their 5 Fit Scale so it has a wider fit and toebox. Unless you think your custom insert can fill that volume. The Sense 4 Pro is also a bit wider in the toebox than prior pro's, and is a model discontinuing in '21. Based on you running hard non technical trails I might say the Sense Ride unless you've tried and not preferred them. I think it's smoother than the Ultra and in that sense easier on the joints and connective tissue. Or maybe the Brooks Catamount?

@@TrailsCollective Many thanks for the feedback. I will look into the Sense Ride. My son has a pair but I have not tried them yet... I just suscribed to your channel and have also visited the website. Very nice work!

@@kgenest100 thanks for the support and don't hesitate to keep asking questions if you've got em! Where are you based?

@@TrailsCollective I am in the NorthEast as well... but on the other side of the border... near Montreal. I have a small provincial park in my backyard and run 95% of the time on trails.

I have basically all the same shoes as you - one to try is the Kiger 6 - as long as you don't need wet grip.