Inov8 TrailTalon 290 (part 2)

[@vicbriceno]

Excellent review, i had two pairs of TrailTalon 275 and i did SDW50 and SDW100 twice, properly designed for hardpacked trails and stony trails. I presume the 290 is an upgrade of the TT275, just a bit heavier. Theonly problem i had with them was the quality of the mesh, i must admit i have wide feet. Good luck.

[@RealLifeReviews]

Many thanks for this Victor Briceno. After 250 miles they are great for what is required from them. They are a little more protective from stones on the sole than the 275s. The mesh so far is fine (as it is on my Terraclaw 250s which have been 'reitred' at 460 miles. Many thanks again for your comment and good luck in your ultras.

[@markthomasson5077]

I am looking to do the Lakeland 55k next year. Would this be a top recommendation? I did ( most of) the Ben Nevis Ultra this year in Inov8 Xtalon Ultra, which was excellent, but short on cushioning for the flat / hard sections, lacked in cushioning. Thanks

[@RealLifeReviews]

Hi Mark. As I’m sure you appreciate, so much is personal when it comes to running shoes however, from what you say, you clearly get on with inov8s and these will give you that extra cushioning. I would go for them.

[@biocorefitness756]

Hello :) I was wondering...you said the shoe was not made for soft or muddy terrain... but with 6mm lugs, would it be at least adequate through that terrain? I am running a spartan race in big bear and want a shoe that is durable enough for the inclines and declines, but adequate for the mud and water... what do you think?

[@fraserxsamson]

Great in depth review. Im looking to change my shoe from a salomon sense ride 2 due to it being too narrow in my running shoe 11. Would you say a half size up in these would be beneficial? I have subscribed to the channel, very informative!

[@RealLifeReviews]

Absolutely Fraser Sampson. I personally find the Salomon too narrow also. My review of the Speedcross 4 highlights this, they are excellent shoes if they fit but they do tend to favour a narrow foot.

[@SwitchyCrystals]

I've found that there is a 2e width of the speedcross 5, i always find salomon shoes too narrow too www.sportsshoes.com/product/sal3793/salomon-speedcross-5-trail-running-shoes-%282e-width%29-~-aw20/

[@justpete4225]

I love Inov8's and use Xtalon 212 for tough Mudders and Spartans. But now I'm looking for something I can run more road with (10-15 miles) with a couple miles of Lancashire trail on the same run, is there anything inov8 that you've done a review on that might fit that?

[@RealLifeReviews]

High Just Pete - apologies for the delay in replying. Bizarrely the TrailTalon's make quite a good mixed shoe in my opinion. They now come in a 235 or 290 with the weight difference most noticeably coming in the amount of cushioning that you get. My personal choice would be to go for the 290 as I always found the original 220's quick over a shorter distance but hard on the feet when you get over the 5 or 6 mile point - I've only tried the 235's a couple of times and they are very similar to the 220's.

[@justpete4225]

@@RealLifeReviews Thanks for getting back! I very nearly went with the TrailTalons!! But instead went with Parkclaw 240 knit. I'm used to Merrel Vapor Glove3 bare foot for the gym and every day life as casual footwear, and Merrel Bare Access Herren so far for what I want these inov8s for (far too hard for distance), so these 240's are super soft in comparison. I've only done a few road miles in them so far but the fit is spot on and the grip is far better than the Merrel's so all is looking promising for trail. Thanks again for getting back!

[@kirbster1977]

Never ran in Inov8 before, are they usually true to size or do you normally buy half/size up? Really good detailed video, thanks.

[@RealLifeReviews]

Hi there and thanks for the kind words. I find Inov8 true to size. My normal size is UK 8/Euro 42 and they fit fine. Plus, Inov8 started out s a trail shoe company and I believe this led them to make shoes to accommodate slightly thicker socks and also foot swell. Most of their shoes are what they rate as 4 out of 5 on width which I like.

[@kirbster1977]

@@RealLifeReviews Much appreciated, thanks

[@kissmeraas]

@@RealLifeReviews If you're usually a UK size 8, and *these are 8.5* (according to the box), then surely the answer is they come up small and you bought half a size up? 🤔

[@RealLifeReviews]

@@kissmeraas Hi there, the point is that my normal shoe size is an 8 and my normal running shoe size is correspondingly an 8.5. Like many people I run half a size up from normal shoes to give room for foot splaying and swelling.

[@kissmeraas]

@@RealLifeReviews Thanks for the clarification. It would've been less confusing had you said "My normal running shoe size is UK 8.5 and these fit fine"