Inov-8’s naming convention tells you a great deal about their shoes. The name is always the type of outsole followed by the weight. In accordance, this shoe features an X-Talon outsole and weighs in at a slight 212 grams. For you Americans, that’s less than 7.5 ounces for a US men’s size 9. We have meticulously studied the foot and its function during the gait cycle and also the interaction between the foot and the terrain. We have used this knowledge to develop our fitting scale. For technical footwear a good fit is essential to enhance your performance. Compared to other runners and trainers on the market these shoes cannot be beaten for their grip. Perfect for off-road. They fit perfectly and they look good.

I should retire them once and for all, but I still like to take them out for a spin in the dry, sandy wash that I run in once or twice a week. Not dead yet! In this review, we’ll take a separate look at the X-Talon 212’s outsole, midsole, upper, and insole before wrapping up with a conclusion.

Internationak Delivery

In December 2019 we launched the first-ever X-TALON shoes to include our revolutionary Graphene-Grip outsoles. You can find out all the details here. The X-TALON G 235 is joined by the X-TALON G 210 (V2 version now available) as the new Graphene-Grip products in the range. They seem to be really well made, and use good materials. They're usually pretty muddy, but I'm sure they'd be like new if I cleaned them. These Inov-8 X Talon 212s are amazingly comfortable. When I wear these on the trails I don't experience any irritation or sore spots. Great shoes! The X-Talon 212 is one of Inov-8’s best-selling trail shoes in the world due to the shoe’s aggressive grip on wet terrain. Shop for the X-talon 225 for superb protection (and durability) on the rough stuff that retains a comfy, flexible fit.

We’d recommend looking at the size guide which shows the approximate length of each size’s midsole in centimetres. As these shoes where so light and comfortable, runners loved wearing them and as such often used them for types of running that they where never designed for. As a result Inov-8 extended the range somewhat to cover other off-road running activities. There is no exposed stitching in the toe area, and the stitching on the heel has held up for all those special Ks. They are little warmer and more water repellent than most other shoes in my stable, and also don't let as much dirt and dust in. I think his best advice was ‘find a pair of trainers that fit you, run as much as you can and don’t try to run fast - you will improve if you just keep running’ which I scoffed at when I was young, but have come to live by.

Flexibility

Delivery timescales are esimates in working days; Public Holidays, Saturday's and Sunday's are NOT classed as working days. These shoes are lightweight and very comfortable. I love these shoes. The traction was perfect. I use these for Spartan races and running the trail. For me, they fit true to size. As a conclusion, you’ve probably guessed that I’d recommend the Inov8 X-Talons as a trail running and obstacle racing shoe. You can’t go far wrong with these beauties. Still you might not want to listen to me, like my dad, I now shun warming up, trainers with any kind of pro-nation control or focusing on running fast. I’ve been a runner for about 9 years on and off (I was a late starter) and most of which was on road. My first pair of running trainers were a pair of yellow and green suede pumas (most probably fakes, as they cost about 30 pence in Thailand), which were little more than a plimsoll; they’d probably be called a barefoot running shoe now. I loved running in them but everyone told me that I’d do myself a mischief as they didn’t have any cushioning.