Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. Based in the UK, the brand Inov8 has over 20 years of experience refining their shoe designs in the mountains of the English Lakes District. One of their latest trail shoe updates is the TrailFly, which promises a new fit, improved grip and better protection.
Inov8 has always delivered on a sturdy trail shoe with impressive tread that provides solid traction on all types of terrain. The latest version of the TrailFly has been redesigned to include a new foot-shaped fit which we found performed well on technical trails, allowing stability and connection with the ground while also providing confidence on downhills due to a secure, locked-in heel with the help of the Met-Cradle strips that connect the midfoot to the heel. Toes have ample room for splay and don’t feel constricted, which made for less noticeable fatigue on our longer runs. Even our testers with narrow feet felt secure.
A new foam midsole with Powerflow Pro foam is superlight and provides a responsive energy return on dirt, rock or whatever the terrain. We tested the TrailFly on single-track trails in the high desert of Central Oregon and found the cushion and forward propulsion of this shoe allowed for a stronger stride and still retained a strong connection to the ground underfoot with the Meta-Shank rock plate. The TrailFly footbed also features a new 6mm thick Boomerang layer which includes hundreds of expanded TPU beads that compress and spring back for more return and cushion.
The upper is composed of a single piece of air mesh material that offers generous breathability, dries quickly and is flexible, allowing the foot to move comfortably over long miles. Our testers found this softness improved comfort overall but would have preferred more rigidity around the ankle for added support.
Overall, the TrailFly offers a light ride that connects the runner to the ground while propelling across long miles. The confidence from the grip of the Graphene-infused rubber keeps confidence high while traversing across technical terrain and wet surfaces. This model continues to be a steadfast training shoe for our testers, due to its simplicity and star-studded features. The TrailFly can be found at Inov8.com.
Specs and Features:
- Weight: 9.87oz (average weight across all sizes and fits)
- Heel to Toe Drop: 6mm
- Total stack heights (floor to foot): 29mm heel / 23mm forefoot
- Uppers: Air mesh fabric
- Midsole: Powerflow Pro foam
- Outsole: Graphene rubber with 4mm lugs
- MSRP: $150