Excellent Spartan Shoe. Great customer service from Inov8!!!
I purchased these shoes for a spartan sprint race about 2 weeks before the event. After running in them about 5 times I noticed that many of the lugs were cracking/tearing off at the base. I attempted to contact the seller on Amazon, but did not get a response. I then contacted Inov8 with only a few days left before the race. Inov8 customer service was EXCELLENT and they assured me that is was MOST CERTAINLY a product defect and that they would send me a new pair before my race. Sure enough they came right in time and performed perfectly. No cracked lugs. I highly recommend buying from Inov8 as they back up their product without a hassle.Now, for how the shoe fits:I typically wear an 8.5 women's in running shoes. These shoes definitely run narrow, especially along the outer edge of the toebox. However, that said, I can't wear a sloppy shoe on the trail, so I bought a size 9 (in standard fit, not precision), which is only 1/2 a size larger than my normal size. The shoe fits great and I had no issues on my 5.6 mile spartan race. It was a muddy, rainy, day on Mt. Killington and I was flying downhill like a mountain goat. Excellent traction for mud. The shoe does not have much cushion, but that is not an issue for me because I'm light on my feet when I run. It is a very nice light shoe with a tough, yet flexible upper. It doesn't loosen up as you run either. If you are buying this shoe for hiking or are not as performance oriented, then I would go a whole size up. If you are an elite runner and need the performance or a close fitting shoe, go for 1/2 size up.
✔ Verified Purchase
New Standard size still a little small for slightly wider feet
Let me start off by saying that this is for the new Standard (S) size, and not the Precision (P) fit. Sometimes Amazon will combine reviews for multiple versions, so be sure you know what version is actually being reviewed.My feet are a little wider than average. I usually wear a size 9 or 9.5. I like the Sketchers wide fit hiking shoes (9.5), as they are one of the only lower priced show that fits me. I also wear a size 9 Merrel Trail Glove and the toe box is perfect for me. I've tried the X-Talon 200's on, and they were perfect in a 9.5. I went with a 9.5 (S) for the 212 and strangely, the right fit foot just perfect, but the left was a little crammed in the middle toes. I've never had one side fit and the other not. Maybe my left foot is getting a little weird at my age (35), I don't know. My mom has the same issue.So, I'm returning these and trying the 10's. So, if you're feet are a little wider than average, you'll still want to size up with the Standard fit. I'll edit this when I get a pair that fit and do some actual hiking/running in them.
✔ Verified Purchase
C
Chuck G.
September 07, 2015
Great Fitting Shoes....
I like these shoes. I already have a pair where the knobs on the bottom are slowly wearing down. My big toes goes to the tip of the shoes which allows me to better control my foot placement while running the trails. Who knows, I may buy another pair before somebody decides to change the way these shoes fit. They are great when running on dirt and rock on the mountain trails. They also do really well after I have run through water. I did a Spartan race recently and had several runners comment on how aggressive the tread was. They wanted to know what the shoe was so they could maybe purchase the same shoes. On a Spartan race I ran I got to the top of a mountain and the trail went down a very steep narrow gully. Everybody at that point was grabbing onto tree roots, tree limbs and sliding down on their bottoms. I was used to these shoes on rough trails so I decided to run down the gully. I had, and still do have total confidence in the grip these shoes provide on this run down the mountain. I never had them slip out from under me. These are the best trail shoes I have ever owned.
✔ Verified Purchase
I have been very happy with them all
This is my second pair of X talons and my 3rd pair of Inov8 running shoes. I have been very happy with them all. My previous pair of X talons got the side ripped up from a tree root poking up on the trail, otherwise they were still holding up fine and kind of bummed I had to replace them. They are a very snug shoe so keep that in mind if you have wide feet. I have very narrow feet, and they fit very snugly. I ordered my exact shoe size and they fit just like my last pair. This model however seems to have a thicker sole which I'm not as much a fan of. I prefer to feel the terrain under my feet, and these feel a bit more removed from the texture of the pebbles and rocks and varying trail debris. Great shoes, fit like a glove, or more like a ballet shoe... My old pair still had a lot of tread left on the cleats so you can expect miles of use.
✔ Verified Purchase
