@@bobross5079 that’s why I moved to VJ and never looked back their xtrm 2 and irock are the best grip I’ve ever experienced and the rest of the range is excellent for all distances
It wass great fun Stu and gave me a massive boost going into the race knowing I could bounce straight out of it...one of the reasons I am a bit gutted about the injury setback as feels like I am losing a bit of the edge. Its funny how manufacturers come away from a formula that works sometimes.
I really like the light, fast feel my only reservation is overall protection when going at full throttle but only one way to find out lol. Will get you full thoughts after a race or two, first one is start of November so not long.
Great work out Darren. Find inov8 a bit narrow for me except mudclaw 300 love them . Stand to be corrected think mudclaw was inov8 first shoe think Pete Bland helped with design know he did with Walsh
Yes the width has been an issue for me since they moved more toward a precision fit but these are strangely flexible in the upper. They have also released a few more in a wider fit so think they are acknowledging the demand for a wider shoe.
I am currently trying to decide whether or not to buy this shoe. I really liked the feel of it in the shop, but a bit concerned that it is a bit tight around the side of the toes. Did you find that they stretched/ molded sufficiently as you wore them in?
TBH the longer I used these the more I struggled with the lack of protection...yes it feels like a slipper (in a comfy way) but it feels like a slipper in a bad way too when the going gets tough. I didn't have issues with the outer toe despite having similar concerns but I'd highly recommend the VJ Xtrm 2 over these...its a wider toe box but precision fit higher up where it won't rub, has a rock plate that offers a little snap and protection while not losing ground feel and the lugs are made of butyl rubber, much better in wet conditions. My go to now, there's a review on the channel if your interested
Top film again, love that hill 😂 Not enough cushioning for me. I'm thinking of getting the Ino8 X-Talon Ultra 260 v2. What do you thing the best cushioned high grip shoe is.
Hey Mike, yeh cushioned Fell shoes are hard to find but I think you're on the right tracks with the Ultra 260. They're probably the best option out there right now.
I'm very sceptical. the V1 Mudclaw G lugs wore down within 200-250 miles (I've had two pairs). I used to get more like 300-400 in the older (non graphene) Mudclaws , which I've worn for years, before the lugs started to go. Similar with the Terra Ultra graphene shows, the grip goes in about 200 miles. This is all on trails (mud, grass, rocks) with minimal on road, maybe 15-20% of running on road. So no comment on the X Talons while they last (used to love them bar too narrow for me), but the graphene side of things - feels like they are massively overselling it.
Can't say I've used graphene for long enough to comment so will see how these fair on that side. I do think it is hard to compare mileage in shoes sometimes. I have exactly the same pair of Scott RC's and got 500+ miles out of one pair but only 300 miles out of the other. Still live in the same area but just timing with races, type of race terrain and season etc compounded that. Will be interested to see how it lasts though.
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning yes I'll be interested to see the follow up once you've got some big miles in them. And I don't know if "V2" means a changed / improved compound, or just a new design. Let's see. And good luck in the fell series!
Thanks. The V2 is an improved upper I believe, more robust and durable is the claim I don't believe anything underfoot has changed much. My understanding is some complained the upper went too fast in V1, so they worked on it. We'll soon find out though :)
Would you use these shoes for the Ben Nevis race? I’m running it for the first time this year and bought these shoes. I tried them out in training and felt as though I could feel every stone under my foot 😔
Hi, I'd highly recommend the VJ Irock for that type of fell race, never looked back since I started wearing them. Or if you want a little more protection then the VJ Xtrm 2 is ideal with its rock plate. But the Xtalons are too minimalist for type of course IMO
They'd work well for that Lauren yes but for me the hands down best shoe for that would be the VJ iRock, unbelievable grips in wet conditions and amazing lug pattern. If you can get on with the tight, narrow fit they'd be ideal.
When you say that it is a fell racing shoe does that mean specifically for races like Vaporfly for road or will I still be able to wear it as my normal fell shoe for standard fell runs
Like any shoe that comes down to the individuals taste and preference but I personally find this too minimalist for day to day training but it’s lightweight design and grip make it ideal for racing.
Hi, to be honest its all down to personal preference. But in honesty I would now highly recommend the VJ Xtrm 2, its my go too for all fell and technical trail running as the grip is unbelievable and I find it very comfortable a great mix of precision and protection. The G210 was a little too minimalist for me in the end and I lacked precision in the Xtalon Ultra. There is a review on the channel for the Xtrm 2 if you want to take a look
What do you think of the (Decathlon) evadict litespeed? I think they have a tpu plate, aggressive lugs, sticky rubber, dyneema upper. They look good for UK weather but zero English reviews
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning huge French sporting brand with large economies of scale, so you can find some good kit that would cost a lot more at a fashion / herritage brand. Their cycling kit is great. Trail I don't know. Apparel can be hit / miss
Hey Will, to be honest I haven't worn them enough to comment...I have issues with pronation and because these are too narrow for my insoles I struggled in them for longer than an hour which is a shame as was enjoying them
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning Thanks Darren. Just bought two pairs for the kids who will no doubt put them through their paces. Used for orienteering, mountain marathons etc so the upper will get a good bashing. Fingers crossed they last. The grip on the x-talons has always been awesome, just occasionally let down with a lemon upper. Great reviews. Thanks.
Inov8 has to go back to this style fell shoe ,.
WE ALL LOVED THEM
@@bobross5079 that’s why I moved to VJ and never looked back their xtrm 2 and irock are the best grip I’ve ever experienced and the rest of the range is excellent for all distances
Great review Darren .I’ve got the mudclaws and find them very good.
Yeh I am drawn to them but the zero drop put me off initially.
Nice review Darren, short and straight to the point. 👍🏽
Thanks Karl :)
Great session that mate. 👍
The OG grey and yellow X-talon 212 are still the best fell shoe ever in my opinion.
It wass great fun Stu and gave me a massive boost going into the race knowing I could bounce straight out of it...one of the reasons I am a bit gutted about the injury setback as feels like I am losing a bit of the edge. Its funny how manufacturers come away from a formula that works sometimes.
Looking forward to seeing this one in a race. The grip sounds ideal.
I really like the light, fast feel my only reservation is overall protection when going at full throttle but only one way to find out lol. Will get you full thoughts after a race or two, first one is start of November so not long.
Great work out Darren. Find inov8 a bit narrow for me except mudclaw 300 love them . Stand to be corrected think mudclaw was inov8 first shoe think Pete Bland helped with design know he did with Walsh
Yes the width has been an issue for me since they moved more toward a precision fit but these are strangely flexible in the upper. They have also released a few more in a wider fit so think they are acknowledging the demand for a wider shoe.
I am currently trying to decide whether or not to buy this shoe. I really liked the feel of it in the shop, but a bit concerned that it is a bit tight around the side of the toes. Did you find that they stretched/ molded sufficiently as you wore them in?
TBH the longer I used these the more I struggled with the lack of protection...yes it feels like a slipper (in a comfy way) but it feels like a slipper in a bad way too when the going gets tough. I didn't have issues with the outer toe despite having similar concerns but I'd highly recommend the VJ Xtrm 2 over these...its a wider toe box but precision fit higher up where it won't rub, has a rock plate that offers a little snap and protection while not losing ground feel and the lugs are made of butyl rubber, much better in wet conditions. My go to now, there's a review on the channel if your interested
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning Thank you very much, that's really useful!
Great video man, thank you.
Thanks 😊
Top film again, love that hill 😂 Not enough cushioning for me. I'm thinking of getting the Ino8 X-Talon Ultra 260 v2. What do you thing the best cushioned high grip shoe is.
Hey Mike, yeh cushioned Fell shoes are hard to find but I think you're on the right tracks with the Ultra 260. They're probably the best option out there right now.
I'm very sceptical. the V1 Mudclaw G lugs wore down within 200-250 miles (I've had two pairs). I used to get more like 300-400 in the older (non graphene) Mudclaws , which I've worn for years, before the lugs started to go. Similar with the Terra Ultra graphene shows, the grip goes in about 200 miles. This is all on trails (mud, grass, rocks) with minimal on road, maybe 15-20% of running on road. So no comment on the X Talons while they last (used to love them bar too narrow for me), but the graphene side of things - feels like they are massively overselling it.
Can't say I've used graphene for long enough to comment so will see how these fair on that side. I do think it is hard to compare mileage in shoes sometimes. I have exactly the same pair of Scott RC's and got 500+ miles out of one pair but only 300 miles out of the other. Still live in the same area but just timing with races, type of race terrain and season etc compounded that. Will be interested to see how it lasts though.
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning yes I'll be interested to see the follow up once you've got some big miles in them. And I don't know if "V2" means a changed / improved compound, or just a new design. Let's see.
And good luck in the fell series!
Thanks. The V2 is an improved upper I believe, more robust and durable is the claim I don't believe anything underfoot has changed much. My understanding is some complained the upper went too fast in V1, so they worked on it. We'll soon find out though :)
Would you use these shoes for the Ben Nevis race? I’m running it for the first time this year and bought these shoes. I tried them out in training and felt as though I could feel every stone under my foot 😔
Hi, I'd highly recommend the VJ Irock for that type of fell race, never looked back since I started wearing them. Or if you want a little more protection then the VJ Xtrm 2 is ideal with its rock plate. But the Xtalons are too minimalist for type of course IMO
Nice one, thank you for the reply 😀 will look into them
Hi! Do you recommend them for a OCR with a lot of mud and water?
They'd work well for that Lauren yes but for me the hands down best shoe for that would be the VJ iRock, unbelievable grips in wet conditions and amazing lug pattern. If you can get on with the tight, narrow fit they'd be ideal.
When you say that it is a fell racing shoe does that mean specifically for races like Vaporfly for road or will I still be able to wear it as my normal fell shoe for standard fell runs
Like any shoe that comes down to the individuals taste and preference but I personally find this too minimalist for day to day training but it’s lightweight design and grip make it ideal for racing.
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Do you have an update on these shoes? Do you recommend these over the inov-8 x talon 260 Ultras?
Hi, to be honest its all down to personal preference. But in honesty I would now highly recommend the VJ Xtrm 2, its my go too for all fell and technical trail running as the grip is unbelievable and I find it very comfortable a great mix of precision and protection. The G210 was a little too minimalist for me in the end and I lacked precision in the Xtalon Ultra. There is a review on the channel for the Xtrm 2 if you want to take a look
What do you think of the (Decathlon) evadict litespeed? I think they have a tpu plate, aggressive lugs, sticky rubber, dyneema upper. They look good for UK weather but zero English reviews
Couldn't say without trying and not aware of them to be honest
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning huge French sporting brand with large economies of scale, so you can find some good kit that would cost a lot more at a fashion / herritage brand. Their cycling kit is great. Trail I don't know. Apparel can be hit / miss
Interesting, unfortunately not much info on them in the UK
9 months later. Any news on durability of the upper? Previous model was a disaster. Thanks
Hey Will, to be honest I haven't worn them enough to comment...I have issues with pronation and because these are too narrow for my insoles I struggled in them for longer than an hour which is a shame as was enjoying them
@@DarrenSmithTrailRunning Thanks Darren. Just bought two pairs for the kids who will no doubt put them through their paces. Used for orienteering, mountain marathons etc so the upper will get a good bashing. Fingers crossed they last. The grip on the x-talons has always been awesome, just occasionally let down with a lemon upper. Great reviews. Thanks.
I guess they're way lighter than most of the other Inov8 trail shoes
They certainly feel as much on.
No such thing, the best trail shoe is the one that fits your feet shape
How's the legs Darren. 🦵
Getting there but very slowly. Still got a dead leg from the race but hoping it will be something like next week.