Inov-8 MudTalon Review
The Inov-8 Mudtalon is a trail or fell/mountain running shoe designed to be used on soft ground. It has more cushioning and underfoot protection than the Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed which often makes it a better option for longer races, everyday training on the fells/mountains and fell running rounds like the Bob Graham, Paddy Buckley or Charlie Ramsey. It replaces the X-Talon 260 Ultra in Inov-8’s range.
Like all the shoes in Inov-8’s new range the Mudtalon has an anatomical shaped toe box. This is a more rounded toe box which has more room for the feet to function than their previous shoes that had a more pointed toe box. The advantage of this shaped toe box is that the runners feet can spread on impact. This provides a more stability, cushioning and spring that allows the runner to be more nimble. On technical broken terrain this makes the runner quicker and more fluid. On climbs the runner gains some spring from their feet which helps maintain a more upright posture which makes it easier to run uphill.
When your foot touches the floor midfoot first it spreads. This stretches out the planta fascia, which is like a big elastic band on the base of your foot. This recoils and helps spring you into your next stride. The low heel to forefoot drop and anatomical shape of the forefoot facilitate a midfoot landing and allow your feet to function.
The Mudtalon is available in two widths. The precision fit is a narrow fitting. Although the new toe box does have more width and volume than the older inov-8 shoes that were made on the precision fit last like the X-Talon 230, 210 and the Mudclaw. If you have a relatively narrow foot or prefer your fell/mountain/cross country shoes to fit snuggly than the precision is the width to try. The wide width has more width and volume and is designed for those runners who prefer more room in their shoes or have a wider foot. If you like the fit of Altra or Topo shoes that have a broad rounded toe box then the Mudtalon in the Wide fit would offer a similar amount of volume in the toe box.
Running shoes designed for soft ground need to be flexible enough to take the shape of the ground. This means that more of the outsole is in contact with the floor so the runner gets better traction. It also means that the runner is less likely to twist and ankle or knee and can make fast forward progress over broken terrain as the shoe forms to the contours of the ground. In this type of the shoe you need to have snug fit. Otherwise your foot turns inside the shoe and you lose stability and you can get blisters particularly if you are traveling a long way on a slope like you would be doing when contouring around a hill. Although the Mudtalon has a toe box shape that has room for your feet to spread and function in the shoes it still offers a snug fit. So, your foot doesn’t move inside the shoe or slip forward when descending long distances.
The heel cup is constructed of a thin plastic cup. This is very flexible and when the shoes are laced up takes the shape of your heel. This helps to prevent movement or any lifting. The heel cup and cuff is lightly padded to reduce water retention but is comfortable enough for the shoes to be worn for long periods of time. The tongue is also lightly padded but, offers enough protection from the laces. The tongue is gusseted to help prevent debri from getting into the shoes and the laces pass through a tape on the tongue to help prevent the tongue from slipping to one side when running.
An over pay runs around the perimeter of the shoes to help prevent the upper from getting cut from the terrain or any damage caused by abrasion. The overlay forms the toe bumper which is stiff enough to protect the toes but also flexible enough to not dig into the feet while on long ascents. As you move from the base of the shoe to the laces the overlay becomes thinner tapes and forms the laces holes. When the laces are pulled in the upper is then pulled in around the foot to give a nice snug fit at the heel and around the midfoot. The shape of the forefoot still allows the foot some room to spread inside the shoes.
There is an extra lace hole which you can thread the laces through to gain a snugger fit around the heel if you need to. Alternatively you can use the extra hole to butterfly lace the shoes.
The upper material is a ballistic nylon. This is a very tightly woven material that has a course durable feel about it. It is designed to with stand everything that the wet muddy trail and through at it. So, it offers a high degree of resistance to abrasion and absorbs next to no water. Which means that the shoes don’t get heavier when racing through deep mud or crossing streams.
The lugs are 8mm in length and shaped to bit into soft ground. Crucially the midsole is designed to flex so that the mud is pushed out of the lugs to avoid the lugs from clogging. Unfortunately clay based muds are particularly sticky and so you do still get some clogging but it is better than most other shoes on the market that tend to be stiffer so the mud isn’t worked out of the cleats.
The 8mm lugs are made from Inov-8’s Sticky Grip. This is designed to grip well on wet rock or wood. I have found that this works well better than the rubber used on previous Inov-8 shoes. Although the outsole isn’t designed for use on hard packed trails it still offers a good level of durability which means that it can be used for mixed runs where you encounter some hard packed trails.
Between the outsole and the midsole is a very thin and very flexible rockplate. This is there to protect your feet from thorns or sharp stones that might puncture the shoes. In the past trail running shoes with rockplates where stiff and took away any feel for the ground. The rockplate in the Inov-8 Mudtalon doesn’t do this. The Mudtalon feels very flexible and you are still aware of the terrain you are standing on so you can run nimbly over broken ground.
The midsole foam in Inov-8’s Powerflow PRO. This is a firm and responsive foam. The midsole is thicker than the one used for the Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed and the Mudtalon is designed for longer runs where more underfoot protection is likely to be required. On top of the midsole is the Boomerang insole. This provides a layer of softer cushioning without any compression that would reduce stability and foot function. The insole is nitrogen infused which means that it is sealed to prevent the air from escaping and any dirt, water or grip getting into it. This gives the insole a surprising level of cushioning. Especially when you consider that it is only 6mm thick.
I have enjoyed running in the Inov-8 Mudtalon. To me it feels more cushioned than my old Mudclaws and offers an upper that moulds to my feet better than the X-Talon 260 Ultra. I wear a lot of shoes that have a broad rounded toe box. It’s nice to now have a shoe designed for use in soft ground that offers the same advantages. The heel to forefoot drop of 6mm allows for a midfoot landing but, the midsole in the heel is still stable and durable enough for you to land on your heel. The level of cushioning is comfortable for longer runs on soft ground. I like to weave up and down the hills following the river Derwent. Underfoot the tracks are narrow and often muddy with some wooden steps. The gradient is steep up and down and the Mudtalon coped with this terrain amicably. The flexibility and underfoot feel makes them also comfortable for quicker runs too. 35 minutes of continuous hill reps up a steep grass field wasn’t a problem for the Mudtalon. It was just my legs that where slowing down.
Deciding between the Inov-8 Mudtalon and the Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed could be tricky. The Mudtalon Speed is more flexible and has more ground feel. This means that your feet can function better and the shoe takes the shape of the terrain a little better offering better stability and traction. However, the Mudtalon is still very good for short fast outings and has the versatility of being comfortable on longer runs too. If you aren’t light on your feet and don’t have a good level of foot function then you might find that the Mudtalon Speed becomes hard to run in after an hour or two. Whereas that bit more stiffness in the midsole and that bit more underfoot protection make the Mudtalon a nice long distance shoe for soft ground. So, I would suggest that if you are after a Cross Country Racing shoe or fell racing shoe for short to medium length fell races then the Mudtalon Speed would be the one to consider but, if you want a shoe to use regularly with some longer outings or long fell races then the Mudtalon is likely to be more serviceable.
Inov-8 are a similar length to Hoka, New Balance, La Sportiva and Karhu. If you use Brooks, Saucony, Altra or Topo we would suggest going up half a UK size to get a similar length.
Other Considerations
Scarpa Spin ST: Not as flexible but, not stiff either. The long lugs offer similar traction on soft ground. The toe box is more pointed. High/gaiter type cuff helps stop debri from getting into the shoes. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scarpa-spin-st-review/
Scott Supertrac RC 2: A similar versatile shoe. Rides well on soft ground and hard packed tracks. 6mm lugs don’t offer quite as much traction in sloppy mud. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-supertrac-rc-2-0-review-trail-fell-running-shoes/
VJ Xtrm: Shorter lugs aren’t as effective in deep mud but still offer some traction. The Xtrm is stiffer which gives a bit more support to the foot but, takes away foot function. The fit is also much narrower in the forefoot: VJ Sport XTRM2
Walsh PB’s: The original fell shoe. Soft upper that moulds to the foot. The wide version is called the Ultra. Still made in Bolton. https://www.northernrunner.com/walsh-m8
La Sportiva Mutant: An all Mountain type of shoe. Lugs aren’t as long or grippy in deep mud so these wouldn’t double as a cross country shoe. The upper moulds into a gaiter at the collar to reduce the chance of debri from getting into the shoes. Firm responsive midsole offers ground feel and underfoot protection. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-mutant-review-new-version-for-2023/
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