Inov-8 Roclite G 275 v2 Review

Inov-8 is a genuine UK off road running brand. This is the reason why they tend not to skimp on the grip. A lot of American brands make trail shoes designed for hard packed trails as that is the type of trail that they have available to them. Their shoes tend to have thick, stiff midsoles designed to cushion your ride. They take away any ground feel and the shoe doesn’t bend to the contours of the terrain. We are very lucky in the UK to have access to a lot of public footpaths that remain unpaved or surfaced. These are in my view the most fun type of trails to run on. They are usually narrow one person wide earth paths that weave around the countryside. These type of tracks make you constantly change direction and vary with the weather. They are muddy and slippery on wet days but, dry to concrete on hot days. There are often puddles to negotiate, streams to cross and fallen trees to jump. Stiff, cushioned trail shoes make it difficult to run fluidly on this type of terrain. Fortunately, Inov-8 make a range of flexible trail shoes with good grip and ground feel that are ideal for these type of trails. So, you can enjoy the excitement of running over this varied terrain.

The Inov-8 Roclite G 275 v2 is a shoe designed to be versatile enough to cope with this type of changing terrain but, also offer enough underfoot protection to also be used on harder tracks and trails. The outsole is made from a sticky rubber infused with Graphene. The Graphene makes the soft sticky rubber more durable. So, it not only grips well on wet rock, wood or tarmac but is also durable enough to last the life of the shoes. The lugs are 6mm long and although they are larger and shorter than the lugs used on Inov-8’s range of soft ground shoes (Cross Country and Fell Shoes) the X-Talon, they still effectively bite into soft ground to give a good, reliable level of traction. This traction is enhanced by flexibility in the forefoot of the shoe which allows it to form to the contours of the land. This allows the maximum amount of surface area to be in contact with the ground. Which enhances the grip.

The outsole of the Roclite G 275 version 2 is the same as the original version. The upgrades are in the midsole and the upper. The midsole of the Roclite G 275 v2 is made from Inov-8’s Powerflow Max foam. This is a firm, responsive foam which gives a good level of ground feel. Ideal for running on broken trails. When you hit firmer trails there is still enough cushioning/underfoot protection to make the Roclite G 275 v2 a very comfortable shoe. This is because the Powerflow Max midsole offers a good level of cushioning and this is combined with Inov-8’s Boomerang footbed. This is a very thin insole that gives the shoes a very bouncy feel without taking away any of the feel for the ground. Because it’s so thin there is no noticeable compression when your foot hits the floor which gives you a lot of control on broken ground and on harder ground makes the shoes feel a lot more responsive. The outsole lugs also add to the cushioning. The rubber outsole has a nice, soft feel. This isn’t noticeable on the softer ground as the lugs bite into the ground but, when you hit some firmer trail the added bit of cushioning is very welcome.

As well as the upper being redesigned to improve the hold on the foot the shape has also been changed. The original Roclite G 275 had a very pointed toe box which pushed the big toe inwards. This reduces foot function and your ability to push off. The toe box of the Roclite G 275 V2 has a much straighter big toe line and a more rounded, roomy toe box. The fit around the heel and through the midfoot is very similar to a fell shoe in that it is snug. Designed to hold the foot onto the midsole. The flexibility of the midsole helps reduce how much the foot is push around inside the shoes but the way the upper wraps around the foot is a key factor in holding the foot onto the midsole. There is enough volume in the forefoot of the shoes to allow the feet the room to spread and function in the shoes. This coupled with the good level of ground feel means that your feet are able to respond to the ground which helps you move quickly and more fluidly over broken and uneven terrain.

The number after the name of Inov-8 shoes is the average weight of a Men’s UK 8. So, the Roclite G 275 weigh’s 275 grams in a UK 8. The heel to forefoot drop is 8mm and the shoes have a floor to foot stack height of 26mm in the heel and 18mm in the forefoot. This makes the shoes sound a lot more ‘stacked’ than they are. 6mm of this stack height is the length of the lugs. The stack height that is used by most other brands is the midsole thickness and that is 16mm in the heel and 8mm in the forefoot.

Before the Inov-8 Roclite came onto the market the options for running on the trails was your Walsh Fell Shoes or a road shoe with some grips (often Saucony Jazz 5000). The problem with using your fell shoes for training on a more mixed terrain is that the studs were made of very soft rubber. So, they wore out quickly. They also had a very low level of cushioning. So, if you ran a lot in them on dry days then your feet got soar. The Inov-8 Roclite very quickly became the training shoe of choice for a lot of fell runners. The rubber wasn’t quite as grippy as it is now but, the shoe offered just enough cushioning and was more durable while still being flexible and responsive. A real game changer.

I find the experience of running the Inov-8 Roclite G 275 v2 a bit Jekyll and Hyde. When running uphill the flex in the forefoot and ground feel is great. When I push off then I instantly move. There is no noticeable compression which makes the shoes feel very responsive. I am a midfoot striker when the shoes allow. I find that the Roclite feels like it has a very big heel on the back of it. On steeper descents this makes running very jarring. I think the issue is the stiffness in the midfoot. This stops the shoe from twisting but, it also reduces foot function and doesn’t allow me to get my midfoot on the floor first. So, I can fly down the hill. For this reason I would suggest that the Roclite G 275 v2 is a better shoe for a heel striker. This issue isn’t as noticeable on less steep descents which means that I can still enjoy running in the shoes over farmers fields and through the woods down by the river. I had the same issue with the original Inov-8 Roclite G 275. So, if you loved the previous version then you should get on fine with the new version.

In summary the Inov-8 Roclite G 275 v2 is a very versatile trail running shoe that is best used on softer tracks and trails but, is still serviceable on firmer tracks and trails.

Alternatives to Inov-8 Roclite G 275 v2

Scott Supertrac RC 2: 4 mm heel to forefoot. Similar level of traction. Rocker in the midsole makes these smoother on firmer tracks and trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-supertrac-rc-2-0-review-trail-fell-running-shoes/

Scott Amphib: Same midsole and outsole as above with an upper designed to cope better with water for swim/run etc. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-supertrac-amphib-review/

NVii Terra TT: Very similar shoe. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/nvii-terra-tt-review-high-grip-trail-running-shoes/

VJ Maxx: Still a very versatile trail shoe but, the flatter stud makes it a better option for drier days or firmer tracks. They are also slightly stiffer which helps them ride better on harder tracks and trails. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/vj-sports-vj-maxx-review-cushioned-trail-running-shoes/