Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Inov-8 X-Talon 190 Trail Shoes
By JeremiahWassom
I purchased these shoes for a 50-mile trail ultra in the mountains of Utah. I put 10 miles of break-in on these shoes before the race - normally something that would scare me for race day as I prefer to really know my gear and its limitations, but these performed not only "well", but they worked exceptionally.I do not recommend running on pavement or any hard surface for anything more than a few miles as the pressure points the rubber spikes create can really wreak havoc on your feet. Another thing to keep in mind is the sole is so thin that you can literally roll these shoes into a ball - even more so than any Nike Frees on the market - but that means that, if you're running on any surfaces with sharp rocks or scree, you *will* end up stabbing the soles of your feet at least a few times. The lower of the shoe is extremely grippy, which is great for keeping you on the trail.Outside of running surface warnings, these shoes perform beautifully straight out of the box. Inov-8 truly considers the extreme athlete when making their products. The outer is extremely breathable for hot weather and even breathes well after being doused in mud and water. Over my 50-mile ultra, I ran through muddy swamps, small creeks, dirt trails, rocky scree and pavement and the only thing I had to change was my socks - once.These shoes are so light, you hardly notice them on your feet. From now on, I will only wear Inov-8 shoes for any running I do in the future. Just keep in mind they are specifically built for certain terrain types. This shoe is made for extreme terrain where grip is necessary.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Inov8 X-Talon 190 performs great for Ultimate Frisbee
By Julius C. Willis III
I tried out my X-Talons yesterday for a couple of hours playing ultimate frisbee and they rocked. They're light, grippy on the field, and feel natural on my feet.Light: they're under 7 ounces each and compared to my heavy Ladanian Tomlinson high-top Nike cleats, I feel like I've got Mercury's foot wings on when I run.Grippy: the word "grippy" is made-up, but it describes how the shoe behaves over dry dirt patches and grass on the field.Natural: I can feel the divots and clumps of dirt/grass under my feet, but not to the point where I'm distracted. I've played barefoot before, and that feels good, but this is cool because I get the protection in case I step on a bee or sharp pebble or something.I bought these shoes a size larger than what I normally wear so I don't slam my toes on the front edge during sudden stops or jukes. I recommend everyone do the same or at least get them at half-a-size larger.Not sure what the mesh is made of, it feels like super tough paper or cardboard, and that doesn't sound impressive, but it looks super durable. I'll try to come back on here and say how long this pair lasted. (Marking today's date: Jan 08, 2012)I give it a big thumbs up - 5 stars!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Great Trailrunning and "Mudding" Footwear!
By KippieMan
I bought this shoe in preparation for a 5k obstacle mud run, Rugged Maniac to be specific. These performed remarkably and allowed me to push through a few obstacles that would have been very difficult in "conventional" shoes.I've tried all types of shoes. Conventional shoes were starting to give me shin splints and knee cramps, this caused me to start looking at the "toe shoes". The thin sole and 0-degre rise in the the heel has served me quite well with running, daily walking, and strength training. The downside with the toe shoes was their inherent vulnerability to my feet while trail running amongst sharp rocks and hidden roots.Which leads me to the Inov-8 shoes. Getting prepared for the mud run, I needed to do a lot of trail running, hitting a lot of hills and getting exposed to wet/muddy conditions. These shoes provide a wonderfully balanced platform while running and dig firmly into the ground. They are very light, flexible, yet decently resilient. I say decently resilient due to the black tip of the shoe at the toe becoming partially detached from the shoe after my mud run. Easily repaired with some super glue, but an issue nonetheless.Aside from that, they truly helped me to conquer the obstacle....especially since it was built on the a ski slope! It handled very well in hard and soft dirt, deep mud pits, water, rocks, rope, and wood boards. Never lost grip, the mud never clogged and created a slick bottom of the shoe, didn't get weighed down with water or mud.Cleaning is very simple, wash in warm/hot water in a utility sink or tub with mild soap, rinse with cold water, and let stand to dry under a fan or room heater. These fold and roll very easily which makes ringing out the water very simple. I would gladly get another pair of Inov-8's for training and competitive purposes. :-) I would truly give this a 4.5/5 stars, but 4/5 is good considering the reliability issue.
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wrong color but nice
Is this shoe made by ECCO or Merrell
