I'd recommend checking out the 255s. I have a couple hundred miles on some 245s and was worried about how they were holding up on off trail stuff and picked up the 255s. They have less than 100 miles on them, so take it with a grain of salt, but they feel substantially more durable. The mesh is much heavier duty and the rand is awesome. They still feel nice and low to the ground and the extra "cushion" is nice and firm. I'm lovin' them so far.

Thanks for the response. I was under the impression that the rubber outsole was the same on all models. I thought they just differed in drop and the fact that the 255 has a more durable upper. Also I guess I should add that I am not hiking in these particular shoes but trail running so they probably take more of a beating.

Any idea what the Trail Roc 150's weigh? Sorry if this was mentioned.

For Inov-8 shoes, the model number indicates the shoe weight in grams for a US men's size 9 (UK 8).

I've owned a pair of TrailRoc 245s since they became available this summer. My second pair of Inov-8s, after the RocLite 295s. I like the 245s a lot, but wondered if the 255s would be more durable and more comfortable over a longer distance. No-one locally has them, so I ordered a pair from Zappos, in the same size as my 245s.

What I like:
- The toebox is just as good as the 245 - really comfortable without feeling sloppy.
- The mesh and rand are much more substantial. I think they'll hold up longer.
- Black and red are less of an eyesore than blue and lime.

What I'm not sure about:
- The sole is a lot more rigid, and has significantly less flex than both the 245 and the Roclite 295. I don't know how this will impact comfort on a rocky trail, but there's going to be less ground feel than either of my other shoes.

My dislikes:
- The heel feels a lot narrower than the 245. I don't know whether it's the extra padding (there is quite a bit), the greater heel drop, the more rigid met-cradle lacing system that extends around the heel, or the combination of all three. Put simply, it's uncomfortable after just 10 minutes wear.

The heel fit is different enough that I doubt whether the 255s will ever feel comfortable in the way that my TrailRoc 245s and RocLite 295s did from day 1. I'm almost ready to send the 255s back to Zappos. For those of you with the 255s, did they feel any better after a break in period?

It's out, and I'm seeing mixed reviews on running sites. People are unhappy with the uppers, I read.

But I'd love to hear BPL opinions!

I have a pair on the way, but haven't tried them yet. When I know more I will let you guys know what I think.

Looking forward to hearing your insights, Damien!

And all other takers, of course!

first a note about the trailroc 245 and durability. I am on pair 4 now. I have gotten between 400-500 miles out of them which has been a mix of street / asphalt trails / gravel (50%), hard pack dirt (40%), soft trails (10%). In each case I wore the forefoot lugs down to nothing before anything else gave out. The uppers did great on 3 of the pair. One of the pair have the black toe cap start to separate / fray after around 200 miles but the shoe held together structurally.

I just got my first pair of 150 so they only have around 30 miles on them so far. They fit me as well, if not slightly better than the 245 and my beloved 310s. When walking I can make out the lugs because there is basically nothing between them and my feet. It's a bit like wearing 5-fingers except there isn't the enforced toe separation and they have better traction on mixed terrain. The fabric uppers are much less air permeable than the 245 or flyroc or 5-finger KSO :( On the other hand, I expect they won't collect seeds and other plant material which went right through and poked my feet.

The laces seem to be the same as the 245... but for whatever reason they haven't come undone with single knots which seemed to happen every day that I didn't double knot the 245s.

The colors have not yet grown on me. Ironically, I have had numerous people tell me they love how the shoes look. I guess there is a market for these colors, but I long for much more muted colors.

--Mark

Edited by verber on 05/02/2013 16:02:54 MDT.

Mark,

Thanks for your observations on how well multiple pairs of 245s have held up, as well as early impressions of the 150. Any reason you bypassed the 235?

I recently purchased a second pair of 245s, this time in the new colour for 2013 - red/black/grey. It's definitely more muted than the original colour. I notice two material differences between them - the upper mesh is finer in the red, and the perforated insole has been replaced by one that is slightly thicker and non-perforated. I'm curious whether either impact how well the new pair drain water and/or how much dust gets inside.

Here's a side by side comparison:

The new red 245 has the same mesh as the 255, which is about 500x as durable as the blue 245 mesh. It's insane that they think they have to put different mesh on every shoe. Figure out the best one and use it.

Ack.. I am no more fond of the red than the blue/yellow. How about a nice black/grey like the 295s?

Why did I bypass the 235? Not sufficiently different from the 245 to justify giving it a shot since the 245 has been working really well for me. The 150 is rather different, so I thought it would be worth a try.

--Mark

Thanks Mark,

You're not the first one I hear to complain about the uppers on the 150. One thing is poor breathing, but have you noticed crinckling over the toes? Some people even find it a bit painful. And do you find the toebox wide enough?

There is a bit of crinkling over the toe box, but not so much that it effects me.

--mark