Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

My Flyrocs were extremely comfortable right out of the box. I am especially impressed with the way the shoes' soles allow my foot to flex naturally when I walk but still provide sufficient torsional rigidity. Just wore them to hike Mt. Washington via. Tuckerman's Ravine (think steep and rocky) and they offered excellent support, ventilation, traction and comfort.

Edited by justinalvare on 06/27/2006 07:08:55 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

The Flyrocs are quite good. The deep-lugged soles make for excellent grip. I like that the heel isn't significantly raised, so you the shoes feel nice and close to the ground. The open mesh lets some dust and moisture in and takes damage a little easier, but that's a price you pay for the soft, comfortable feel against the feet, along with flexibility and breathability. A couple of my favorite features: the tongue is thin, flexible, and not at all bulky; the shoe laces are of generous length; and the heel cup doesn't climb up too high on your achilles and ankle bones.

Rating: 5 / 5

The most comfortable shoes I have worn. At this editing I am on my 14th pair.

Extremely flexible sole which takes some getting use to, but within a month I couldn't imagine using anything else. [Note: If you need motion control you should look at something with a stiffer sole.] Light weight shoes with an extremely aggressive sole which provides great traction on mix surfaces. Traction is decent (but not ideal) on flat, slick surfaces because the lugs limit contact area.

My only complaint with this shoe is that I get 1/2 the miles out of the flyroc than I did with my NB 801ATs.

Edited by verber on 01/01/2011 11:04:50 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

I've worn the Inov8 Flyroc 310 for about 1 1/2 years. They are my favorite shoe. They weigh 745 grams for a pair of size US10.5. I performed several tests of the Flyrocs along with many other shoes. These test results were posted at BPL in 2005. The bottom line is they dry quicker than most shoes, they are lighter than most trail running shoes, they are comfortable, they have an agressive tread, and they flex better than most shoes. I've bought a lot of different shoes to try them out and these definitely stand out as the best shoe for the largest variety of conditions.

Rating: 5 / 5

Prior to using the Flyrocs I have used lightweight boots which have been okay.

But the Flyrocs have stood out for fit (no need for wide sizes), grip (in mud, snow and ice they maintain their grip much better than boots), comfort ( my feet were happy feet at the end of the day).

As for the longevity of these shoes all I can say is time and distance will be the judge.

Rating: 5 / 5

I've been using these shoes now for about nine months. I found them extremely comfortable straight out of the box and even more comfortable with use. It only took about 30 minutes for my feet to adjust to the increased flexibility these shoes afford. The toe box is plenty large enough to wiggle my toes and my heal stays in place through all ranges of motion/activity.

They have more than adequate traction (for me anyway) and dry quickly, even when completely immersed. Additionally, the snug fitting collar prevents virtually all debris from entering the shoe.

Overall, I couldn't be more pleased ... so I bought a second pair. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t take a look at GoLite’s new trail shoe in March.

Rating: 5 / 5

Previously owned Salomon XA Comp 2's(1lb. 8oz.) After extended periods of scrambling and 15+ mile trail days, my feet were not happy. Felt like I needed a more aggressive boot-like tread for going off-trail and found it with the Flyroc's.

Also, the XA comps managed to accumulate lots of sand through its mesh, which meant lots of stops to shake out shoes and socks. This has not been an issue with the Flyrocs, despite their similarly generous use of mesh.

They're super light(1lb. 4oz,) VERY comfortable, my feet don't feel like they are taking a pounding.

I've subjected them to 4 peaks in the Uintas(lots of boulder hopping,) 2 desert climbs(sandstone scrambling,) a desert canyon with 2 slot sections(stemming,) and a spring climb in the Wasatch(post-holing, short glissades.) Still look, perform, and feel great! Inov8 is on to something here.

Edited by jfranchow on 03/21/2007 10:21:00 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

Like the previous reviewer I switched to these from Salomon XA Comp 2s, which initially seemed ideal (well ventilated, lightweight) but picked up excessive sand through the mesh, suffered a worn-through lace very early in their lifespan, and worst of all blistered up my heel but good.

I have a narrow, pointy heel that blisters at the drop of a hat. Switched to the Inov-8 flyrocs and Darn Tough socks, and for the first time in my hiking career, no blisters. No hotspots. Bliss. I don't know if it's the last used or the fairly strong "lock" of the heelcup but it works for my feet.

I didn't notice the increased flexibility as much as some reviewers. The sole, however, is noticeably thinner and harder, but this never affected comfort the way I thought it might. Reinforced all the stitching with superglue and they've held up great. Not much sand through the mesh but very ventilated, quick-drying after creek crossings, great tread on everything but slick rock, all-around great shoe. Love `em.

Rating: 5 / 5

These are designed as trail running shoes, which makes them perfect for lightweight backpacking. They have lots of heel cushion, excellent grip, good fit for me, and are light. Mine are a size 13 and weigh 29 oz for the pair. My only complaint is that the sides of the shoe can cut into my feet a little if I tie them too tight. Overall: good shoes.

Rating: 5 / 5

I have owned these shoes for almost a year and love em'. I have not had the opportunity to try them while backpacking, but I do not foresee any problems. I use them for trail runs and they have proven to be light,quick-drying,offer excellent traction, and very flexible. I have logged around 200 trail running miles in this pair without any issues of durability.

Edited by sagan on 03/30/2007 14:56:44 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

I've been wearing the Flyroc 310s for six months. I do use my Superfeet insoles which may take away some of the flexibility these shoes are known for but they work great for me. Light, good toe protection and grip well on granite.

Rating: 4 / 5

My feet have changed a lot in the last several years of road running, trail running, and backpacking. I went from boots to New Balance 907's with Superfeet inserts, then the 907's with stock insoles. Now I've finally found that my feet accept and expect a lot of flexibility for off-road activities, and the Inov8 Flyroc 310's fit the bill perfectly, even though I run in motion-control trainers on the road.

I'm just hitting about 150 miles on my first pair, and the rubber lugs are starting to wear down, and the midsoles have just started to compress. These are visual differences; there is no performance change in the shoe (yet). I have also replaced the insoles with something a bit more padded, simply due to wear. Perhaps a new rubber formulation might instill more confidence that I might reach 300 miles before needing to retire this pair, but it's just like tires: you get sticky or you get durable. Moment to moment on the trail, I'll take sticky.

All the other reviews hit the highlights - light, fast-drying, comfortable, breathable, flexible, great traction - but they've freed me from bringing camp shoes (no need, these are so comfy) and their lightweight construction totally belies their bombproof durability.

The feel of the ground through these shoes changes how one hikes. I've gotten much more aware of where I'm stepping, and I think that might have as big an impact on my foot comfort as the shoes. No more blindly stomping forward on sharp rocks just because my boot let me. Walking and running becomes more active and less passive, and my feet (so far) are telling me that's a Good Thing.

The only time I don't wear these on the trail is when I'm mountain biking. Otherwise when I'm off the roads and active, it's Inov8 Flyrocs or nothing. I just ordered two more pairs.

Rating: 5 / 5

As a trail shoe I do not think it gets much better than the Flyroc's. With their forefoot space, amazing trail feel and fast drying mesh they are pretty close to perfect for New England hiking. They def do not have alot of cushion, but with some use I do not find I miss it. All this said, take these shoe's out of their intended element and they will disappoint.

Awesome for: Wet, rocky, root-infested, muddy or technical trail running/hiking. Great for snowshoeing with GTX socks and layers underneath.

Look elsewhere if you want a pair of trail runners that can handle the pavement to your local trailhead.

Edited by Jkrew81 on 05/26/2010 06:00:13 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

After reading lots of enthusiastic reviews of Inov-8 shoes, and spending some time trying to make sense of their multifarious and confusing model range, I finally settled on a pair of 310s in December.

Wore them for a few runs and a bit of knocking about over the winter - not too much, though, the thin/hard soles aren't that comfortable on pavement and I was wary of their longevity - but only just had a chance to use them for what I bought them for: a few days hiking in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. They are superb: the snug but low heel and broad forefoot fit me perfectly; they're light; they grip as well as anything can be expected to grip on wet mud over limestone.

My size 45s weigh 390 grammes per shoe, a little more than the 310 grammes the name would imply (unlike the F-Lite 320 PKs I bought for town use - also very good - which are dead on at 327 grammes per shoe)

I haven't tried the 310s on rock yet, and would be wary of the sole profile there. For anything involving large amounts of Alpine Grade II scrambling - I think this would roughly equate to Yosemite "4th class" - I would still tend towards my Five Ten approach shoes even though they are heavier and less comfortable. But for everything else from now on, Flyrocs.

One point I haven't seen mentioned in reviews, that does cause me slight concern - I've noticed that some of the stitching on the inside of the shoe, around the hinge point at the base of the little toe, feels a little rough. I fear this might become a friction point with thin socks and/or hot conditions. (If it does I'll trying covering it up with some seam seal or shoe goo )