Inov8 Flyroc 310 or Terroc 330?

I am literally sitting here with a just delivered pair of 330's on my desk. The two pair I already have, with lots of miles on them, are going to be used for local hikes, but these are going to be put aside for this summer's thru of the CT. Both the 310 an 330 are excellent. I prefer the 330's for the hard packed trails I usually frequent. If you are going to hike a lot in loose surfaced, grassy, or muddy conditions then you might be better off with the 310's.

Hey John, how's it going?

Do you or any of the other Inov8 wearers know if any of their shows are better suited for preventing pronation-related problems? It might be that they're more or less all the same (in which case I guess I could get some orthotics from the doc), but I figured I'd ask.

I've been looking at these two pairs recently too, but held off on buying one of them because I wasn't sure if they were suited to my ankles.

Thanks!

Shoes are very personal and the inov-8 are very different from most other shoes. It's possible that they just aren't right for your feet / walking style. That said, they take some getting use to, giving them one more try makes sense.

From a traction standpoint the 310 is better with softer surfaces, mud, grass, etc while the 330 is better on hardpack. That said, I prefer the flyroc 310 100% of the time because it's sole is more flexible, it seems a bit more breathable, and the overall shoe is lighter.

Haven't found a shoe I like as well. They flyroc 310 it's been my primary shoe since late 2004… I think I have gone through around 14 pairs now.

Hey Mark, question about your Flyrocs (or any other Inov8 wearers).

Did you have to size up? I've read some places that say they are sized down a bit and to size up a half size or so.

Your thoughts?

Casey…
I go 1/2 size up from most other trail shoes, ie., Merrell, and a full size up from street type shoes. This sizing seems to work well for me with thin socks on long hikes.

Hi David…
Almost all the Inov'8's are for minimal support and minimal pronation. Inserts are going to pretty much destroy the natural flex of the shoe which is paramount with them. Sorry.

Size:

I found the flyroc 310 to be true to size. I found that any of the "lite" such as roclite models, I needed to go up 1/2 or 1 size to get enough room in the toebox. I need a larger than normal toebox cause I have both hammer and morton's toes, but talking to the folks at zombierunner, it sounds like going up 1/2 is fairly common with the roclite. I think the mudclaw ran true to size, but I am not sure… the last pair I tries was a couple of years ago.

Motion Control:

I don't need it so I haven't paid a lot of attention to it. Given the flexibility, I am not sure if any of the shoes would be particularly good. Someone else will need to answer.

–Mark

Not to steal your thread, but I just wanted to thank everyone for the input so far. I too am looking at one of these two as well and this has all been very helpful.

Adam

I put 600 miles on a pair of 310s this summer and then another 600 miles on a pair of 330s. I prefer the 330s but not for comfort, but rather for durability. If it's worth anything, I'm really, really biased to Inov-8. I also own a pair of 390 GTX boots and Roclite 305 running shoes as well.

Sam,

I had a pair of Terroc 330 which I managed to destroy the soles on.

I put only about 200 miles on them, but I wore off the center "cleets" going up the middle of the sole.

Those cleets were made of a softer material that probably gave the shoe more grip on rocky surfaces.

Everything else about th shoe was great and held up well.

Unfortunately, the shoe is ruined because with the center worn down flat my feet are basically caving in with the rest of the tread being much "higher" than the center.

I was thinking of switching to the Roclite 305's based on the comments on BPL in a brief State of Market Report of the new shoes coming out from Innov8.

What are your opinions and observations between the two shoes?

I won't mind getting another pair of 330's, but I am hoping that the 305's won't have the same problem I experienced with the 330's.

Anyone else have experience with the 305's?

Terroc 330 work well for my feet. I use 1/2 up from normal shoe size. Very light. Minimal support. Fast drying. Simple. Read the details at the Inov8 web site to understand what they are and are not.

Good luck.

I prefer the fit of the Terroc with a wide toebox and narrow heel cups. But I had the same problem with the center cleets and on my second pair, the sole split in two at the metaflex position. Since I had already a pair of Roclite 315's I have used those up to now, also because of a foot injury which made me appreciate the extra cushioning it offers. My impression is that the Roclite sole is a bit more durable than the Terroc sole although the general fit of the Terroc is better.
Currently I'm waiting for the Roclite 295 which should become available in february and which appears to be the perfect compromise between the current Roclite models, using the sole unit, and the Terroc, from which it borrowed the last and the upper construction with better draining capability.

The sole on my pair of 310s split at the Metaflex also but that was after more than 600 miles of walking on them (trail runners are really only designed for around 500 miles).

I have only recently attained the 305s and haven't run in them yet so can't comment on them other than how they look – and I'll leave those comments for the fashion magazines since I have very little interest in anything other than functionality.

John-
Can you elaborate on the reason inserts won't work with the 310's. I was thinking of purchasing a pair, but I'm a massive pronator. Do you have another shoe suggestion?

John (and David)…

I just re-read the pronation control of the 310's and the 330's, and it's not the same as I read last year. Based on what the site now says, you MAY be able to use them. Last year it read minimal pronation control, not it reads mild to moderate. See link… reasonable price too.

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpageMRS-I8FROC.html

I still think that adding any inserts will ruin the great feel of Inov-8's.