Inov8 Flyroc 310 vs Roclite 315

I will have a pair of 315s arriving in the mail this week and put a pair of 310s to the test last summer. Send me a PM to remind me to give you my opinion after a week of wear or so.

I will say this initially. I wore the 310s in a size 12 and they fit wonderfully. The toebox was roomy. I tried on a pair of 320 Roclites in a size 12 and they were far too narrow (consequently they are for sale if anyone wants them). I ordered the 315s in a 12.5 so we'll see how it goes.

cool thanks Sam. Just one other que. Do the Flyroc's have the 6mm insole or the 3? How are they on long flat compacted trails? I am looking to start training in the model shoe I plan to hike the JMT in next year but unfortunatly my terrain up here in the Northeast is very different so it is hard to tell is what works here would do the trick out there.

I'm sorry, but I don't know whether the 310s had a 3 or 6 mil insole. I plain wore those shoes out on a thru-hike last summer and they have long since ended up in a landfill.

My opinion of the shoes is that they make great footwear for trail hiking. I was less impressed with their ability to withstand off-trail travel mostly from a durability perspective. For this type of travel I've opted for the 330 and am soon to check out the 315.

The answer to the thickness and if the model is a sport or comfort last is found on the Inov-8 web site. So the 330 has half the cushioning of the 318 I use, and the 315 has a harder compound on the sole – so it will be longer lasting than the 318. It is all down to what model suits your foot and the terrain you normally encounter.

Does the 315 have more cushion than the 295? I bought a pair of the 295s, but the arch on my feet were killing me for like a week after I put about 20+ miles on them for the first time.

I don't know if it was whether my feet just weren't used to that little support underneath or if it was the shoe/insole, I'm wondering if you experienced the same thing. The 295 fit perfectly though, and I otherwise thought it was a great shoe.

Two questions-

I currently use Salomon XA Pro's which have zero padding underfoot. The midsole collapses a little too quickly for my liking, leaving the shoes feeling somewhat 'dead' after about 200-300 miles or so. When you guys are talking cushioning, you're talking about the ability of the midsole to absorb impact, correct? Or is there some other padding built into the Inov8 shoes?

Also, is anyone using Superfeet with the Inov8's? I have read more than once that the shoe is designed with a lot of flex in the forefoot with which the Superfeet might interfere. Is this a gimmick? And, has anyone tried using SUperfeet in the Inov8's anyway?

Firmly I believe that a superfeet-esque insole defeats alot of the purpose of the Inov-8's flexibility and doesn't allow ones foot to behave as it evolved to BUT, I do wear custom corrective orthotics (stiff thru the arch, flexible under the ball)…basically I still get a light breathable shoe and of course I can elect to hike in the factory insoles.

Inov-8 padding seems limited to a shaped insole (composite of two types of foam), midsole (varies with shoe type), and in some cases a deep lug adds some comfort as well (think Mudrocs, Mudclaw).

My understanding of these insoles is that all the shoes are supplied with the 6mm shaped insole and the 3mm is a flat volume adjuster that is included with some "race models" for fine tuning fit or available separately.

Recently I tried the endurance last/midsole for the first time. It does feel cushier but the performance last/midsole feels way more direct (and is consistent thru its shorter life), I'd hazard to guess the cushier midsole will have a hard time maintaining that spring throughout their (longer) shoe life.

Russell,
I use custom orthotics in the 315s. I emailed innov8 and they
said as long as I was not racing my inserts would not cause problems. I've used them on Isle Royals, the Superior Hiking Trail and the Winds and love them.

Superfeet go into all my hiking shoes as I have flat feet and need the support. I find that they keep my feet from pronating which in turn allows the soles to wear evenly. If they hadn't been so successful I guess I'd have busted loose some bucks and gone to a Podiatrist for custom orthotics.

I just concluded an impromptu bench test and here are the results:
* Without Superfeet, the Inov8s begin to flex slightly ahead of the arch area continuing all the way to the toe area.
* With Superfeet, the Inov8s flex less at the arch area but mostly around the ball of the foot to the toe.
* The plastic plate of the Superfeet tapers to thin dimensions at the end and is itself flexible, so it doesn't totally inhibit Inov8 shoe flex as the steel shank found in boots of yore would.
* The length of the Superfeet plastic plate is the same as most orthotics but more flexible. (I can say this because I used to have some.)

IMHO, Superfeet only minimally impact the flex pattern of Inov8s, but to be honest, I can detect a difference when comparied to the supplied insoles. However, in either case the net result is similar to hiking in moccasins…like heaven!

alright so I think I am going to answer my own question. So I live right near the North America distro center for Inov8 so I paid them a visit to check out both the Roclite 315's and the Flyroc 310's. Looks like they are coming out with some new colors so they gave me a great discount so I ended up walking out with both shoes. So I have worn each pair on several miles of trail running and here are my findings

Roclite 315
Pro's
-perfect amount of cushion (not too much, not too little)
-narrow profile makes them super numble on the trail
-tight mesh top keeps trail debris out better than 310

Con's
-increased stiffness and cushion decrease underfoot sensativity on rocky or wet terrain

Flyroc 310
Pro's
-ton's of forefoot room for long days on the trail
-wide forefoot area makes them amazing for stability on fast and technical downhills
-dry super fast

Con's
-Feel alittle clunky in comp to the 315 for technical trail running/hiking

So to answer my own question the Flyroc 310's rock in wet techical terrain and the 315's are great for pretty much everything else. That being said they are both amazingly comfortable shoes.