Inov-8, 295 or 305 or 315

Everyone has different needs in terms of cushioning and support, but I'll cast my vote for the 315. Before these, I was using the 330's, which I enjoyed a lot for backpacking trips. The 33's were great, but I had a tear develop relatively quickly in the mesh, so I experimented with the 315s. Well, I stuck with 3 different pairs of 315s on 2,500 miles on the PCT/PNT this year. I plan to continue purchasing the 315s for trail running and backpacking trips. They are extremely durable (i was getting ~500 mi/pair), nice underfoot support (although I use superfeet…), and a good fit for my narrow feet.

The only complaint I've ever heard about Inov-8s, and this was for the 295 I think, was that there is no cushion. This is definitely true, and if you really need cushion, then beware. My belief is that your feet get stronger, and I enjoy the fact that I can feel the terrain underfoot more without all of the excess cushioning of many shoes. I look at the fact that some ultrarunners train barefoot, and they do fine without any cushion!

Great shoes, great shoes, and I don't ever plan to go back to Montrail's again..

Eric,

Are you sure the 315s are narrow? I was reading that they have a wide toebox (and hoping so, since I have wide feet).

Another happy 315 customer here. The toebox definitely can't be classed as wide however, it's right on the limit for my 'special' shaped feet (slightly wide across the forefoot, a high arch, weird little toe!) and I'll be switching to the slightly differently shaped Flyroc 310 for multi-day hiking next spring/summer which has the wider toebox. However, the lightweight, slipper-like fit and the super grippy sole means the 315 will always be my first choice for trail running and Done-in-a-day style hiking in the warmer months.

Fit is a first and most important factor which you should take in mind. I've used both the 315's and the 295's and the 295 has a wider toebox compared with the 315's. The 315's are OK but I prefer the wider fit of the 295's. I believe the 305's have a similar fit as the 315's.

Cushioning: the 295's and the 315's have a similar level of cushioning; the 305's have a bit more cushioning.

Durability: the uppers of the 315's are definitely more durable than the 295's. But although my 295's developed a tear in the uppers, they've remained OK since then. For me, it's the durability of the outer sole that is the limiting factor and that is the same for all the Roclite models mentioned here.

One other thing to consider is that the Roclite 295's use Inov8's sticky rubber sole which will not be as durable as the Roclite 315's endurance rubber. I got alittle less than 200 miles on my 295's. My 315's have alittle over 60 miles on them and look pretty much unused.

I think people consider the 315's narrow in comparison to other Inov8 models such as the 295's and the Flyroc 315's. But overall they are not a narrow shoe. While Inov8 makes alot of great "specialist" shoes, in my experience the Roclite 315 is their best multiuse model.