INOV-8 Graphene

[BPLwiia]

I’ve worn INOV-8s hiking since the Company started in business and love them. I was just looking at their website and see their new models have Graphene outsoles.

I’ve always liked sticky bottoms and didn’t care how short the life was. I absolutely loved the X-Talons as they just stuck to whatever they touched. Since those, I’ve had a number of other models.

How do you find the bottoms of their Graphene shoes?  Hard, soft, sticky?  Has it been an improvement over the bottoms previously used on their Roclite series?

 

[William Chilton]

I have the Roclite 335 with Graphene sole. I got them to use when there’s a lot of snow and only have just under 200km on them so it’s a little difficult to compare them with others (I have a lot of miles on non-graphene Inov-8s). However, I’d say they’re as grippy as the other Roclites and the sole appears to be wearing more slowly.

[Eric Blanche]

Reports say the graphene sole tends to be less sticky than their “sticky” rubber. My experience says it is just as sticky as former soles on the trailroc and roclite series.

I have the Terraultra g260 and the Roclite 290g currently in use. The graphene sole is NOT a compromise in stickiness for sure.

[Geoff Caplan]

I know it’s early days, but do you guys feel the extra wear claimed for the soles and uppers will offset the rather steep rise in price for the graphene versions?

[William Chilton]

I know it’s early days, but do you guys feel the extra wear claimed for the soles and uppers will offset the rather steep rise in price for the graphene versions?

For me, whose soles wear out much faster than the uppers, yes.

For my wife, whose uppers wear out before the soles, perhaps not.

[Nathan L]

I own a pair of Roclite 305’s and they were like ice skates on wet rock or wet anything.  I contacted INOV-8 and they stated they made the soles harder and less sticky for durability and suggested I try the Roclite G-275 that are nearly identical to the 305’s.  The soles are supposedly stickier and as or more durable than the 305’s.  I haven’t extensively used them yet but I have been on multi-day trips with them and they do appear to stick better than the 305’s in all conditions I was in.

I am happy with the G-275’s.  Durability I cannot comment on yet.

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