Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 Trail Running Shoes Review

[Andrew Marshall]

Companion forum thread to: Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 Trail Running Shoes Review

The Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 (9.5 oz / 270 g, MSRP $160) is a moderately-cushioned, zero drop, wide toebox trail running shoe with better-than-average durability and fantastic fit.

[Sarah B]

Love Altra Lone Peak for fit and comfort but agree not durable. I probably got 250 miles out of my pair. Just picked up a pair of the 270’s but I find the fit around the ankle stuff and tight. Working on adjusting the laces but it could be a deal breaker. Otherwise the shoe feels great.

[Mark Verber]

How are people’s Terraultra G 270 (now called the Trailfly G 270) holding up?  How many miles are you getting in what conditions?

Around a year ago I considered switching to the G 270 hoping to get more than the ~400 miles I get from Altra Superior. While I found both shoes comfortable, RunScribe metrics were better when running in the Altras and the G 270 florescent green was a bit much for me.

Either my foot has changed or Altra changed something critical in the Superior 5… after happily wearing out 17 pairs of Altra Superiors 1-4.5 the version 5 are hurting my toes so I am giving the G 270 a real try now.  [The $88 sale and now available in black didn’t hurt.] Only logged 30 miles so far running and hiking, but so far I have been amazed how well they fit. Just the right amount of space in the toe box, and it holds my heel perfectly, better than I remember any shoe or boot.

I still prefer running and hiking in Luna sandals, but sometimes a shoe is desirable.

 

[dirtbag]

I have been a salomon loyalist for many years, until I put my feet thru the wringer on the NPT a few months ago. So I switched to Innov8 brand.. so far I am loving them. I have been wearing the Parkclaw 260 knits every day.. casual, daily street runs and walking.. I wore the Trailtalon 290 V 2 for my recent overnight backpacking/camping trip,  logging only about 11 backcountry miles on those,  but I also wore them daily for about 2 weeks, casual,  daily street runs and walks.  I know they are NOT the specific shoes mentioned but they are Innov8 brand, so figured I would spew my info. These shoes are comfortable!!! For running on city streets and sidewalks to hiking in the backcountry,  climbing granite slabs of rock and dirt/gravel,  hopping rocks across streams and creeks, some mud involved too and traveling through grass fields.. so far so good.  There are plenty of styles to choose also..Innov8 Trailtalon 290 V2

[Mark Verber]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I have generally been a fan of inov-8.  I love that they don’t change shoes once released (other than color) and the keep shoes in their line-up for years. The 14th pair of Flyroc 310 I wore were the same as the first. I have used a variety of their shoes from the TrailRoc 150 to the Roclite 390. I appreciate the wide variety of offerings from Inov-8.

[Geoff Caplan]

Huge fan here of the TerraUltra (now the TrailFly G270).

Most comfortable zero-drop shoe I’ve ever worn, for longer projects where you need a bit of padding. The balance between ground-feel and protection is great, and the midsole is holding up well.

The fit is significantly better for me than the Lone Peaks – especially traversing steep slopes. The shoe was developed for ultra-runners so the lacing is designed to adapt as your feet swell. This means you can wear different sock combinations through the seasons and still enjoy a good fit.

The graphene outsole has above-average grip, though it’s not magical. On slick, mossy rock you still have to watch your step!

To date, the upper and outsole are wearing well. I mainly walk over tough ground in the English Lake District – often off piste. I don’t keep a log, but I must have run up over 300 miles with little visible damage – I’m hoping that there’s at least as much wear still to go.

They have introduced some less aggressive colours too – though I must confess I’ve become rather fond of the electric green. Makes a change from my usual boring blacks and greys…

In the UK they are on sale right now direct from Inov8’s website for just £87 so you might want to check pricing in your part of the world – it might a good time to pick up a pair.

Nice people too – they are based just around the corner from me in the Lakes, and I’ve had a couple of chats with managers. They have traditionally focused on runners but are currently expanding their offering for walkers – so worth dropping by their website from time to time to see what they have released.

[Jeff]

I love these shoes. I’ve had mine since May 2021 and have hundreds of miles on concrete, asphalt, and dirt trails in all Midwest weathers. They are showing signs of wear, similar to what Andrew pointed out in his article, but they have a good amount of life left in them. With snow and a Death Valley trip coming up, we’ll see how much longer they last. Just a few minutes ago, I ordered an identical replacement so that I’m ready when the sad day finally comes.

[David Munich]

Right now on my second pair. The first one lasted more than 1200 km (750 miles) of mixed terrain – with outsole quite weared out and midsole cushioning noticeably affected towards the end of their service. But except for one small hole in the uppers and fabric wear around the ankles they held up great. Already watching sales discount to buy third pair in advance…

[Ryan Jordan]

I now have more than 500 miles on my G270s and am very happy with the durability of the upper and the resilience of the midsole. The outsole, not so much. The outsole wore down way faster than I expected. Overall I’m pretty happy with them, it was a nice change from having my uppers wear out with holes, blown seams, peeling toe caps, etc.

[Dan Quixote]

the inov-8 site has these on super clearance right now in certain colors. $50 bucks a pop! Better sale than when I got one for $80 late last year. I haven’t given mine a go yet, but for those who love these, might be time to stock up.

[Riley G]

I have done a few trips with my TrailFlys now, and previously used the Lonepeak 4.5 until the uppers developed a tear. The only issue I have with the G270 is the very thin tongue material, which can lead to excess pressure on the top of my foot if I am not careful while lacing them up for the day. I don’t use a runners knot as I used to with the lonepeaks, and may even try not using the top eyelet on my next trip. Otherwise I have been liking them very much, and plan to stick with Inov8 for the time being (just ordered a pair of their road runners to try out). If anyone has any advice on lacing techniques or potentially adding some foam to the tongue I would love to hear it.

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