Inov8 Roclite 280? Recommendations?

You’ll likely find the Merrell Moab toe box too narrow as well.  I was able to get a couple pairs of Moab FST’s at a great price and love how they fit but I have very narrow feet.  The FST’s are a bit lighter than the regular Moabs but still a hefty shoe (26 oz/pr).  Most I’ve gotten out of a pair is around 400 mi (AT/Ozarks…lots of rock).  Wife wears the Targhee.  Wider toe box.  She loves ’em but they’re pretty chunky as well.

Thanks, Brett.  I may just have to settle for something I can try on in-person. The La Sportiva and Inov8 shoes are not “in stock” anywhere locally, and so I currently have a stack of 6 shoeboxes in my family room…sigh…and I am “in love” with none of them.

LOL!  I feel your pain.  I would love to go with something lighter but I’ve been paranoid of trying anything else since finding something that alleviated the pain and blisters.  Since Merrells fit my feet well, I may try the MTL Skyfire X to shave a little weight.  At 18 oz/pr, I imagine its still not the lightest shoe and I doubt they would hold up even as long as the FST’s but worth a shot

I’ve had a few pair of Roclites over the years and have loved them. They are a great all around shoe.

I have been a big fan of the Roclites, however what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another.

For me though, I started with a pair of 315’s. They were awesome and I wish I had bought more pairs when I first bought them. I found the toe box to be roomier than many others I tried, had good traction even on wet roots and rocks, and for me was comfortable.

After they wore down I tried the 243’s. I found them tighter throughout the entire shoe, and being a lighter weight pair also did not provide as much protection top or bottom. I felt sharp/pointed rocks more easily through the soles and was much more aware if I rammed the front of my shoe into anything. All said and done, I somewhat liked the lighter version, but they also wore out faster.

Next I tried Altras for the larger toe box but found the traction was horrible, they started coming apart very fast and was just too much room for me in the toe box.

So I picked up a few pairs of the Roclite 305’s. It had been several years since I had the 315’s but these were clearly built on a different, slightly narrower last than the 315’s, but weren’t as tight as the 243’s. I still wear these and are plenty happy with them. But it’s been a couple of years and I’d say that the build has changed again so who knows…

Overall though I love the Inov8 Roclites. I’m in the same boat though and can’t find any near me to try on before purchasing. And unfortunately that’s really the only way you will know what works for you, regardless of what anyone here says. A common way to go about this is to simply order a few sizes from somewhere with an easy return policy, try them on and then return what you don’t like. Of course this is more expensive and time consuming though…

As to the shoe itself, I personally loved them. They held up fairly well, drained water fast enough to dry in the right conditions and the traction was enough to keep me upright so long as I wasn’t being wild and reckless. Plus, when I ordered the last few pair on Massdrop I got them at a decent price ($59).