Introduction
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.
Highlights
- zero-drop, wide toebox
- superior fit
- comfortable midsole hits the sweet spot between thickness and responsiveness
- better-than-average durability
- an ideal all-around zero-drop backpacking shoe
- excels on hard pack trail and dry conditions
Review Rating: Highly Recommended
The Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 is comfortable, responsive, and durable (for a modern trail runner). The thin, ergonomic tongue, close-fitting inner, wide toebox, and 22 mm stack height make it the most comfortable and blister-free trail runner I’ve ever used. Zero-drop/wide toebox construction isn’t for everybody. But if you’ve tried the Altra Lone Peak and aren’t impressed with the durability or the fit, you should seriously consider giving the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 a try.
The durability is exceptional for a trail runner but doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by the Inov-8 marketing materials (or the standard set by one of Inov-8’s other shoes, the Inov-8 Mudclaw G 260). But I still easily got 500 miles (800 km) out of this shoe – something that previous incarnations of the Altra Lone Peak can’t come close to.
Though I wish for slightly more aggressive lugs and a gaiter loop at the forefoot, neither of those factors was enough to outweigh the positive qualities the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 brings to the table.
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Review Context
My lifelong tendency to suffer from blisters (regardless of sock type, trail conditions, skin lubricants, and pack weight) has led me to 20+ years of experimentation with footwear. Minimalist trail runners, clunky Chacos, beefy hiking shoes, minimalist hiking sandals, you name it, I’ve tried it.
The sweet spot I’ve landed on after all this experimentation is a wide toe-box (also called foot-shape pattern), zero-drop trail runner with moderate-to-aggressive tread and moderate stack height. If you think this sounds like a somewhat narrow category, you’d be right. Inov-8 and Altra are the two leaders in this category, though if you are willing to accept a few millimeters of drop you can find competitive offerings from Topo Athletic, Hoka, and others.
I most often paired the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 with Darn Tough socks of various thicknesses. I also wore Injinji Run Lightweight No-show NuWool toe socks and Defeet Wooleators in my testing period.
This is a Performance Review based on 500 miles (800 km) of use in a variety of activities: trail running, multi-day backpacking trips, one-night/two-day backpacking trips, and bikepacking. Read more about our types of reviews here.
Features
- mesh uppers with welded components
- thin tongue with ergonomic ankle shape
- wide toe-box
- close-fitting inner
- no shank or rock plate
Specifications
All specifications pertain to men’s size 9.5:
- weight: 9.5 oz (270 g) per shoe
- drop: 0 mm
- lug depth: 4 mm
- stack height: 12 mm
- graphene-infused rubber on outsole
Product Category Overview
The Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 belongs to a narrow subset of trail running shoes. It has a wide toebox, no drop from heel to toe, lacks a shank or rock plate, and has a moderate 4-mm tread (lug) height. These collective qualities set it apart from most trail running shoes. But what’s interesting about the Terraultra G 270 is that it doesn’t really belong in the minimalist trail runner family either. It simply has too much of a cushioned midsole to fit in that category.
This is good news for backpackers who like the feel of a zero-drop shoe but want more comfort (and durability) than true minimalist trail runners have to offer.
A common and entirely justified critique leveled at trail runners of all types is their lack of durability. Additionally, wide toebox shoes are often accused of sloppy and unresponsive fit. How Inov-8 addressed these concerns – as well as how the Terraultra G 270 would perform on the mixed hardpack terrain of my local trails – was the principal thing on my mind going into my testing period.
Performance Assessment
Description of Field Testing
I began my testing period with the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 in January of 2021 and logged 500 miles (800 km) by August of 2021. About half of these miles were while running on hardpack trail punctuated by areas of deep sand and erosion – the typically granitic conditions of the eastern Sierra Nevada. Roughly 100 of these miles (160 km) were on pavement.
The other half of my logged miles was while backpacking on fully loaded multi-day trips and one night/two-day quick overnighters.
Some of my runs and backpacking trips were winter trips on well-packed snowmobile trails – sometimes while wearing microspikes and sometimes not. I also wore the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270s on shoulder season trips and runs where I punched through icy surface snow on a regular basis.
Additional uses were two or three days of light scrambling on talus, six days of bikepacking (with lots of hike-a-biking), and two days of off-trail bushwhacking.
I also tapped into Backpacking Light Publisher Ryan Jordan’s experience with these shoes. He’s been wearing them since May 2021 and has logged about 200 miles (320 km) on them while trail running, day hiking, and backpacking on dirt trails, limestone sea beds, mud, talus, and alpine tundra.
How Many User-Days?
- 100+ (Andrew)
- 30+ (Ryan)
List of Performance Criteria
- comfort
- grip/performance
- durability
- drying time/drainage
Comfort
As I said in my introduction, the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270 is the most comfortable trail runner I’ve ever used. The tongue is thin with ergonomic wings that wrap around the lower ankle for a smooth transition from shoe upper to sock.
The lacing area fits snugly against the top of the foot – so snugly in fact that it’s easy to crank down on it too tightly if you aren’t careful. But once I had my laces dialed in, I had to do very little adjustment. They stayed as tight (or as loose) as I wanted for hours and days at a time.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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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