Inov 285 Runners

[under10kg]

The search for my ideal runners continues.
I have been using inov 330 and find they do not grip well on wet rock.
There does seem a trade off for sofer rubber that grips on wet rock and harder rubber that lasts longer but does not grip as well.
The inov 330 slipped on wet rock while my old new balance 904 gripped well.
I was thinking of going to inov 285 with the more grippy rubber?
Does any one have any experince with these shoes.
Anyone use New Balance Men's MT101?

[alliecat]

Hi,

I've used 4 different pairs of inov-8's over the last few years. Two pairs had their "sticky" sole compound two had their "endurance" soles. The sticky soles certainly do wear down much quicker, but they definitely grip much, much better too. In fact, they have the best grip of anything I've ever bushwalked in. I use the sticky ones solely (heh) for bushwalking. The non-sticky soles are used for the gym, walking to work, and walking on trails near home.

So for me, I'll keep buying their sticky soles for bushwalking,and the endurance soles for everything else. I can't compare them to other brands (e.g. New Balance) I'm afraid. I'd be interested in hearing a direct comparison though.

Hope that helps.

Alliecat

[Jellybean]

Hi,

I've used 4 different pairs of inov-8's over the last few years. Two pairs had their "sticky" sole compound two had their "endurance" soles. The sticky soles certainly do wear down much quicker, but they definitely grip much, much better too. In fact, they have the best grip of anything I've ever bushwalked in. I use the sticky ones solely (heh) for bushwalking. The non-sticky soles are used for the gym, walking to work, and walking on trails near home.

So for me, I'll keep buying their sticky soles for bushwalking,and the endurance soles for everything else.

+1.

I've got 2 pairs of Inov-8s - one with the sticky sole, the other with the endurance sole. I haven't found any shoe that compares with the grip of the sticky sole, but the compromise is lower durability I guess it depends what is most important to you?

I've also tried the Asics Gel Trabuccos that Nuts has mentioned recently - found them comfortable and with a durable sole (but less grippy than the sticky Inov-8 sole), I wore a hole in the inside heels of those (as I seem apt to do) while the outers remained ok. Have also tried Salomon trail runners - while comfortable and stable, the sole of those (and consequently the grip) wore down quickly (and the holes in the inside heel appeared with equal speed).

'Hope that helps.

Cheers,

JB

[under10kg]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.
I think I will go for a sticky sole and just live with the durability issues.
I did notice a hole appearing in the inner heal area of the Inov.
The extra grip in the wet could mean the difference in not slipping.
I did order some new balance MT101 online for about $55 for tennis and short walks and I will report back on these as regards grip in the wet.
221 gms sounds rather nice compared to 330gms.
I am walking with a woman that works as a guide in Febuary doing WA and Fed and I want to be able to keep up with her!

[under10kg]

I tested the new balance Mt 101 on a creek walk with a 16 kg pack. (training for 14 day Fed and WA walk)
I jsut walked up the creek and the others in boots took the bank to avoid wet boots.
It was much faster to just get wet runners.
They seems to grip the wet rocks OK and dried out the fastest of any runners I have ever used.
They have elastic heels that grip like a glove
Even when fully wet they were light and absorbed little water.
I will compare to the inov 212 when I get a pair but I expect the sticky rubber will grip a lot better.
The Mt101 are half the cost of the inov 212 at about $60 compared to Inov at about $130 so I will use these on local walks.
220 grams is a joy to walk in! I do wonder if they would last on a hard Tasmania walk.

[under10kg]

I got my inov 212 and found that they had great grip on rock.
However, the sole is soft and not so good for scrambling as it bends a lot sideways.
I love the new balance Mt 101 and the weight at 220 gms is a joy.
Although they are not a grippy as the inov I feel they are better at rockclimbing as the sole is narrower and stiffer.