Customer Reviews

Inov-8 Men's f-lite 230 Trail,Blue,13 D

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my first pair of inov-8 shoes... and I have to say I was not disappointed. My dad is a long time trail runner and swears by this UK company... they arent retailed at many locations in the U.S., but thats why amazon and zappo's are amazing!

About the shoe...

I was looking for a lightweight minimalist type running sneaker, and I could not be happier with my finding! It is super light, I feel like I am running in slippers compared to my old aasics, and so far they seem very durable.

I would advise ordering down a half size or so... I got the 7 in mens and I am usually a 9.5 or 10 in womens. They fit well, however my feet are a bit on the wide side so I do loosen the laces a little and then its fine. If you have VERY wide feet, I would no recommend, but to put in perspective I cannot even wear Nike they are so narrow, and these are fine.

These shoes are a great transition shoe for someone looking to get into minimalist running/ pose method. (I started on this path after reading BORN TO RUN). They are not on the level of wearing the Bikram 5 Fingers, but they are minimally padded, low heel, lightweight, almost like racing flats but a bit sturdier so you can go on trails as well.

Give em a try-but remember to take it slow if you are a new minimalist runner... basically don't do your normal runs, start off with a few miles once or twice a week at most and ice your legs after. You will use muscles you haven't used in a looong time! (if need be, do other runs with your old shoes to keep in shape. you will notice the difference right away as well!)

Ice does wonders and I am building up strength myself.

Hope this was helpful!

I ordered these kicks because Jason Khalipa (Crossfit God) wears them (I use every product he endorses, see my MIR Weighted Vest review). I am so impressed with them! Right off the bat I will tell you, if you have extra wide feet these are probably not for you, however, Khalipa is a big guy and I am sure his feet are medium to wide and he never takes them off. There are no "cons" to this shoe, it is perfect in every way. They are light as a feather, very comfortable, extremely breathable, pretty as hell and affordable. I use these for many of the Crossfit workouts which include running, jump rope, box jumps, lunges, broad jumps etc. I used to be an Asics lover (still am). I have tried Under Armour, Nike, Brooks and Reebok and I kept coming back to Asics. That is until I found these. I can't see myself deviating to another company after wearing INOV-8 shoes. They are THE BOMB. For me, they were true to size, if anything, ever so slightly larger then typical american sizes. I wear a 10.5 in Asics, Brooks and Nikes, I ordered a 10.5 and they fit perfect. BUY THESE!

I love this shoe but only gave it three stars because the toe box is so narrow. I would give it 5 stars if it were wider. It is very low profile and minimal which is what I was looking for. There is very little, if any, support so your foot can adapt to the terrain instead of the shoe adapting to it. I wish they would make it wider in the toe box!!

All around GREAT shoe! I use it for everything form Crossfit to Hiking the mountains in and around Durango Co where I live. Very little amount of cushioning but thats why I ordered them. Your feet really get the opportunity to feel the ground Vs these hugely padded shoes that allow for no feeling at all. Highly recommended!

I have to say this shoe is amazing. It's a little weird to get used to at first but it doesn't take long. I love running in these because they allow me to run my long distance runs the way I would run a sprint. I can lean a little bit forward and I am able to generate more speed that way. In other, heel cushioned shoes, I seemed to want to lean back and allow my heals to hit first instead of my mid foot. Aside from the performance I've gotten a ton of positive comments on the over all look of these shoes. Great shoe all around.

I read about Inov-8 in a Tim Ferriss's "The Four Hour Body" and became interested in the potential an improved type of shoe may have on my training. I began to look around the internet a little and found that most of this model was all sold out of my size,(11.5 UK sizes, 10.5 USA) so I decided to wait.

Having just run my first marathon with my newly discovered "natural" fitting shoes in the form of the Vibram 5 finger, I was all-in for these new kinds of shoes . The Vibrams alleviated my knee pain I had experienced for the past 2+ years of running 100%. It seems that, due to the really thin sole, my foot hits the ground in a way in which my weight is evenly distributed across my knees, rather than an angle that places too much stress on the outsides of my knees. However, the Vibrams placed so much more pressure on my toes that I received a nagging calf injury, putting my running to a halt. I blame this mostly on my jumping into training with them too fast, rather than easing into the new style. My main critique of the Vibrams are that they are so odd looking they made me feel like an eccentric, and the inability to wear socks with them caused serious odor problems very fast. I didn't wanna be that guy with the weird, stinky shoes anymore.

One day while searching for a solution in my local athletic shoe store, to my great great excitement, I ran across a the Inov-8 brand of shoes, though not exactly the model I was looking on. I tried them on for sizing purposes, and the shoes fit like a dream. I proceeded to go home that day and Immediately order this model in the same size I tried on at the store. The results have been ideal.

The narrowness of the shoe and thinness of the soles, to me, are this shoe's bread and butter. I never realized I had a narrow foot until I bought these shoes... and they fit perfectly! However, I imagine they would not be so desirable to people with a wider foot. It seems to me the narrowness is mostly in the heel. Before you buy any Inov-8 shoe, I highly recommend trying on a pair first. Shoes aren't a big deal to send back, but it's kind of a hassle.

These shoes were designed for trail running, and it shoes in the durability. I wear them to run, and around town, and the shoes are holding up great.

Lastly, I've never gotten so many compliments about a shoe before these. Most people have never seen or heard of this brand. The blue and white really pops out at you, and the shape is much sleeker than any other shoe I've ever seen.

In short-

Buy if:

1) You are looking for a stylish, durable shoe

2) You have received an injury from running with "traditional" styles of shoes

3) You run on pavement or trails... these shoes can do it all

4) You want a heel that fits tight and never slides

Don't buy if:

1) You have a wide foot.

2) You are looking for a shoe with a ton of support... these shoes are minimalist.

Performance, style, and 6 months later, I can speak for durability as well... this shoe has it all.

These shoes are absolutely amazing. I got them from my brother as a birthday gift and I've been completely blown away. They are the lightest shoes I've ever had. The great thing about them is that they are still very comfortable, and can be worn for hours on end with no problems whatsoever. I've been using them as running shoes for the past 5 months and they have held up perfectly. Also, they are very well ventilated and somehow do not smell even after sweating in them for months on end. When these finally wear out I'll be getting the same shoes again.

My regular size fits, though it definitely has a very narrow toe box. If you are going to wear gym socks, I would suggest going up a half size. These shoes are not only snug on your feet (no slipping, no blisters, heel back is not too high), they also grab the ground effectively. I ran on dirt, grass, and concrete and they stuck to it all for great traction and speed. Have not yet tried on wet surfaces and am curious how long the traction will last. Though reviews on other sites complain that you can feel the ground, I actually think the heel could use a little less cushioning. Barefoot runners may find this to be a fault. Certainly it is not as flat as I had hoped it would be. Overall, a great shoe and a low enough heel that it does not affect my hip dysplasia. For beginners, just know that it is supposed to be tight. Shoes will give some over time and a loose running shoe is nothing but a footache waiting to happen.

I have a narrow heel; yet like some roominess in the forefoot. I also need shoes that don't have a built up heel. Nike was my initial choice, but then they put "Air" in all their shoes - so much for Nike. Asics was next (although the heel was a bit wide for me), but they keep raising the heel. The model from 2 years ago worked; the latest is tough.

These shoes are really light, flexible, move where I want. They have a snug heel and wider forefoot. Today I ran a fast 5K in them - and was stunned at how well I did.

After 6 weeks of Crossfit I decided it was time for some shoes. Our coach recommends these for the best all around - as you can do 90% of the exercises well in them.

Depending on shoe I wear between a 12 and 13. I went with a 13 which was the right size for me. As other mention the toe box is a touch narrow but I think it will be fine as I break them in.

My only complaint is I wish I had they had a few more colors that weren't so extreme. Other than that, looking forward to getting better in them.