Inov-8 Flyroc 310 Review

© Inov-8

I've been wearing the Inov-8 Flyroc 310 for the last 2 years. Both as an approach shoe for climbing, and more recently for fell running.

Background

Based in County Durham, Inov-8 have built a reputation for producing excellent lightweight footwear for a multitude of activities. Initially the brand was seen as a fell running company when it launched the Mudroc 290 what seems like a lifetime ago. Since then more and more people are realising the value of Inov-8's combination of grip, low weight, and comfort when it comes to summer walking and approaching crags and scrambles.

The Flyroc 310 is not a newcomer having been around for a good few years, however it is much more widely appreciated in the running community than in the climbing and hillwalking community. Runners see the Inov-8 Flyroc 310 as an excellent training shoe, where the additional cushioning and durability is ideal for people putting in lots of off road training miles – people are slowly realising that using an out and out fell shoe (like a Walsh PB) for this isn't ideal as they lack enough protection for regular use on all but the most forgiving ground.

Shoe Overview
The Flyroc 310 is a combination of a light breathable mesh upper with a protective toe rand built onto a medium cushioned low profile platform with an aggressively lugged trail outsole.

This gives a shoe which is very stable to run or walk in, giving a super positive ground contact and plenty of support. I know people who have done the Haute route in this shoe carrying a reasonable sized pack.

The Flyroc is very light at 620 grams a pair (UK 8) and comes with attachment loops on the heal. They feel light enough to be clipped to your harness when climbing easier routes on the mountain crags ready for the descent.

Technology
What I have found when using the Flyroc as a general approach/walking shoe is that, the features that it make it an excellent trail shoe also make it ideal for general outdoor use. These features can be summarised as follows:

MetaFlex – This is Inov-8's specific design to allow the shoe to flex in an equivalent way to the foot. This is achieved by reducing the thickness of the sole unit along a line that sits under the end of your metatarsals. In reality it allows the foot to flex naturally and gives great instant comfort and aids propulsion when going up hill.

Endurance Rubber Compound – Inov-8 use 3 different rubbers for their outsoles. A non-marking translucent sole for street running and for wearing on your yacht presumably! A sticky rubber using Climbing shoe technology for traction on wet rock, and the endurance compound used on the Flyroc. This means the outsole, which is aggressively lugged, gives a good balance between sticking to a variety of surfaces and lasting well. Something like a 5.10 Guide Tennie is undoubtedly better for scrambling on rock, but not grassy slopes, but the Flyroc will out last this by far.

Endurance Last - as apposed to the low volume narrow performance last, Inov-8's endurance last has more room and is designed for a combination of hold and space ideal when wearing the shoe for longer. This gives the Flyroc an instant feeling of comfort that is maintained for the duration of the day.

The Test
I have used my Flyrocs in the Lake District as my main active shoe (anything other than work and smart) for the past 2 years and have run, biked, walked and scrambled in them extensively. They have also been attached to the back of my harness on Gimmer and Gray Crag.


The Verdict Overall I really enjoyed wearing the Flyrocs as they have been comfortable from day one and have dealt well with any of the activities I have used them for. As an approach shoe they gave me much more grip than a standard Vibram soled shoe on rough ground and feel very stable due to their low profiled Midsole. I've retired my original pair, after 2 years of hard wearing, and have just bought another pair.

VIDEO by SteepMedia

for Lyon Equipment and Petzl




14 May, 2009
I've gone through 3 pairs of these in a v. short space of time. Great feel to them, but the grittyness of 'the peak' trashes the uppers pretty quickly. It's a shame as I like them a lot. My latest Montrail shoes seem a little less delicate, which I like.
14 May, 2009
There's real durability issues with inov8's. My terrocs have failed in the same place repeatedly. Supposedly they were looking at improving that but the cynic in me now thinks they know they have made shoes that only last a few hundred miles. The hardest wearing fell/trail shoe I've had is the montrail highlanders, they have absolutely hammered the longevity of any othe fell/trail shoe I've owned (Walsh, Inov8, Salomon, Asics, Saucony, Mizuno). I prefer the standard Walshes but there sole unit wears flat very fast, but the uppers survive well, the opposite seems the case with inov8.
14 May, 2009
I hammered through the sole on a pair of terrocs in about 2 months, being used solely as approach shoes. Was promptly ignored by invo8s customer service when I complained. I'll not be buying another pair.....
14 May, 2009
Inov8 durability has been a long standing issue, I brought a pair that promptly fell apart. I met a chap whom had his replaced free of charge, the free of charge replacements replaced free of charge, and you guessed it those replaced...........because they all fell apart, and Inov8 acknowledged the problem. In fact the pair on his feet were held together with duct tape, and had been nearly new on his feet stepping out at Glen Shiel, I saw him at Seana Briagh after three or four days running and they weren't going to last another day. This must have been about four years ago. I hoped they had raised thier game, but obviously not.
15 May, 2009
Just ordered an Inov8 Rucsac, Anyone used those? Hoping that won't have durability issues! Anyone?
More Comments
Loading Notifications...
Facebook Twitter Copy Email