The Inov8 TrailFly. All photos: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
The Inov8 TrailFly ($150) is geared toward everyday trail running with reliable traction and ample cushion. My first go with an Inov8 trail shoe was the mud-eating Inov8 X-Talon Ultra 260 v2. As absolutely perfect as that shoe is for a glorious mud-fest, the 8-millimeter lugs are a bit overqualified for my backyard most of the year. The Inov8 TrailFly, on the other hand, offers relatively low-profile and more versatile 4-millimeter lugs.
This shoe has the anatomically precise fit I’ve experienced across the board with shoes from this brand. Inov8 hits the mark with the shoe’s ability to hug the foot’s natural contours while preserving a perfectly uninhibiting toebox. The TrailFly has an actual weight of 9.6 ounces (274 grams) for a U.S. men’s 9, keeps you reasonably close to the ground with a stack height of 29 millimeters at the heel and 23 millimeters at the toe, and has a moderate 6-millimeter drop. The moderate lugs and midsole feel like just enough to contend with technical terrain over the long haul, but it’s not so much shoe that it gets in its own way. It maintains responsiveness and spring underfoot. Read on for the full story of the Inov8 TrailFly.
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Inov8 TrailFly Upper
A lateral view of the Inov8 TrailFly.
The Inov8 TrailFly upper is comprised of an air-mesh material overlayed with Met-Cradle strips. The air mesh breathes well, and the outer supportive strips go from the heel to the midfoot to create more support. The result is an upper that is comfortable but still offers a locked-in feel. I have noticed some minor movement forward in the shoe when running long descents, but not to the demise of any toenails as of yet.
I tested the dusty rose colorway, and these are quite possibly the most attractive shoes I’ve worn in some time. They seem to wear all the dirty miles remarkably well. I’m not sure if you’ll have a similar experience if you opt for the ivory colorway, though. Despite Inov8’s general advice to hand-wash these shoes, they have been through a few consecutive cold-water cycles in my washing machine and air drying after a marathon of poison oak bashing, and they appear no worse for the wear.
It has been my experience that Inov8 perfects the components of the shoe I value the most and spares over-engineering the details. The lacing and tongue are perfectly old-school and simple.
I have a narrow midfoot and bunioned forefoot that any unwanted pressure to the head of the metatarsal can easily perturb. These shoes feel svelte through the midfoot and also apply zero pressure to the forefoot that would restrict toe splay. The shoe comes in both a standard and a wide fit and runs a half-size small. I tested a standard U.S. women’s 9.5, a half-size bigger than my go-to women’s 9 running shoe size, and they fit like a glove.
Inov8 TrailFly Midsole
A medial view of the Inov8 TrailFly.
Created with ample cushion, the Inov8 TrailFly is a great option for technical terrain and longer distances. It has more Powerflow Pro foam in the midsole than the Inov8 TrailFly Speed, a shoe that is considered more speed-oriented. You can expect comfort with a bit of bounce and an overall responsive ride. Housed within the midsole is a Meta-Shank rock plate, making this shoe a great choice for rocky terrain. As we previously mentioned, with stack heights of 29 and 23 millimeters at the heel and toe, respectively, the shoe has a 6-millimeter drop. I have felt comfortably close to the ground while adequately protected. Nestled inside the shoe is the brand’s Boomerang footbed. If you pull out the insert, you’ll see hundreds of squishy foam beads that Invo8 claims provide a 40% energy return. Marketed as Inov8’s ultimate cushioned shoe, it provides a high level of comfort.
If you rely on your own orthotics instead of the provided insert, you may find that there’s not quite enough volume to use thicker insoles, even when sizing up half a size. I’ve been battling a bit of a finicky anterior tibialis tendon of late and tend to do better when relying more heavily on my custom orthotics. However, I do not fault the TrailFly for this pre-existing little hiccup, as I’ve had many great miles in them during calms in the tibialis storm. And I believe they will continue to serve my feet flawlessly when completely healed.
Inov8 TrailFly Outsole
The outsole of the Inov8 TrailFly.
While the Inov8 TrailFly is designed for summer and dry-weather trail running, the brand’s Graphene-Grip rubber also offers decent traction when it hits wet rocks. Inov8 has earned a great reputation for sticky, stealthy outsoles, and this shoe is no different. It was the perfect choice for my annual spring trip down the Rogue River Trail, which involves a couple of long days down a mostly dry and rocky trail with intermittent stream crossings and wet rock hopping. The multi-directional 4-millimeter lugs of various shapes and sizes have been positioned in such a way as to promote a faster ride by facilitating a good toe push-off and quick brake at the heel.
As advertised, snow and ice is not where the grip technology of this shoe shines. Despite some optimistic anticipation of mud early this spring, my maiden voyage in these shoes involved a fair amount of unexpected snow, and it was a slip-and-slide in the truest sense. Stick with your MicroSpikes and screws for snow and ice!
Inov8 TrailFly Overall Impressions
A top view of the Inov8 TrailFly.
The Inov8 TrailFly is a shoe that works well for the drier trail conditions many runners spend the majority of their high-mileage months running on. I received the shoe in the wake of racing an impressively muddy 50k near Washington’s Olympic Peninsula in the Inov8 X-Talon Ultra 260 v2, conditions so perfect for Inov8’s luggy shoes that I fell in love with them all over again.
The TrailFly really could not be more different when it comes to the kind of terrain it excels on. I emphasize this simply because when many of us think of Inov8 shoes, we think of mud, and these are quite the opposite. The precise fit has me favoring them over several others in my current quiver.
Inov8 continues to impress, preserving old-school designs that forever work well and putting care and attention toward a flawless medley of fit, grip, and comfort.
Shop the Women’s Inov8 TrailFlyShop the Men’s Inov8 TrailFly
Call for Comments
- Have you had a chance to run in the Invo8 TrailFly or any other newly updated shoe from the brand? What did you think?
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