Inov-8 X-Talon G 210 Review For Trail Running

Trail running is a sport which demands a lot from your shoes. Outdoor equipment specialist, Inov-8 purport to have the answer with the X-TALON G 210 which claims to be ‘fast, flexible and tough’ and specifically designed for wild events. I put the shoes through their paces in training and at events to see how they fared on the trail.

Trail Performance

These are a light and devilishly fast pair of shoes. The aggressive tread allows you to attack climbs and charge down fast descents with complete confidence in both wet and dry conditions. It is rare to find a shoe where you completely trust the grip on steep and technical ground. The X-Talons excelled in this category and shaved off minutes during races. They were acceptable on roads although you wouldn’t want to spend any prolonged time pounding the pavement.

The X-Talons were excellent and grippy on mud and rocks but fell down a bit on very slippery wet surfaces, although our testers thought most shoes would struggle with slimy green surfaces.

Comfort & Look

The X-Talons have a sharp and unique look, I liked them. The shoes are robust and well made and expected to last. The shoes do run a tight fit and those with big or wide feet would find them too narrow. While comfortable on shorter distance races (up to 21km), having such a light shoe makes a trade-off with comfort and support, worth it for shorter races but likely to be less comfortable for anything over a half marathon.

Overall Verdict

Great pair of shoes -9/10.

This is an impressive all rounder which excelled in many areas. The X-Talons are a fast shoe which sticks to technical trails and you just don’t notice on your feet. The vibrant colour is visually appealing. A good choice for beginners and experienced trail runners alike.

For more information visit inov-8.com: X-TALON G 210.

This is an edited article first published on swimrun.com.