Inov-8 X-TALON 212, Men's Trail Running Shoes

Product Information

The only fault with these (and it might just be down to my foot shape) is that because they are fairly minimal shoes without much cushioning and have very knobbly soles, they can become painful when running on harder ground. There's one stud on the sole in particular which I land on right in the centre on the ball of my foot behind my second toe, if the ground is hard then this really becomes uncomfortable after about 8k. I got these shoes to run a Spartan race and I was able to buy my normal size. They fit perfectly. These are lightweight and comfortable and they look good. Love, love, love these shoes. There is no exposed stitching in the toe area, and the stitching on the heel has held up for all those special Ks. They are little warmer and more water repellent than most other shoes in my stable, and also don't let as much dirt and dust in. The Inov-8 X-Talon 212 was originally intended as a cross country racing shoe with studs that were spaced out enough as to not clog with mud. It was flexible enough to mould to the ever changing shape of the ground you run on during a cross country run or race. The shoe was light, with a mesh upper that prevented water being absorbed, making you uncomfortable and weighing you down. The shoe had a fast and responsive feel and yet was shortly followed by the stripped down, even faster racing version–the X-Talon 190. I think his best advice was ‘find a pair of trainers that fit you, run as much as you can and don’t try to run fast - you will improve if you just keep running’ which I scoffed at when I was young, but have come to live by.

Seeing as this is largely a running blog, what better place to start than with a review of a pair of running shoes? Please be aware, if you’re looking for a technical review of the last and design, you’ve come to the wrong place. I like to tell stories. The light weight, aggressive outsole, and snug fit of this shoe make it well suited to short-distance cross country racing or in sloppy conditions and the uppers breathed well. I haven’t tried them in a water-crossing yet, so I don’t know how well they drain, but I think they’ll perform well there also. Think of inov-8 and more often than not you think of the X-TALON. Since its inception, this iconic off-road running shoe has become a global success story. Run on soft ground trails in the UK, the USA or anywhere else in the world and you will no doubt see the distinctive stud pattern of the X-TALON, left behind by the runner ahead of you. Expecting to have my feet ripped to shreds as with all new running shoes I hadn’t worn in, I set off in Epping Forest.The 190 weighed just 190g and had a 3mm drop, bringing the foot closer to the ground for an even faster feel, while offering underfoot comfort courtesy of an injected EVA midsole. The run felt amazing and I did 13 miles from my house to Chingford in rain with soaking wet feet. I only decided to stop as I had pulled a muscle in my groin. Bearing in mind that with my previous running shoes, anything over 10k became uncomfortable, I was blown away by these fantastic foot gloves.

If I was to raise a single minor concern; I found Everest at the Tough Mudder event extremely difficult to get grip on when running up the wall. That could be down to me not being fit enough, or it could be the size of the cleats offering less traction. I’d say it was most likely my fault, but I’d prefer to blame the kit wherever possible, so this could be my only negative. They are narrow in the forefoot with pointy toes and feel a bit tight on the small toes for me. The biggest problem for me is that I have mallet toes, and these shoes rub on them a bit more than most others, causing painful calluses. I can control this with Compeed (in effect upping the price) but I'd love to have a pair with more room in the toes. That's my reason for not gving them full marks, but I may try another pair just because they hold up so darn well. It's been 20 years since I've run and now I'm starting again. These shoes are priced well and very comfortable and they look good.Delivery timescales are based on working days; Public Holidays, Saturday's and Sunday's are NOT classed as working days. Shop for the X-Talon 200 if you have broader feet and/or have obstacle course and other challenges in mind. Please note, that a newer model has come out since mine, which I hear has improvements for the better - I have no idea how. The full specs for my model are on the link below;

In this review, we’ll take a separate look at the X-Talon 212’s outsole, midsole, upper, and insole before wrapping up with a conclusion. The X-Talon 200 has been designed to cope with the challenges of obstacle course racing. It is made on Inov-8’s standard fitting last which means that it is broader then the X-Talon 212. It is also a 3mm differential between the height of the heel and the forefoot making it a flatter, more stable shoe. The X-Talon 200 is also a bit more flexible than the X-Talon 212. So, although it is designed with the obstacle course racer in mind it would be ideal to the runner looking for a more minimal wider fitting X-Talon for fell or cross country running.

Key Features

Inov-8’s naming convention tells you a great deal about their shoes. The name is always the type of outsole followed by the weight. In accordance, this shoe features an X-Talon outsole and weighs in at a slight 212 grams. For you Americans, that’s less than 7.5 ounces for a US men’s size 9. Although the Ultra 260 v2 is branded as an ultramarathon shoe, for many people, it’s going to be more applicable as a 10k-to-marathon option. It’s weight – 260g – is, in fact, still at the lighter end of the scale. And while there’s a little more cushioning than normal, the overall feel is one of a shoe that’s still low to the ground and built for speed as well as endurance. As I say it might just be my foot shape. Having said that the stud seems to be wearing down and the shoes are becoming more comfortable.