inov-8 TrailFly G 270 V2

£150, inov-8.com

With its graphene-infused midsole, trademark robust durability and lightweight, speedy ride, the first-gen TrailFly G 270 was an award-winning hit. Improving on that was never going to be easy. But inov-8 has given it a pretty damn good go. Thankfully, rather than big, sweeping changes for the sake of it, the second-generation edition TrailFly sticks to smaller tweaks.

If it ain’t broke

Brands love to tinker with shoes between generations. But that can be risky. Luckily for fans of the OG TrailFly, V2 is one of those upgrades that keeps all of the things we loved, but improves on some other areas. The biggest change is to the upper. That’s been reworked for better fit, greater comfort and longer-lasting durability. There’s a new lightweight mesh material that’s supposed to be 25% more durable than the V1 version. Slimline tongues with better padding boost comfort on longer-haul adventures, and the supportive overlay strips on the medial and lateral sides sit further back. So you now get more wiggle room and flexible breathability across the forefoot. Beyond that, the formula remains untouched. The midsole features the same 22mm zero-drop stack of Powerflow Max foam with a 6mm TPU Boomerang insole to boost the protection and cushioning. The outsoles stick with the same multi-directional, 4mm grapheneenhanced G-GRIP rubber lugs. Rubber dimples here provide the all-important off-road stickiness even in the wet. The lug pattern design also helps prevent debris from sticking to the outsole and encourages water to disperse faster. Finally, inov-8’s familiar flex grooves across the forefoot are designed to flex with your feet. The aim: to improve underfoot responsiveness and agility by allowing your feet to mould over lumpy terrain. This shoe weighs in at 255g in a UK men’s size 8.5. It packs a pretty modest midsole stack with 22m in the heel and the forefoot for a zero-drop design. At £150, the TrailFly is roughly in the same ballpark as the Hoka Speedgoat 5 and the New Balance Fresh Foam X Hierro v7. But it is notably cheaper than some speedy carbon plate options like the new The North Face Vectiv Pro (£225). After more than 200 miles in the TrailFly on a mix of terrain, I can safely say that if you liked the G 270, you’ll love this. And if you prefer a firmer trail shoe with good ground feel, this shoe has a lot going for it. Good ground contact and directness is something I look for in a trail shoe and this fits that bill, with a firm, connected ride underfoot.

Watch the drop

If you’re not used to running in a zero-drop shoe, you’ll definitely notice it in the early miles, but it didn’t take me long to adjust. It took some miles to break the midsoles in and warm up that foam, too, but I soon found a good balance between cushioning and control. It’s speedy, light and nimble, with a hint of road-shoe agility and an excellent high-grip outsole you can trust on most terrain. The extra flex in the uppers improves the roominess. If you’re OK with a firm ride over longer hours, these have slow, easy, long trail excursion potential. The reworked tongues add to the cradling comfort you get from the padded heel collars and the TPU insoles swallow most lumps and bumps underfoot without dulling the ground connection. The TrailFly G 270 V2 isn’t designed specifically for road-to-trail and it’s happiest clipping along technical trails. But for short sections on the road, it’s perfectly capable. If you need to cover a few miles to hit the trails, it’s got you covered. A final word on durability. These shoes are built to be robust and the combination of strong uppers, toughened graphene outsole solid construction will easily soak up north of 500 miles with no trouble.

Speed: ★★★★★ Stability: ★★★★★ Comfort: ★★★★★ OVERALL: ★★★★★

Pros:

No-nonsense durability Fantastic grip Good for road-to-trail transitions

Cons:

May be firm for some runners Zero drop won’t suit everyone