Inov-8 RoadFly (RRP: £100 | $130 | €130)
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
statistics
Spec. Weight: Men’s – Average of all sizes – 9.3 oz / 265 g
Example weight: Men 10.2 oz / 289g 12 US / 11 UK
Midsole stack height: Men: 18 mm heel / 12 mm forefoot
Full stack height: 27 mm heel / 21 mm forefoot (6 mm drop) for men
Standard and wide fits available
introduction
I first became aware of Inov8 in the early 2010s when the minimalist revolution in running was in full swing. Inov8 brought minimalist “training” shoes to the masses after a strong start as a trail brand. Plus they made it cool and accessible rather than weird, extreme stuff reserved for elite athletes. Many years have passed since then and Inov8 have had a huge impact on trail and mountain running here in the UK and abroad. However, they never quite managed to win over road runners. Will the RoadFly be a fork in the road? Please take a look at my review below.
First impression, fit and upper material
When I first got the RoadFly, I found it to be very light in the hand. As soon as I put it on, my initial concern was gone. With lightweight performance running shoes, I always worry about the midfoot being too narrow and having to deal with foot overhang. That issue was not there here; the shoe fits me true to size and is very comfortable in the midfoot area. However, I must mention that I received the wide fit version, so runners with narrow feet need not worry – order the standard fit. The shape of the upper is what I would describe as anatomical and reminds me especially of brands like Altra. Thumbs up!
The upper itself is made from a fairly traditional mesh that breathes well. There are some overlays on either side of the shoe and the tongue is fully gusseted, which together provide a very good grip.
The clear pull tab makes the shoe very easy to put on and the heel cap is flexible, but still gave my ankle a very stable feeling and there was no friction on the Achilles tendon.
Midsole and platform
The platform of the shoe (in my wide version) is very balanced and anatomical, when you put the shoe on you feel very secure. The midsole is made from a brand new EVA compound called POWERFLOW PRO, it feels very light on the foot and feels quite soft when pressed into. However, this does not translate into a soft feeling when running as the foam stack is low (18mm at the heel and 12mm at the forefoot) and full stack height (27mm at the heel and 21mm at the forefoot). So overall it is definitely low for current running shoes which are often well over 30mm at the heel.
Outsole
From experience I always expect Inov8 shoes to last forever. They are usually built like tanks, especially the trail models. Inov8 designs their shoes to withstand extreme conditions – ever heard of the Spine Race? No? Google it – that’s the kind of wear Inov8 usually aim for. Would RoadFly last the Spine – probably, from my testing there was barely any wear on the outsole and that’s on an 82kg heel striker like me.
In terms of grip, the shoe scored very well, no slipping on dry or wet pavement, I didn’t test it on the trail. The rubber covers about 90% of the outsole, which is another good value for me as I’m not a huge fan of exposed midsoles – I usually tear through those pretty quickly.
In addition, the large Meta-Flex groove in the forefoot area provides a lot of flexibility and increased toe spring. This does not result in a rocker feel, but rather a very quick transition from landing to toe-off.
Trip, conclusions and recommendations
The shoe is medium firm, especially if you’re a forefoot striker. But boy is it a pleasure to run in. This is one of those shoes that you can really do your thing in, that looks at you and says “you’re doing your thing baby”. I haven’t had this much fun testing a shoe in a long time, and for £100/$130 – wow, well done Inov8. When actually running, the shoe transitions very smoothly and quickly. I’m a heel striker, and RoadFly is one of those shoes that rolls forward so quickly that despite landing on your heel, you feel like you’re striking with your mid/forefoot. My theory is that the transition is so fast that your foot’s proprioception catches up too late and you barely feel the landing. It goes without saying that due to the reasons above and the shoe’s relatively light weight, accelerating in RoadFlys is a real pleasure. Finally, I would like to mention that despite the lack of stability elements (no post, no guide rails, no reinforced heel counter), the shoe is exceptionally stable. This is due to two factors: the wide midfoot and the overall relatively low stack height.
Many experienced runners ignore this shoe because of its low price, thinking it is a “beginner shoe”. It is so much more than that and I would recommend trying it no matter how experienced you are.
RoadFly is also one of those shoes that works really well for those of us who spend a lot of time traveling for business like me. They don’t take up much space in carry-on luggage, work great on treadmills, and can also be used for recreational weight lifting.
In summary, the shoe left me with a very positive impression. So much so that I really hope that this shoe becomes a hit in the running community and that Inov8 continues with a whole new line of road shoes. And that is their plan!
Why? Because most shoes these days are so packed with (quote) “tech” and height that very often the shoe dictates how we run or what training we can do in it, not the runner. The proverbial tail wags the dog. You won’t find any of that in the RoadFly. This shoe listens to you and can really be used for a plethora of applications. I would consider it particularly suitable for distances from 5k to HM. Perhaps runners with an extremely light build could run a marathon in this shoe.
When it comes to recommendations, I wouldn’t change anything about this shoe. Inov8, if you’re reading this, please keep v2 close to v1 and you’ve got a winner.
Matt’s score 9.8 / !0
Index to all RTR test reports: HERE
Wider distribution, also online from September.
Tester profile
Maciej ‘Matt’ Kolat- 38 years old, originally from Poland but has been running on Scottish roads and trails since 2007. Mainly runs shorter distances on tarmac (5-10k) and reserves longer runs for beautiful Scottish valleys. Matt’s opinion sometimes differs from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of all (5k in 25:38). Matt also uses running as a method of staying healthy as he has lost 48kg so far (and counting).
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