High-rebound superfoams, stiff carbon plates, ultralight uppers and dramatic rockers are tools increasingly adopted by the trail industry to help runners move faster, more efficiently and more comfortably for longer. But British brand Inov8 reckons that in embracing these road technologies, there’s one thing the market is neglecting: your feet.
‘The running industry is obsessed with more foam, more stack, more plates,’ says Inov8 founder and CEO Wayne Edy. ‘But in chasing more, brands have created shoes that numb trail connectivity and squash toes. We think that’s dumb.’
A bold statement. So what’s the alternative?
According to Inov8, the answer is its upcoming trail racer, the Trailfly Pro. Set to launch at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) on 28 August, early results are promising. The Trailfly Pro was worn by the winners of the 100km, 150km and 23km at the Lakeland Trails Ultra in the Lake District last month, and with UTMB on the horizon, Inov8 will be hoping for more of the same from 2025 top-10 finisher Yannick Noel.
So what sets the Trailfly Pro apart? Inov8 says the shoe is designed to reconnect your feet to the trails, with every component engineered with the intention of harnessing your feet’s natural movement.
It’s an approach we’ve seen previously with Inov8 and other minimalist trail brands that favour low- to no-drop shoes in search of ground feel and natural movement. With the Trailfly Pro, it appears to want to stay true to this ethos while combining the performance features necessary for racing.
It all starts with the shoe’s anatomical geometry. The Trailfly Pro utilises Inov8’s Naturalfit shape, which is designed to give the metatarsal bones and toes space through the midfoot and forefoot so they can splay naturally for balance. This is paired with a subtle new performance-focused rocker for smooth, efficient transitions between strides.
In the midsole, Inov8 says the Powerflow Elite supercritical TPEE foam gives the requisite responsiveness and energy return of a racing shoe, while sitting low enough to the ground that you feel in control.
This is aided by the split outsole design. Strategically placed cutaways are designed to allow the shoe to flex with the terrain instead of ricocheting off it, while grip and traction come courtesy of the 4mm graphene-infused G-GRIP lugs.
For support, a patent-pending offset heel collar has been deployed to frame the ankle, support a natural foot position and provide structure on uneven terrain while still allowing the feet to move freely.
By forgoing a carbon plate and the maximalist approach of many modern racers, Inov8 looks to be betting against a market that is increasingly adopting road technologies in pursuit of performance.
But there’s a lot to like here – even if you’re not chasing podiums. The Inov8 Trailfly Pro simply ‘lets feet feel alive again’, says Edy. In a market obsessed with performance, that’s a message I expect will resonate with many runners.
The Inov8 Trailfly Pro will be available from Friday 28 August and will retail for £165.
| Price | £165 |
|---|---|
| Drop | 6mm (34mm heel / 28mm forefoot) |
| Weight | 228g (UK 8.5) |
| Release Date | 28 August |
Luke Chamberlain is the ecommerce editor for Men’s Health UK where he compiles expert-led buying guides and in-depth product reviews across gym wear, fitness tech, supplements, and grooming. Responsible for testing everything from the latest gym headphones to the best beard trimmers, Luke also enlists the help of leading health and wellness experts to help readers make informed choices when shopping online. He also covers major sales events for Men’s Health, including Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day, scouting and verifying hundreds of discounts in order to recommend only the most genuine deals on offer. A magazine journalism graduate from the University of Sheffield in 2018, Luke has also worked as assistant editor for Outdoor Swimmer magazine and as an ecommerce writer for The Recommended. When he’s not testing the latest health and fitness products, he’s busy plotting routes for his next trail run or gravel ride out of London. Follow Luke on Instagram at @lukeochamb
