Inov-8 Trailfly Pro Review

Cody

I’m usually a max-cushion guy, so there isn’t a ton of POWERFLOW ELITE foam here by my standards. But what is there feels really good.

On smoother trails and singletrack, the Trailfly Pro felt light, smooth, and easy to get into a rhythm with. I actually enjoyed being a little closer to the ground instead of running around with two mattresses strapped to my feet.

The grip is also excellent. I took these through mud, creek crossings, wet fields, and slick East Coast trails without any issues. Living on the East Coast, a good outsole isn’t optional, and Inov-8 nailed this one.

Lockdown was another win. Tie them once and forget about them. No heel movement, no mid-run adjustments, no drama.

Ryan

The POWERFLOW ELITE (supercritical TPEE) is great. I like the responsiveness and the level of cushion that the Trailfly Pro offers, although it’s on the firmer side. It reminds me of a Nnormal Kjerag 2 with a similar midsole (no energy rods or carbon, though) and rocker profile to the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra.

The 4mm G-GRIP Graphene Rubber grip is phenomenal. It’s sticky, tacky, has great lugs for technical terrain, and gives you supreme confidence on a variety of terrain. That said, it’s not my choice for casual miles just on gravel or fire roads. This shoe is definitely suited to be on singletrack, roots, and rocky sections, so think of it as a more specific and intentional blade in your quiver.

The laces and upper are very well crafted. I can tell the upper is extremely durable, which is just a fine balance to watch out for because it doesn’t feel as stretchy or giving. The laces are those ridge-style race laces that are my absolute favorite. Perfect length as well.

Cody

The toe box is where things got weird.

It’s wide and clearly going for that foot-shaped design, but the actual shape just didn’t agree with my widish foot. I had plenty of room in some places and pressure in others. My foot basically looked at the shoe and said, “Nah.”

Protection was my other issue.

I don’t need every trail shoe to be max cushion, but East Coast trails have rocks. Lots of rocks. And those rocks eventually started winning.

The Meta-Plate felt more flexible than protective to me. On smoother trails, that wasn’t a problem. Once things got technical, my feet started taking a beating. The longer I went, the more I wanted something between my feet and Pennsylvania.

Ryan

Upon stepping into the shoe, the fit feels accommodating in the forefoot and toe box, what Inov8 calls the NATURALFIT™ (which is an anatomical fit). It’s a little different from a Topo. Topo feels more rounded, while this feels like it curves more. However, the fit felt odd once I actually started running. I’m not sure what the deal was, but I had some rubbing on the inside of my foot near the forefoot area. I have some ideas for why it happened, which I will cover in the next section on the ride.

This experience I’m about to describe is kind of a dealbreaker for me, which I’m heartbroken over. I know that sounds dramatic, but I really built this shoe up in my head to be the perfect thing. This is purely just my experience as I ran in the shoe…

The ride of the Trailfly Pro seems like it doesn’t work with my gait or something. The anatomical fit shape, along with my pronation, apparently caused my foot to collapse inward a little extra. It feels like a lot of pressure and stress going into the interior of my foot and shin when I land each stride. It caused me some pain after doing two different runs in the shoe, so I’m not sure the shape works well for me. I actually had to take a couple of days off because I felt sensitivity in my lower shin. I’m not a scientist whatsoever, but there’s something going on with this one that my body does not like. I can only describe the sensation. I also think that because of the way my foot collapses on the inside, my foot has been rubbing on the upper material, which has resulted in a blister after each run. I even added some moleskin tape to get through some more miles, but that didn’t help.

Lastly, this one is absolutely not a bad one…I just didn’t know where to put it. It’s more of an asterisk or disclaimer about the intended distance of the shoe. At TRE, I heard this shoe marketed as a 50k shoe, and that kind of topped out its intended distance. I think for a lighter-weight runner, you could sneak more out of it. For a heavy guy like me, I would actually go sub-50k in this shoe. Again, I’d compare it a lot to the Kjerag 2 but with a wider forefoot and toe box, similar midfoot width, so use it for a similar distance as that.

Cody

There’s a lot I like about the Trailfly Pro. The POWERFLOW ELITE foam is good, the grip is fantastic, and the lockdown is dialed.

But the toe box shape just didn’t work for me, and I wanted more protection when the trails got technical.

If you like a foot-shaped toe box, prefer lower-stack shoes, and aren’t looking for a max-cushion monster, I think there’s a lot to like here.

For everyone else: try before you buy. Your feet will let you know pretty quickly.

Ryan

Ultimately, this shoe doesn’t quite work for my foot, and I really think it’s a personal thing here…so please don’t take my experience as truth. I do think Inov8 is onto something here. I can’t speak to any of their prior shoes, but I’ve seen and held them in the shop. It’s certainly their best shoe crafted to date with premium materials. It’s not perfect and it’s got some work, but I think there’s a lot to look forward to from the British brand in the coming years.

Cody

At $190, this is a tough sell for me.

That’s a lot for any trail shoe, especially one I personally wouldn’t want to take much beyond a half marathon.

For $190, I want more versatility and enough protection to handle longer days on technical trails. The Trailfly Pro does some things really well, but my wallet and my feet are actually in agreement on this one.

I’d wait for a sale.

Ryan

At $195, that’s a pretty solid price point for what you’re getting on paper. Full slab of supercritical TPEE foam, top-of-the-line grip, premium ripstop upper material, and a sleek design. I’m not sure how to answer this question. I think that it could go either way. It all depends on how the shoe fits you and your mechanics. I think that this shoe might be for a specific type of runner, and I don’t think that’s me. I so wanted it to be, but I need to be honest here. I’m confident many will find this shoe to work for them, and if so, then I say it’s worth the price. I personally would just want something more like the norda 005 that has a softer foam, better stability, and better fit for my foot.