I have to admit I badmouthed inov shoes in the past (primarily for price and feeling flimsy) and have recently had to switch after my Walsh shoes started slipping and giving me blisters. I bought a set of X-Talon 212's the other day (discounted ones) on the recommendation of several clubmates, and after running in them this morning I'm actually quite impressed with them.
Longevity wise I can't comment (obviously) but they were very comfortable, grip was good, very lightweight, and shed water nice and fast. All in all I'm pretty happy with them. I'll do a long run this weekend in them and see how I feel then, but I think I'm a convert