More INOV8 Complaints

[Stolly]

Well my Mudclaw 330's http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detai...6&P=5050973112 have been very comfortable since I started wearing them (April-ish I think) but they've very nearly had it now. In fact they're pretty much fcuked - the grips are shot and the tops are tearing in places. I have worn them over all terrains though, often in the same run and have even done a 13 mile road half marathon in them

I think running in the Lakes is more felly, with far more open fell (grass and bog) running than the Dales and the soles take less of a wearing down. Conversely the uppers are probably more prone to being rotted down by the mud and wet. In the Dales my running routes (and the race routes I have trogged round too) seem to more often follow paths/trails and these (like the Penine Way in places) are often rocky and rubblely rather than muddy. The Dales ruins the soles then but preserve the uppers

So with me running in The Lakes, Dales and even roads, I can't in all honesty believe they've lasted as long as they have.

[IainR]

Whilst I agree to a point with you Graham, 4 pairs of terrocs failing, because the plastic 'bone' in the sole snapped out of the sole at the same point in the sole each time, seems to me to be a design fault.

With my walshes once the grip goes I can still wear them for walking or dryer runs, but with those failed innov8's they had to be binned.

[Graham Breeze]

Whilst I agree to a point with you Graham, 4 pairs of terrocs failing, because the plastic 'bone' in the sole snapped out of the sole at the same point in the sole each time, seems to me to be a design fault.

With my walshes once the grip goes I can still wear them for walking or dryer runs, but with those failed innov8's they had to be binned.

I cannot comment on terrocs-latterly I have only run in Mudclaw and previously Mudroc.

[Baggins]

I think running in the Lakes is more felly, with far more open fell (grass and bog) running than the Dales and the soles take less of a wearing down.

What has happened with my 330s is not a "wearing down" but chunks of sole and after the Langdale midsole coming off the shoe.

Walshes and montrails don't have this problem with me.

Walshes uppers do fall to pieces and I overpronate badly in them as they start to wear.

Montrails don't have the grip or low profile of the others so not really a fell shoe but I seem to keep coming back to them as they are a good compromise

Bill

[daz h]

Since INOV-8 came on the market I have raced in no other shoe and I race over 50 times a year.

I had dealings with Wayne a few years ago and had a couple of pairs free and I recall Wayne then accepted some quality faults and some design faults.

Wayne talked about runners wanting a "dream shoe" and his difficulty in manufacturing such as product.

Dylan sang:

Half of the people can be part right all of the time,
Some of the people can be all right part of the time,
But all the people can't be all right all the time.
...
I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.

Runners can dream about a perfect shoe for all terrains, that suits everyone, that never wears out, that is cheap to buy, good in all weather,... but it is just a dream.

and even if you invented one it would be a marketing disaster
my boss always tells me , darren dont make the stuff last to long we will never hear from them again
so i dont

[Ben B]

My wife's 290s are now 4 years old... soles very worn, uppers fine. Her first pair blew a toe seam after 4 miles and were replaced immediately, the next pair appear indestructible.
My 290s lasted well (2 year+ but probably only low mileage at about 200)
My newer 270s are worn on the sole and have various abraded holes in the uppers but though they look a mess they're still fine.
My 330s are built like brick privvies and have only done 100 miles or so as yet.

I like them - but I used to like walshes until they changed the last.

Ben B

[amadablam]

I'm totally feed-up with Inov-8. I think a lot of runners have just got use to the shoes falling apart so they accept it now because you haven't got much choice (The mudclaw does offer the best grip). I fell into this camp a couple of years ago before I started using trail shoes more (when I was doing a different kind of running). Then I realised that I my trail shoes would last (Montrail) 500 miles easy and I'd be forcing myself to throw them away. It wasn't like I wasn't using them in difficult terrain (New zealand and south america have some of the roughest terrain I've ever run on).
I bought Montrail Highlanders recently and I use them for all my training runs - I reckon I've done over 350 miles in them and they still look in great shape. However I don't race in them for obvious reasons, so I've been using 270's and 280's - Well I've only done 104 race miles in the 270's and they are falling to pieces. So much so I don't think I could commit to wearing them for another race for fear that they will fall off my feet. ALso the 280's have only just survived the Lamm, Saunders and Mourne, I can't wear them for the Kimm as I'm sure they won't last. Not only is this a waste of my cash but everytime I buy a new pair I'm thinking of the waste of resources in my consumption (sorry I've just read Let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard). The shoes are just not upto it, they are imo very cheaply made (most road shoes are more robust if you used them over the same terrain)and surely we need to vote with our feet! I'm buying walshes for races from now on until something better comes along - at least I can get them re-soled. I think the Dream shoe response is just a cop-out for suppling a bad product. Once someone comes along to address this (I've heard montrail and New balance has something more aggressive coming out) - i think the inov-8 bubble will burst.

[amadablam]

and even if you invented one it would be a marketing disaster
my boss always tells me , darren dont make the stuff last to long we will never hear from them again
so i dont

Not so for Patagonia - I don't think they have ever been so popular.

[david]

My 290s lasted well (2 year+ but probably only low mileage at about 200)

How can you call that lasting well? If you never wear them then of course they'll last well .

[S1eepless]

I am never buying Innov8 again. I bought a pair of Mudclaws from GEORGE FISHERs, KESWICK in may. I used them for 8 weeks and ran a Sunnto T3 recorded 126 miles over soft fields and forest trails around the Tarn Hows/ Grizedale Forest area. They started rubbing up at the heal so I took them back end of July.
I have just received them back from George Fishers, nearly 10 weeks after taking them back to GEORGE FISHERS. Natural ware they say. Bag of sh1t I say.

Customer service? What customer service?

Innov8 ? Never again. and George Fiser can swing for it as far as I care. What a load of shambles.