Seems to be the age-old issue with Inov8....

I've had the X-Talon 210 Graphene as my race shoe. I have to say the grip under race conditions has been absolutely superb. But a little over 6 months of fell racing (perhaps 100 race miles), and a cross-country season, and the upper is failing... i'll still use them for short races, but something like Ennerdale last week i wasn't prepared to risk.

Actually bought a pair of those Adidas Terrex fell shoes from Pete Blands. Time will tell whether they are a worthy investment, and i hope the grip is up to scratch... but first impressions are they are simply a much higher quality product overall.