Article by Matt Kolat
Inov-8 RoadFly (RRP: £100 | $130 | €130)
Pros:
Very light and nimble
Can handle a variety of workouts
Great for travel
Can be used in the gym for recreational lifting
Very stable
Great value for money
Cons:
Forefoot might be firm for some (subjective!)
Stats
Spec Weight: men's - average across sizes - 9.3oz / 265g
Sample Weight: men’s 10.2 oz / 289g 12 US / 11 UK
Midsole Stack Height: men’s 18mm heel / 12mm forefoot
Full Stack Height: men’s 27mm heel / 21mm forefoot (6mm drop)
Standard and Wide Fits available
Introduction
I first became aware of Inov8 in the early 2010’s when the minimalistic revolution in running was in its full swing. Inov8 brought minimalist “training” shoes to the masses after a strong start as a trail dedicated brand. What is more, they made it cool and accessible rather than some weird, extreme stuff reserved only for top tier athletes. Many years have passed since and Inov8 had a huge impact on trail and fell running here in the UK as well as abroad. They never quite managed to convince road runners however, will the RoadFly be a fork in the road? Please have a gander at my review below.
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
When I first got the RoadFly I thought it felt very light in hand. As soon as I put it on my initial worry had subsided. With lightweight, performance trainers I always worry about the midfood being too narrow and having to deal with foot-overhang. There was no such issue here; the shoe fits me true to size and is very accommodating in the midfoot. Albeit I must mention that I have received the wide fit version so runners with narrow feet worry not - order the standard fit. The shape of the upper I would describe as anatomical, reminding me mostly of brands like Altra. Big thumbs up!
The upper itself is a fairly traditional mesh that breathes well. There are a few overlays on both sides of the shoe and the tongue is fully gusseted which together that amounts to a very good foothold.
The significant pull tab makes the shoe very easy to slip on and the heel counter is flexible but it made my ankle feel very stable and there was no rubbing of the achilles.
Midsole & Platform
The platform of the shoe (in my wide version) is very balanced and anatomical. When you put the shoe on you are feeling very confident. The midsole is made of a brand new EVA blend called POWERFLOW PRO it feels very light on foot and feels quite soft when pressed in. That does not however translate to a feeling of softness during the run due to the low stack 18mm in the heel and 12mm in the forefoot of foam with the full stack height 27mm heel and 21 mm forefoot so it is overall on the low side for sure for current trainers which are often well over 30mm at the heel.
Outsole
From experience I always expect Inov8 shoes to last for ages. They are usually built like tanks, especially their trail offerings. Inov8 designs their shoes to withstand extreme conditions - ever heard of the Spine Race? No? Google it - that’s the kind of wear and tear Inov8 normally aims for. Would RoadFly last the Spine - probably, after my tests there was hardly any wear on the outsole and that’s coming from an 82kg/180lbs/13.5st heel striker like me.
In terms of grip the shoe performed very well, no slippage on dry or wet pavement, I have not tested it on trail. The rubber covers about 90% of the outsole which is another high score in my book as I am not a big fan of exposed midsoles - I normally tear through those fairly quickly.
Additionally the big Meta-flex groove cut across the forefoot delivers a good amount of flexibility and increased toe-spring. This not translates into a rocker-feeling but a very quick transition from landings to toe-offs.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
The shoe rides medium-firm, especially if you are a forefoot striker. But boy is it a joy to run in. This is one of those shoes that truly lets you do your thing, looks at you and says: ‘you do you baby’. I’ve not had this much fun testing a shoe in a very long time and for 100 pound sterling / 130 bucks - whoa, well done Inov8. On the actual runs the shoe transitions very smoothly and quickly. I am a heel striker and RoadFly is one of those shoes that rolls forward so quickly that despite landing on your heel you feel like you are striking with your mid/forefoot. My theory is that the transition is so fast the proprioception of your foot catches up too late and you don’t feel the landing very much at all. Goes without saying that due to the above, combined with the relative light weight of the shoe, speeding up in RoadFlys is a true delight. Finally I would like to mention that despite no stability elements (no post, no guide rails, no built up heel counter) the shoe is exceptionally stable. This is due to two factors, wide midfoot and relatively low stack height overall.
A lot of experienced runners may ignore this shoe due to its low price; they might consider it a ‘beginner’ shoe. It is so much more than that and I would recommend trying it out no matter what your experience level is.
RoadFly is also one of those shoes that will serve very well to those of us, who like yours truly, spend a good amount of time traveling for work. They won’t take very much room in your hand luggage, perform great on treadmills and can also be used for recreational weightlifting.
To sum things up, the shoe made an extremely positive impression on me. So much so that I truly wish this shoe becomes a hit in the running community and Inov8 continuse with a whole new line of road shoes. And that is their plan!
Why? Because nowadays most shoes tend to be so full of (air-quotes) ‘tech’ and height that very often the shoe dictates how we run or what workout we can do in it rather than the runner. The proverbial tail wagging the dog. You won’t find any of this in the RoadFly. This shoe listens to you and can be truly used for a plethora of applications. I would see it mostly applicable on distances from 5k to HM. Perhaps runners with extremely light frames could pull out a marathon in this shoe.
When it comes to recommendations I would not change anything about this shoe, Inov8 if you are reading this please keep v2 close to v1 and you have a winner.
Matt's Score 9.8 / !0
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
Tester Profile
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 38 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish pavements and trails since 2007. Mainly runs shorter distances on pavement 5-10 km and reserves longer runs for beautiful Scottish Glens. Matt’s opinion sometimes may differ from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of the bunch (5k at 25:38). Matt also uses running as a way to stay healthy having shedded 105 lbs so far (and counting).
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