Article by Matt Kolat
Inov-8 F-lite Max ($150, £120, €150)
Pros:
Very stable for all sorts of lifts
Come in wide
Very lightweight compared with most gym/lifting shoes
Unique hybrid training and lifting shoe
Cons:
Upper may not last as long as other lifting shoes due to it’s lightweight nature
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 11.8oz / 336g
Sample Weight: men’s 13.3oz / 378g US11.5
Stack Height: men’s 14mm heel / 8mm forefoot ( 6mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 85mm heel / 80mm midfoot / 115mm forefoot
Introduction
Something a little bit more ‘left field’ today! We are having a look at a pair of shoes which are not designed for running but for gym training and functional fitness.
I am one of those people who believe that if you are trying to be healthy, combining multiple sports disciplines is the way to go. There are a few reasons for this but the main ones are injury prevention and exposing yourself to new challenges. Most of us runners get injured all the time - that’s just a part of the game - but a good way to help prevent that is lifting weights and working on those large muscles that we depend on while on a run.
If you read my recent review of Inov8 Roadfly (RTR Review) you know that I am a fan of Inov-8 This is mainly due to the fact that they keep their shoes simple and leave running to the runner. Most of their shoes are also very accessible in terms of pricing, I don’t fully understand why certain running shoe models are very expensive nowadays. They are after all a piece of foam with laces that will last you 6 months to a year and there is no reason why they should cost as much as an iPad. Pricing tangent over - let’s have a look at the Inov-8 F-lite Max.
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
When I first pulled the shoes out of the box I thought they felt awesome. I have a few pairs of training shoes and recently have been pondering buying a proper pair of squatting / olympic lifting shoes. In the past I used to own a pair of Nike Romaleos 3s but since then the market got quite busy and there are now close to a dozen top brass lifting shoes to choose from. However, if like me, you are not sure you need a full blown lifting shoe a hybrid might be an option. To me F-lite max is exactly that, it is still a gym trainer but it also has a few traits of a full blown lifting shoe.
When it comes to fit, I normally purchase my lifting / training shoes a half size smaller than my running shoes. Simply because my gym sessions are less intense than running, my feet don’t swell as much. Also when lifting weights you want to feel grounded and stable and extra room in the toe box might get in the way of that. So normally, in lifting shoes I am a UK 10.5 or US 11.5 compared to running shoes where I am a UK11 US 12. That said, F-lite max does run slightly short. I am getting away fine with UK 10.5 but a part of me wishes I stuck with my ‘running shoe sizing’ and went with UK11.
The upper itself is very lightweight and breathable, the shoes disappear on the foot. The lacing system is absolutely exceptional, especially round the heel area and tongue, you really feel that your foot is held in place for all the lifting you may choose to do on the day.
The heel and the sides of the shoe are covered in a rubberised cage which has a dual purpose. First, it holds your foot in place and provides stability. Second, the cage prevents wear and tear for those of us brave enough to perform rope climbs.
What is also worth mentioning is that the toe box is internally reinforced and the tongue is fully gusseted and has a rather large, rubberised pull tab attached to its top. I believe that this is a conscious choice as a heel placement of the pull tab would get in the way of rope climbs or other more technical movements.
Midsole & Platform
As you might have noticed from the measurements of the platform at 85mm heel / 80mm midfoot / 115mm forefoot, the F-Lite is rather broad at the ground, especially in the forefoot. If you have a narrower foot F-lite Max also comes in regular width which should fit you well.
The Powerflow Max midsole is very unique compared to other gym shoe brands I have used recently. It’s very flexible in the forefoot and stiff in the heel (almost reverse to what we are used to in running shoes).
The forefoot flexibility helps promote forward motion while doing more dynamic exercises like burpees or box jumps and allows for extra comfort in more static calisthenic exercises - for instance planks (and we all know how important those are for runners).
The rear is very stiff due to the rigid TPU heel stabilizer which makes the shoe perfect for squats, olympic lifting and any other movements where we really want to push off the heel and feel nothing but stability, no lateral motion at all.
Outsole
Inov-8 has always been one of the top brands when it comes to outsoles in road and trail running. When it comes to fitness things are no different. The outsole is nearly completely rubberised with 2.5mm thick rubber. The forefoot has got a number of cutouts to allow for greater flexibility. This certainly contributes to feeling grounded while lifting weights when you want to avoid any slippage.
Performance and Recommendations
Pretty much as soon as I got this shoe on my feet I knew I was going to love it. It fits very well and disappears on the foot.
But immediately there is also another feeling - you feel completely grounded almost as if you had full blown weightlifting shoes on. This becomes particularly apparent while performing those complex, compound lifts in the gym like back squat, front squat, clean and jerk and push press. Most runners tend to find the gym a little underwhelming and I understand that but is it perhaps because you are focusing on boring lifting machines and not free weights?
Overall I would say that the F-lite Max is a great weightlifting shoe for anyone but particularly for runners who want to get into lifting but are a bit shy to walk into the gym rocking a full blown pair of weightlifting shoes. While sometimes we can get away with doing very simple lifts in running shoes, the more advanced we get the more apparent it becomes that a shoe designed for the gym can make a big difference. Especially when it comes to stability and feeling safe while holding a bit of weight.
To sum things up I would not change very much about this shoe, there was nothing about them that bothered me. I hope they hold up well and as usual thank you for taking your time and reading this review.
Tester Profile
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 39 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish roads 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 shed 106 lbs so far (and counting).
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
1 comment:
Not enough drop for lifting - as demonstrated by the wearer's inability to hit proper depth in the front squat.
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