Oroc 280 Review
Yesterday I learned that the Oroc 280's had finally arrived at the U.S. warehouse. I immediately ran barefoot to the warehouse to grab a pair. Although I wanted to go for a long run, I am actually trying to taper for Mt. Washington, so I limited my run to a 40 minute sampling of typical New England terrain; rocks, roots, carriage road, and a bit of mud.
The Oroc 280 is inov-8's lightest weight orienteering shoe. It is based on the X-talon 212's with the same low heel, 2 arrow midsole and a similar upper. The outsole, however, is far different. The business end of the outsole is the center section of 6 dobbed lugs on the forefoot, and another 3 on the heel. These ultra hard metal dobs are planted in hard rubber lugs that are backed by a protective plate. Surrounding the dobs are peripheral lugs composed of a softer, stickier rubber for improved trail feel, flexibility, and grip. Compared to the lugs on the 212's, the 280 lugs are wider and more resilient.
When I put them on, I noticed that they had a secure fit that was not overly confining. Although I like the 212's, I find that are too thin for some of the more technical trails that I run on. The 280's take care of this concern. The support plate behind the dobbed lugs provides excellent protection from stones and roots, and the dobs themselves. No matter what surface I was running on, I never felt the dobs through the midsole. I could definitely hear the dobs while running over rock, so you won't be able to sneak up on people unless it's a softer trail. As expected, grip was outstanding on all surfaces. You might be in trouble on technical sections of polished granite countertop, but besides that, the 280's offer enough grip to alter the rotation of the Earth. Your skeleton will give out before these things lose traction. The firmer outsole increases stability in tight turns due to enhanced lateral stability. Despite the reinforced sole, the 280 is still very flexible in terms of regular forward running. However, they are quite stiff laterally. This translates into increased confidence in hard downhill turns. Another benefit of the sole reinforcement is an improved ride on hardpack compared to the 212's. While I only ran through a few short muddy sections, the lugs are spaced far apart and will shed dirt quite easily.
Based on my racing experience with other Inov-8 racing shoes, the Oroc 280 will make a great all-around racer. It is light enough for shorter races, and sturdy enough for longer races.
Most importantly, they look great with jeans. If someone disagrees with that, you can put the metal dobs through their foot!
Yesterday I learned that the Oroc 280's had finally arrived at the U.S. warehouse. I immediately ran barefoot to the warehouse to grab a pair. Although I wanted to go for a long run, I am actually trying to taper for Mt. Washington, so I limited my run to a 40 minute sampling of typical New England terrain; rocks, roots, carriage road, and a bit of mud.
The Oroc 280 is inov-8's lightest weight orienteering shoe. It is based on the X-talon 212's with the same low heel, 2 arrow midsole and a similar upper. The outsole, however, is far different. The business end of the outsole is the center section of 6 dobbed lugs on the forefoot, and another 3 on the heel. These ultra hard metal dobs are planted in hard rubber lugs that are backed by a protective plate. Surrounding the dobs are peripheral lugs composed of a softer, stickier rubber for improved trail feel, flexibility, and grip. Compared to the lugs on the 212's, the 280 lugs are wider and more resilient.
When I put them on, I noticed that they had a secure fit that was not overly confining. Although I like the 212's, I find that are too thin for some of the more technical trails that I run on. The 280's take care of this concern. The support plate behind the dobbed lugs provides excellent protection from stones and roots, and the dobs themselves. No matter what surface I was running on, I never felt the dobs through the midsole. I could definitely hear the dobs while running over rock, so you won't be able to sneak up on people unless it's a softer trail. As expected, grip was outstanding on all surfaces. You might be in trouble on technical sections of polished granite countertop, but besides that, the 280's offer enough grip to alter the rotation of the Earth. Your skeleton will give out before these things lose traction. The firmer outsole increases stability in tight turns due to enhanced lateral stability. Despite the reinforced sole, the 280 is still very flexible in terms of regular forward running. However, they are quite stiff laterally. This translates into increased confidence in hard downhill turns. Another benefit of the sole reinforcement is an improved ride on hardpack compared to the 212's. While I only ran through a few short muddy sections, the lugs are spaced far apart and will shed dirt quite easily.
Based on my racing experience with other Inov-8 racing shoes, the Oroc 280 will make a great all-around racer. It is light enough for shorter races, and sturdy enough for longer races.
Most importantly, they look great with jeans. If someone disagrees with that, you can put the metal dobs through their foot!
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