Terrafly 313 GTX (Terrafly 287 GTX – women’s model)
The Specs:
• Shoc-Zone: 3 arrow (inov-8’s most popular)
• Differential: 9 mm (with a 6mm footbed)
• Midsole: injected EVA
• Fit: Anatomic last - Inov-8’s most comfortable and relaxed fit based on the shape of the foot, the women’s 287 model has a slightly narrower heel
• Sole: Terrafly with sticky rubber
• Upper: Synthetic, TPU & Gore-Tex lining
• Weight : 11 oz / 313 g (men) and 10.1 oz / 287 g (women)
I now have about 350 miles on my first pair of Terrafly 313’s. I wore these practically out of the box for a 54 mile ultra race that had a lot of mixed terrain. I wanted to take inov-8 up on their claim that the Terrafly is designed for both road and trail surfaces. The Terrafly 313 GTX definitely did not disappoint. I did not have any hot spots or blisters on my feet after the race.
I’ve worn just about every model of shoe that inov-8 has manufactured to date and this is one of my favorites thus far. The anatomic last is the same last offered on most of the Road-X shoes from inov-8. However the Terrafly feels a bit softer or bouncier. For me, it is just about the right amount of responsiveness and cushioning under foot.
I’ve tried the Terrafly’s out on roads, hard packed trails, snow covered trails and gravel roads. The only time I felt the least bit unstable was on a muddy, slick trail where the Terrafly outsole has a slighter disadvantage than some of our other outsoles. The sticky rubber however was much appreciated on all surfaces and the Gore-Tex lining makes this a perfect 3-season running shoe. The GTX lining actually makes the shoe feel more stable on my foot when trail running and taking sharp turns. The Gore-Tex upper combined with the anatomic last allows this shoe to fit my foot like a glove.
So many of my daily runs have a combination of surfaces that it is nice to go from one type of terrain to the other and not have to think about my footwear. I have not noticed the least bit of wear thus far even with the sticky rubber outsole. The Terrafly’s feel just as good now as the day I first wore them. I’m anticipating getting 650-750 miles maybe more of mixed terrain use. I’ve shied away form Gore-Tex shoes in the past but decided the Terrafly was worth a try. I’m glad I gave them a chance and now they will be a go-to shoe for many training runs and races to come.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Terrafly 313 GTX - Shoe Review by Mark Lundblad
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8 comments:
Great Review Mark! Hope to share a run with you soon.
Mark - I agree, this is a great shoe. Ben Nephew suggested that I try it, since he felt it was a great shoe for the New England trails...and I've loved it. Especially with the wet winter we've had so far this year, I've gotten a ton of use out of my Terraflys already.
Amy- Glad you like the new kicks. I'm sure they are an even better shoe for the NE trails. Congrats on a great 2011 and I hope you have an even better 2012!
Cheers,
ML
I'm glad to hear that Amy likes them, I know she was sad to see the 320's go. I've probably put about 300-400 miles on the 287's myself; I couldn't wait until the men's came in and I'm OK with pink! Although they would be a great shoe as a GTX trail trainer with good stone protection, they are much more than that. I have been shocked at how fast they are compared to the lighter racing models (190,212,230,233). You can easily go from running fast on the road right into a extremely rocky trail and not worry about where you are putting your feet at all. Part of this is due to the stability from the sole and upper, as Mark noted. Given the differences in our foot shapes, this shoe is able to accomodate both wide and narrow feet. Although the shape of the forefoot is wide, the construction of the upper lets you tighten it up enough even if you have very low volume feet like me.
Once you do a few runs in GTX shoes on wet trails, it becomes pretty annoying to run those same trails with non-GTX shoes and end up with wet feet, even if it is just dealing with isolated sections. With snowshoe and microspike running on trails in the winter, I consider the GTX shoes a necessity if I don't want cold feet to me a limited factor in my run.
In addition to the stability and waterproofing from the Gore-Tex, it also increases the durability of the shoe as whole. The GTX models do cost more, but I reliably get 50% more miles from the GTX shoes.
I agree with your reviews. It is a very versatile shoe. During the winter I frequently go from black ice to dry rocky single track trail and then wet soggy grass all within a short running loop. It has been a perfect fit.
Didn't realize it until Ben mentioned it---but can verify that the design accommodates well for a narrow foot. Looking forward to putting many more miles on them!
Ben - good point on the shoe accomodating both narrow and wide feet. I have pretty wide feet and they adjust very well. Thanks for the extra input.
Cheers,
Mark
I've been scared of Goretex for Summer running. I know this was mentioned as a good 3 season shoe - should I just not even consider this for Summer races?
Also, I'm curious how people have found the traction is in regards to mountain running? I know that this isn't as much of a shoe for fell racing, but I'm more concerned with Mountain Ultras.
I like the anatomical shape, and rock protection - and I'm just curious if these would serve my purposes until the Trailroc's surface.
This looks like a great shoe for the San Fran Bay Area where I live, lots of rain in the winter, lots of good trails. How is the shoe feel during warmer weather, I need shoes with alot of ventilation especially during the tiple digit heat we have in July.
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