2012 has been the year of the off-road and trail run/obstacle race for me.  I have run about 20 this year but it wasn't until recently that I realized that runners in the 'elite' heats of these races were all wearing Inov-8s, and now I see why.

I had been running in vibram 5 fingers for the past 5 years or so - people called me the Vibram hipster - but after running in these bad boys I'll save the vibrams for the mud runs and these puppies for the trail and obstacle runs.

Wary of anything bright and flashy or worn by cross fitters (ha, just joking) I had my reservations and took these guys out on a 12 mile trail run right off the bat.  These shoes fit snugly and ate up the terrain without any problem - I didn't expect to run more than a few miles in them but the comfort kept me going.  These shoes are light weight, gripped the mixed trail (gravel, dirt, roots, wooden beams) and the road equally well.

I was worried when one of our group runners twisted an ankle and we had to take a road back the last 2 miles.  I know some trail shoes or cleats will wreck your feet if you run on pavement - these shoes, and my feet, held up just fine.

I plan on getting a heck of a lot of use out of these, so much in fact, that I purchased a second pair just in case I decide to fully replace my vibrams in the dirt and grime.

Inov-8 definitely got it right with these.

Happy Trails!