Last updated: 09-Mar-21
The great thing about lockdown in winter in Scotland is that there is no excuse not to get out on the Pentland hills. I am stranded with my parents temporarily in Edinburgh and for the sake of all our mental health, I am out on the trails daily. Where I am, after 20 minutes or so on the tarmac, I am actually on miles of hard-packed paths with a great variety of rocks, grass, mud and rabbit holes, with bonus extras at the moment of ice and snow. Ideal conditions for testing out these inov-8 Terra Ultra G270s. The ideal use for them is hard and rocky paths and trails.
Features and Technical Details
- Graphene-Grip, inov-8 is the only brand in the world to use this Nobel Prize-winning material in sports shoes
- POWERFLOW MAX midsole foam gives 20% more energy return
- Improved outsole flex grooves
- BOOMERANG insole claims a 40% increase in energy return versus the previous footbed.
- ADAPTERFIT technology in the upper works with the foot to adapt to any swelling or changes in terrain
- Drop: 0mm
- Footbed: 6mm
- Lug Depth: 4mm
- Stack: 12mm
- ASole Compound
- Graphene grip
- Weight: 270g / 9.5oz
- RRP: £145
Pros: What’s good about the inov-8 Terra Ultra G270
The shoes look good coming out the box and initially I am worried that they will be too narrow as they are very streamlined, but in fact I have plenty of room in the toe box. They are super light and when standing my toes are right off the ground with my mid-foot well supported and my heel cupped in firmly.
They are light and bouncy. The manufacturer claims good statistics on energy return and I could actually feel that in my feet, which was fantastic. This is a comfortable shoe. I am testing them in winter so breathability was a moot point, but I liked the moulding at the siders which gave me protection higher up on my foot.
inov-8 is clear that these shoes are more for trails and hard rocky surfaces than mud but I think they are actually underselling their grippability. I really liked them on the rocks and the stony trails both up and down, but they were also great on wet grass and – surprisingly – the slushy snow with hidden patches of ice that just love to take your feet from under you. That graphene works.
Everyone has a different preference for cushioning versus feeling the ground under them. On trails and hard pack over long distances I think a middle path is a good one and this shoe gives you that. There is enough cushioning to keep that energy coming and ward off some of the pain that is inevitable over longer distances but you can still feel the ground underneath. The mud cleared well from the lugs.
Cons: What’s not so good about the inov-8 Terra Ultra G270
I’m going to start with the minor quibbles. There was no heel loop so I had to wiggle them a bit to get them on and I found the laces loosened and had to be retied, also the tongue was a bit skimpy.
After a long day with added walking spells, I had some heel pain on the left hand side, so for me could have had a bit more support on the heel. That is a trade off though with drop and touch to ground.
They are not a cheap shoe but are comparable with similar in their class. I agree with inov-8 that this is not a shoe for hard core mud.
Conclusion
A great shoe for the trail. I liked the balance between support and ground feel and I loved the grip. This shoe helps your feet and I did feel that energy bouncing back through my legs. Use it for what it is designed for – hard trails, packed earth and rock and I think you will really enjoy it and feel the benefit.
| Score | |
| Design | 9/10 |
| Features | 8/10 |
| Performance | 9/10 |
| Value | 8/10 |
| Overall | 9/10 |
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About the writer: Alice is a slow but steady runner. She prefers ultras because that plays to endurance. She lives in Morocco in the High Atlas mountains, characterised by very challenging ascents and sometimes scary descents. She is also a big fan of the desert and has walked the length of the Sahara. Her latest book, Adventures in Morocco, tells her Marathon des Sables story and more adventures from Morocco. Check out her website.
