The new Inov-8 Trailtalon range contains three shoes, with the standard Trailtalon being a versatile trail-running shoe that can handle a wide range of terrains. Then there’s the Inov-8 Trailtalon GTX, which has a waterproof upper, and the Traltalon Speed, which is a lighter, lower-stack version of the shoe. Kieran has been testing out the Inov-8 Trailtalon of late, while Nick tried the Trailtalon GTX; here’s our review of both shoes.
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
02:15 – How’s The Fit?
03:49 – The Run Test
09:55 – Verdict & Alternatives
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick in this video we are going to be Reviewing the new innovate Trail Talon And Trail Talon [Music] GTX so the new Trail Talon range uh Contains three shoes and it's designed To sit in between the trail fly and the Kind of mod Talon ranges within inovat Range the idea is to be really versatile Shoes that are very good on soft ground But quite comfortable on the hard stuff As well so the three shoes in the range Kieran has tested the standard Trail Talon I've been testing out the innovate Trail Talon GTX the waterproof version Of the shoe and there's also the trail Talon speed which we haven't tested Which is a slightly lighter lower stack Model that's designed to be you know for Faster runs it comes to the stats on the Trail Talent it cost £130 or $150 it Weighs 3310 G or 10.9 o in a UK 8.5 and It's got a 6 mm drop with a stack height Of 31 mm at the heel 25 at the 4T that's A the full stack height the actual Midsole is 18 mm at the heel and 12 mm At the 4T and then for the trail Talon GTX it's £140 or $160 so you're paying £0 or dollar extra to get the waterproof Liner on the shoe it's a fair bit Heavier it's £ 343 G or 12 oz or that's In the UK 9 so half a size bigger than The weight I gave for the trail Talon
And then you have the same stack I on The trail Talon GTX so it comes to the Design of the shoe you've got an Engineered mesh upper with some kind of Breathable zones and then kind of Reinforced overlays to provide a bit of Protection you also got a tow bumper and A flexible Rock plate on the shoe and Obviously with the gortex version you Then also have that waterproof liner in There as well with the trail Talon Series innovates putting in the Foot-shaped toe box that we saw with the M Talon speed when that launch so you've Got a slightly wider design all around And it does come in two fits as well You've got the standard size and then The wider option the mids is made from Innovat Power flow Pro foam and you've Got quite a substantial sock liner as Well it's a 6 mm Boomerang footed which Increases the comfort and rebound of the Ride then you have 6 mm lugs on the shoe Which are shaped like a mountain goat's Hoof which we can all get behind I think I like the idea of that and it's made From innovates kind of graphine very Hardwearing material so should hold up To lots of running on a range of [Music] Surfaces when it comes to fit I ran in My regular innovate size which is a UK 8 A2 and I went for the standard fit shoe There are options on the width in the
Main I really like the fit I love that Anatomical toe box that you get here There's lots of room up front without Feeling cavernous I think it's roomy Enough even for longer hauling Ultra Trail runs that you might do i' also got Really good midfoot lock down easily Enough to find that sweet spot for that The only place where I had some minor Issues were in the heel collars they're A bit soft they had a tendency to Bunch Sometimes unless I pay particular Attention when I was pulling the shoe on Not a massive deal and I could fix it Very easily but did notice it but Overall I would recommend going true to Sizing these and they have a really nice Comfortable fit so when it comes to the Fit of the innovat TR Talon GTX I've got My normal size in the shoe which is a Uk9 and I've gone for the standard Version of the shoe now I have a foot That has always got on quite well with Innovate shoes cuz I have quite a narrow Foot I tend to be a little bit small for My size as well so it's fitted me really Well I think it's quite tight around the Toes though I think if I was looking at The shoe for really really long runs on The trails maybe I could go half a size Up and I say if you're kind of the Standard size for your size or even a Little bit big for your size it might be Worth looking at going half a size up in
The shoe but like I say I'm a little bit Small for my size I had enough room I Did some long runs in the shoe and it Was fine I think if you're going to do a Lot of descending maybe you want a Little bit of extra room there but all Around the fit was pretty good for me Foot was held nice and securely and know Going up and down kind of twisting path And I had enough width in the standard Version although yeah Innova in general Does tend to run a little bit narrow so That's why that wider option is now Available so if you do have a wider foot It's probably worth looking at [Music] That run test ending testing I've Covered more than 20 miles in the Innovate Trail Talon I was in the non Gortex version for my test and most of That has been around the New Forest in The south of England here over with the Festive period on a mix of Road groomed Gravel Pils Woodland Trails wild horse Tracks I've also gone across bogs and Running very very very muddy wet and Slightly treacherous icy conditions none Of it particularly steep or particularly Technical so I can't vouch for how this Shoe might Fair on the fs or the Mountain Trails but for this kind of More runnable stuff I have to say I've Really enjoyed my miles in it coming From the big stack Salamon esab Ultra
Glide this shoe feels like chalk and Cheese by comparison there a really nice Directness to the ride here from the Lower stack with lots of good ground Contact and ground fill but and a shoe That's also got some controlled cushion The combo of the power flow Pro foam and A 6 mil Boomerang footed in there that Adds a bit of softness and bit of energy Really does a good job of providing just Enough softness and energy when you hit The softer Trails but also takes a bit Out of the harder Trails too so it feels Nicely cushioned but you're still in Control it had excellent stability from What is a light agile and precise ride Under Foot I say light because even know This is a 310 G shoe in a UK and a half It doesn't feel that way when you're Moving it's kind of unmistakably Innovate in that sense it's a ride I've Always liked in their shoes you kind of Work the shoe it doesn't work you I Found it good for picking my way through Some of the tricky conditions that Require careful foot placement the ice And the bog are a good test for that Nice Precision nice control the other Thing I was really impressed with was The grip here there's a real notable Bite from these sort of larger lugs that Breeds confidence I been out on some Soggy Trails the day before in the Salamon shoe and they weren't as
Reliable I wasn't quite as confident all Of my steps as a run that I had in the Trail Talon I think it's still getting a Familiar innovate DNA here but with a Nice disappearing feel good grip and Overall a happy shoe for a range of Paces as well so I've been testing out The gortex version of the trail Talon Which I called in specifically because I Was spending Christmas up in Scotland Which I thought was going to be very Cold and wet and muddy and actually it Wasn't that cold but it was wet and Muddy so I split my runs between there In the pentland hills around Edinburgh And then in a very muddy eping Forest Down here in London I've done about 55 60k in the shoe with one longer run kind A 90 minute 20K long run and then some Shorter stuff that was very much up and Down up in Scotland with you know lots Of Fairly short sharp climbs in the Sense rather than anything you know too Mountainous but you know a lot of up and Down for me anyway as someone who's Predominantly a Road Runner I've done That on quite a big mix of terrains Obviously there been a little bit of Road in every run to and from the trails Like I say down here in London there's Been lots of Muddy Forest Trails single Track you twisty routy stuff and up in Scotland we had kind of fell style Grassy Hills some rocky paths you know a
Little bit of cold streams and that kind Of thing to run around um but yeah like I say some nice steep descents there to Test out the grip of the shoe so most of My testing was actually condensed into a Fairly short period over the over the Christmas holidays and basically I used It as a trail daily trainer you know Outside of my speed sessions I used the Trail Talon for everything and it did Work pretty well for that like it's a Pretty comfortable shoe despite you Compared to the road shoes We're All Using these days the stack seems quite Low but for a shoe that expects to spend I think a little bit of time on softer Stuff in most runs it was comfortable Enough to use day in day out like if you Are going to do lots of descending and You're like me and your quads get Trashed by that you're not getting a Huge amount of protection compared to Some of the trail shoes out there but What you are getting is a nice amount of Kind of foam in the mids to give you Enough protection and then you know that Really impressive grip from those 6 mm Lugs on the bottom I'd say if you are Going to be spending most of your time On harder Trails I would look at a Different shoe probably because I think The real you know standout feature of The trail Talent is its versatility in Terms of the grip it offers and the fact
It can go on very muddy stuff and grip Well but then pretty comfortable on the Road and kind of harder Trails but if You are going to spend lots of times on Kind of rockier trails that kind of Thing I think you'd look for a shoe of a Bit more cushioning in the midf either From innovate or another brand just to Protect the legs a little bit more this Is a shoe like I said expects to spend Some time on softer stuff every time you Go for a run where it really does Excel So the grip has been outstanding like Basically this is PA of the course from Innovate you expect outstanding grip and These 6 mm logs are really well judged You know they're quite wide and Broad so That does give you that that comfort and Grip on harder stuff when you're just Catching the edge of rocks stuff like That it does still quite sticky I Haven't had any kind of worrying moments Even on wet rocks or even slightly icy You know kind of harder pass and then I Hit the grass the mud the kind of the fs You know it's done really well I've had Some really sharp descents including one Ill advised shortcut down a very steep Slope in a Scotland and I basically have To run almost sideways just to stay Upright and the shoes were fantastic in Terms of grip like never had any even Minor slips or anything like that going Uphills you always find perches so
You're not getting that slightly Dispiriting slip of your foot as you're Trying to climb a really Steep Hill so Yeah the grit's been really good for me And has been pretty impressive on Two And from the like kind of trails as well Like it's only been very short stints on My runs but slightly icy Pavements and That kind of thing and it hasn't really Felt too concerning Under Foot so it all Rounds it's definitely a big tick on the Grip for sure and then the upper on the Gortex version which OB different to the One that Kieran has has done this job Really well like I've splashed through Some streams I've gone in cold puddles I've been running in cold conditions of Late for sure and yeah keeps the feet Warm and dry obviously it's a fairly Lowprofile upper so if you get watering Over the side that's going to be a Problem but you know I didn't have that And you know it really is something I Value at certain times of the year like When early on you're just going to hit a Puddle or a bit of a splashy bit and Suddenly if your feet are cold they are Cold for the rest of the run and that's Really not very nice so having that Gortex upper for not a huge amount more Actually sometimes I think often most Brands charge about 20 quid more I think For the gortex upper so yeah I think It's a nice little addition to the shoe
And it still felt you know Prett Breathable and it wasn't too warm when I Was running in slightly milder Conditions also it didn't feel you know Unpleasant at all to have that gortex Liner the upper wasn't scratch or Anything like that so does add a bit of Weight to the shoe which is already a Fairly heavy shoe but actually I didn't Notice the weight as much as I thought On the run like it seems quite a well Balanced shoe I was using it you know For just general trailer runs wasn't Really trying to go very fast or Anything like that but it didn't feel Like a a big block on my fo when I was Running uphills it still feels quite Quite Nimble despite that weight there And I wouldn't really have any concerns About that like if you are looking at The gortex version unless you're looking At this as a racing shoe which I Wouldn't you know if you're going to do That I'd look at maybe the trail Talon Speed or the mud Talon speed from Innovate so yeah the weight wasn't too Much of a problem for me [Music] Either verdict i' say the new innovate T Range is a solid addition to the trail Running landscape I think it's a really Nice versatile option and as a UK Runner It's very nice to have an allrounder That's very very good on the muddy stuff
The kind of really steep grassy slopes That makes up a lot of the running in The UK in the winter I think Lots ofers Probably tilted a little bit more Towards being really good on harder Trails and tend to struggle when it Comes to deep mud and the trail taing Really can handle deep mud very well Even the really sticky clay stuff around Me has been fine like in terms of grip And it sheds it fairly well as well so I Really like the shoe and I think the Gortex is a nice addition to have if you Are going to do lots of of winter Running and want to keep your feet warm If you're going to go through snow or Just like I say Splash through cold Water at any point on your run like I Said in the main review if you are Predominantly on the harder stuff though I would probably look elsewhere for a More comfortable shoe the midsole here Isn't the most comfortable or anything Like that you're not really getting Loads of protection so if you're going To do lots of mountains with lots more Hard running I think you might want to Find a more cushion shoe just to protect The legs a little bit more but certainly If you're going to spend you know time On a mix of terrains and always be Hitting some softer stuff like grass Muds soft trails that kind of thing During your run it is a really solid
Option for sure does actually remind me Quite a lot of the S parag which is a Shoe I really like for a long time it's Probably a shoe I recommend most to People in the UK I talked about trail Running because it really can handle the Year round trails in the UK even when They get really muddy Trail Talon is Very much cut from the same cloth and I Think it might work better for some People I think the the way the lugs are Shaped on the trail T and that you know Slightly thicker design does make it Maybe a little bit more comfortable on Harder Trails but there's a lot of Similar good characteristics to the Perrin and the trail Talon the both Shoes that you know I'd highly recommend For UK Trail Runners and then if you are Someone who does Veer a bit more towards The hard stuff and you want an Allrounder as well I think the things Like the hokus speo 5 or the meril Agility Peak five both really good shoes Can handle the Soft Stuff reasonably Well but not as well as someone like the Trail Talon or the peragine but then They are a bit more comfortable if you Are going to spend more time on harder Trails Rocky Trails going up and down Very long descent I think you get a bit More comfort from those shoes and then The other shoe I'd look at as well Within the inovate lineup if you are
Looking for a faster shoe in particular Like we didn't test the trail Talon Speed but it still is a fair bit heavier Than the mud Talon speed which is a shoe I really like that's a shoe I use for Cross country races if I'm not brave Enough to wear spikes that day and you Know it's a really good shoe it's a far Shoe sheds mud well offers fantastic Grip like slightly better grip in the Mud than the trail telling you got Slightly longer lugs it's a little bit Less comfortable though on harder stuff But that is a lighter shoe if you're Looking for a speed Focus Trail shoe in Particular but the trail Talon GTX for Me was very much a solid Trail daily Trainer during my usage especially in The winter when that gortex liner was Handy verdict then for the types of Trail I usually run that can go from Softer to firmer ground quite quickly I Think innovate has a very good shoe here Were shooting for versatility and I Think they've nailed it there's a really Easy feel on the foot easy to put on Easy to get going in a lightness and Agility to everything that feels well Balanced between a bit of cushion and a Good helping of ground feel the grip is Excellent but also not too sticky for Dryer tracks and the odd bit of road I Preferred my miles when I hit the Slightly softer Trails but I covered a
Lot of road miles too to get to those Trails and it was fine you wouldn't want To go Miles and Miles I don't think on The very hardest ground but it was okay For sort of 3 Four Mile stints and That's good if you've got tarmac Commutes to the trails all around a very Competent shoe with a lower profile a Generous roomy fit and good stability And at30 the versatility that you get Here from this shoe I think also Represents really good value too it's a Big thumbs up from [Music] Me that's our review of the innovate Trail Talon and Trail Talon GTX let us Know what you think in the comments Below please like And subscribe ring the Little bell and we'll see you next time
