Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I used these for Tough Mudder Diablo Grande 2012. They were absolutely perfect on the steep hills and grades whether going up or down hill. Not one worry about slipping. It was 7 miles mainly uphill in waterlogged shoes and 12 miles all together. My friends in other shoes complained of squishy, heavy shoes, but mine felt "dry" even though they were caked with mud and wet. I combined these with the Injinji socks and my feet were happy the whole time. I walked with ease over soaking wet mud hills while my friends in other shoes slipped around. I had major traction! Swimming in them is just as easy. They are so lightweight. I LOVE these shoes. I've turned the whole Team onto to them for the next Tough Mudder. BONUS, they cleaned up in about 3 min. and look new, which is a small miracle.

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I hike on rough, slippery, steep terrains. I have a bad ankle, and this shoe has been a life saver. I can feel the terrain under my feet so I don't over pronate. My feet don't hurt abit. I said goodby to my heavy, hard, clunky boots and trail tennis shoes. What are you waiting for, get this cool looking shoe,(it would be cooler if it came in other colors) you won't regret it. In fact I just bought another pair!: )

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I was a pavement runner using exclusively zero drop VFFs, Luna sandals, and Invisible Shoes. I decided to get back to my roots of trail running and found that, for me, the VFFs and sandals simply did not provide enough protection on the technical parts of a trail. I went looking for zero drop trail shoes and found few. This shoe seemed like the best bet and it has worked well for me. The shoe, for a trail shoe, has almost no protection but they tell you that up front. It's light weight and great, snug, fit make the shoe part of you. These traits result in a nimbleness on the trail that is unrivaled in my experience, no matter if it is wet, dry, muddy or sandy. I own another pair of Inov-8 shoes I use on pavement and think highly of them as well.

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I love these shoes. They are absolutely perfect for sprint training on a dirt road with small pebbles/rocks. I imagine they work well for trail running too. They are F A S T. The feeling you get, such acceleration doing sprints in the hard-pack dirt just makes you want to run faster. Reminds me of the feel of running on spiked track shoes. Be warned though... Transition to these no-raised-heel (barefoot/minimal) shoes slooowly. Jog on them for months before doing full out sprints, perhaps do 3/4 speed sprints too for a while before doing all-out sprints. I hurt my calf/achilles the first time out on them and 3 months later it's still not back to 100%. It was my first time on minimalist shoes.

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I've also been wearing the VFFs, and the Green Silence, but needed something for trails and cross country runs. These are semi-new on the market, so there were no reviews when I bought them. What I wanted from them they delivered, excellent traction in grass and trails, and very light weight and great feel of the earth. No arch support and no cushioning so if that what's you are needing look else where. Feel narrow to me, but I like a large toe box area. Compared to the other trail shoes, that feel like you're wearing a brick I rate these 5 stars.

Comments about Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Trail Running Shoe:

I've started inching toward barefoot/minimalist running with products like the Vibram Five Fingers. These caught my eye as a minimalist shoe with great traction that could be used as an alternative to traditional cleats for Ultimate Frisbee on a grass field. I normally wear size 13 running shoes / cleats, but got these in size 12. For me they make a good combination with the injini lightweight toe socks and I'm very pleased with how they feel on the field. They do what I hoped they would do which is allow my feet and lower legs to "feel the ground" and to get stronger while I work up toward full barefoot play.