 Mid-life-crisis; I quite like those  .. A pair of Walshes (fit dep) is tempting; my Inovs fell to bits really fast...50 miles one pair...half a season the next pair; Terrocs are OK though - as I don't really wear them anymore having lost confidence.
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I quite like them too, though in my case it's getting to be more an end-life crisis.  Some of the other vivo barefoot shoes look good too.
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| Edited: 16/12/09 20:48 |
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 Dear Santa ...
They're bringing out a barefoot running shoe next year - the evo. Trousers for nudists will follow.
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 Glad its not just me who's given up on Inov-8 due to them falling apart when you breathe on them then! Be interesting to see some Walsh shoes in action.
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 With Inov8 vs. Walsh longevity, I got through 2 pairs of Mudclaws with light use and less than a year on each, while I had a pair of PBs going for years. I did have to ditch a pair of the tougher PBs because the midsole had been pronated into oblivion, but the uppers and their attachment to the sole were fine. So I'd trust them more, if they actually fit me... Pete.
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PBs are repairable too - £30 for a resole/repair. I wonder if the new ones will be?
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 Three years on a set of Inov8s? You need to get out more. Interesting to see people now realising how flimsy they are.
If you're talking to Walsh, could you find out the max sizes of the new shoes? I loved my old PBs but had to stop using them due to Plantar Fasciitis. Something with a similar sole but more support would be spot on.
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 "Interesting to see people now realising how flimsy they are" more interesting to see how expectations were overblown.
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 Three years on a set of Inov8s? You need to get out more. If that's in response to my post, then no. That was 3 years of good use, not for everything I did but for a lot of it - day walks and backpacking and some trail running, Snowdonia, Peaks, Pennines, Lakes, Scotland, rock, bog, moor, the lot. The uppers ended up with a couple of small gashes, but I only retired them when I realised how compressed the cushioning had become. The replacement pair have now been in use since May this year and are still in very good nick too. I know lots of folk reckon Inov8 don't last, but that simply hasn't been my experience so I say so. (Roclite 315s btw)
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depends what you do in them matt - hence the deflowering of some over optimistic expectation of a "flimsy", lightweight fell running shoe. mine are still going strong with no problems - apart from the cushioning collapsing a bit.
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No, I think it depends on where you draw the line between 'wear and tear' and simple 'failure'. An example of the former would be a lightweight shell jacket worn out after two years use. Not failure, but erring too far to one side of the cost-benefit equation for me personally. However, when multiple pairs of shoes fail, e.g. soles with plenty of tread left simply peeling off - well, that's failure. It isn't a case of unrealistic expectation if one has used other shoes aimed at the same market (i.e. Walsh PBs, for at least 7-8 years) under similar conditions and had them last much longer. A benchmark has been established.
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I'm reminded of the original design goal at Nike: a running shoe which would last for exactly one race. Anything more meant it was over-built for the job, and you could train in something tougher. (The problem on both my pairs of Mudclaws was actually the sole peeling, rather than the stitching or fabric coming apart...) Pete.
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wouldn't "failure" like the sole peeling off be rectified by the manufacturer? mw & peter. do you use your inov-8 for running or walking? i only walk in mine (run!!! what's that?) i've got the impression the opprobrium for inov-8 on here was their tendency to disintegrate when doing rather rough things to them.
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Most of the problems seem to be with the sole; mine have variously delaminated, split completely or collapsed doing nothing rougher than walking up and down hills and jogging some easy bits - well within their design envelope. The uppers are fine.
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| Edited: 31/12/09 14:52 |
did you send them back?
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Got a replacement for the pair that split; didn't want a replacement for the pair that delaminated since they were alarmingly slippy compared to what I'd been used to, and live reluctantly, and somewhat wobblily, with the pair that are collapsing because they do what I want them to. Really looking forward to trying some of the new walshes - they're exactly what I would look for (as long as the achilles tab isn't troublesome).
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| Edited: 31/12/09 16:24 |
Rather than dwelling on the deficiencies of Inov8s, the good thing about Walshes is that, although the PB sole wears fast (i.e. it's very grippy), it does so in a predictable and consistent way. I generally had two pairs on the go. When one sole unit wore down too far, I'd send them off for a new one and rotate onto the other pair. If you couldn't replace a sole that wears so fast I'm not sure they'd be economically viable, so that may be an issue with these new designs. I had one pair of Inov8s replaced under warranty then lost interest. I would've stopped at the second pair but I'm cursed with size 49/50 feet, and it's very difficult to get any kind of technical footwear in that size. I'd love to try those studded shoes, but they just don't go big enough.
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These shoes are terrible. 3 months slightly damp summer use and the gore-tex is knackered. Like walking about in a placky bag full of water. Rubbish.
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 Well thats more of a generic problem with waterproof liners in mesh style shoes than specifically these ones. The liners are too exposed to grit, heather, flexing etc etc and rarely seem to last at all well. Anyhow unlined ones really do just work better in the first place
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