inov-8 Mudroc 290

Imperial Dave
Reviewed: 29 January 2011

I must have odd shaped feet as these plain hurt

good pedigree
lightweight
reasonably priced (sale)

they hurt my feet badly
they dont appear robust enough
could have been an expensive mistake

I tried these in a shop a couple of years ago and although uncomfortable I thought they would "give" a bit when in use. I asked the shop if I wore them around the house for a little could I bring them back if unsuitable and they said yes. Lucky. I tried them around the house and the pain which was centred around my ankle bone and heel ridge became worse and worse. I took them back to the shop for a refund. I am sure, jusdging by the other comments, that they do the biz for other people but for me they were a nightmare. The construction didnt give me a lot of confidence that they would last very well either but again thats perception
not for me sorry

ant89
Reviewed: 05 January 2010

BEST SHOE I'VE USED

Comforable, lightweightness, grip on most surfaces

lack of grip on wet rock and smooth concrete slabs.

Good trade off between grip and durability, especially as lots of my routes involve a decent bit of road time between offroad paths. Initially bought 1/2 a size larger due to the shop not haing my size in stock, but am glad I did now as they are a snug fit.

Andrew Moore 2
Reviewed: 13 September 2009

PERFECT

Great grip and stability. They drain really quickly. They lace up to give a great fit and they're light (even afetr running through a burn).

Can be a bit slippy on rock.

Great value for money, comfortable and pretty tough.

Parky Again
Reviewed: 03 March 2008

LIGHT, QUICK DRYING, GRIPPY

Hug the foot nicely
Light
Excellent grip on grass and light mud
Quick drying
Excellent heel support

A narrow last and it will depend upon your feet if that's a problem. I have small wide feet but these hug my feet nicely.

Excellent all round walking shoe for the South East. I haven't tried them on anything more demanding than the South Downs and Surrey Hills.

Jas' Harrison
Reviewed: 27 December 2007

LIGHTWEIGHT, GRIPPY AND CONFIDENCE INSPIRING.

Extremely confidence inspiring on tough terrain. The sole is very grippy and narrow (making the shoe more stable). Stability is further enhanced by the thin midsole, which also gives good trail sensitivity. The upper gives the impression that there's nothing there that doesn't need to be; it also drains and dries well. It's an easy shoe to lace up 'just so' and holds the foot really well.
They excel on steep descents, allowing a real turn of speed if you're brave enough.

Although it's surprisingly comfortable on roads, the sole wears very quickly on hard surfaces, an inevitable downside for a studded sole of this type.

The off-road running shoe that does everything is probably more of a myth than the all-purpose walking boot. However, the Mudroc 290 is more versatile than its more extreme stablemates, the Mudclaws, working on anything from woods and fields to the mountains, and is actually surprisingly versatile. However, if you need to cover more than a few Ks on roads or will be spending a lot of time on hard trails, go for something a bit more forgiving with a harder wearing sole.
I found them surprisingly comfortable on a 3 day, 60 mile jaunt around most of the 3000' summits of Snowdonia (the 2007 GL3D - www.joefaulkner.com/gl3d.html): my feet were in pretty good nick afterwards.
The combination of grippy, narrow sole, thin midsole and 'foot gripping' uppers makes for a very confidence inspiring shoe. Within their intended use they are pretty much perfect.