Inov-8 Roclite 315

Mick 'Stringy'
Reviewed: 07 August 2010

My first ever off road shoe and I wasn't disappointed.

Comfort and performance. I wore these for the Thunder Run 24hr and they were spot on; gave me no problems.

Not disappointed although to be fair; they are my first ever off road shoes so I have no comparison, however they were excellent.

The Bus
Reviewed: 15 February 2009

THE IMAGE IS A ROCLITE 330 NOT 315!

The 315 is a very good all round trail shoe. Light and cushioned enough, comfy staright from the box, and unlike the 330 shown in the image and most other Inov-8s , the upper lasts until after you'd bin it for a broken down midsole...

The 315 is not as cushioned as the 330. Laces tend to break if runninf in wet conditions a lot.

My choice for trail running.

Haworth Hobbler
Reviewed: 18 January 2008

COMFY HIGH MILEAGE SHOE

i find they are still comfy beyond 25 mile off road, sole outlasts upper,they have survived over 700 miles, without a single blister.

the inov8 315 doesn't grip wet rock as well as the 318's (and others with sticky rubber) but easily beat them on milage.

the best all round trail shoe for me, good life, good grip, far from the dearest shoe around, which is good as they only last around 4 months.

Funt
Reviewed: 30 December 2007

GOOD IN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS

Versatile all-rounder that you can get away with using in a variety of conditions...

...although their all-around versatility can lull you into a false sense of security and tempt you to wear them in races they're not really suited for.

A good shoe; arguably, if I had to have only one pair of off-road shoes, it'd be these. They just about get the job done in any conditions. But with that said, they are a jack of all trades and a master of none. In 2008 mine saw four cross country events (top notch), two mountain marathons (LAMM and OMM -- passable performance overall), and a number of fell races including Langdale (wrong choice on steep, open fell or rocky ascents.) The 315s are a tiny bit clunky but in the main solid, grippy and well put together. They're an excellent trail shoe (although others are better), an excellent cross country shoe (although others are better), and just about get by as a fell/AR shoe in the right conditions/races. If budget means you can't take an Imelda Marcos approach to running shoes (and buy one pair for each type of event) the Roclites are a good all-rounder and an excellent choice for your one pair. But if you want the most competitive shoe for any particular sort of event, there's something better in any given category; Mizuno Wave Harriers for cross/trail, Walsh PBs for fell, etc.

Drunken Euphoria on tour
Reviewed: 16 December 2007

GOOD "ALL TERRAIN" CHOICE

Comfortable and seem to hug feet so they don't feel bulky. Seem to be robust, grippy on mud, rutted paths, trails, grass and stoney paths. Confidence inspiring. Flexible feel which offers control closer to barefoot running than most road and less-specialist trail shoes.

Grip on wet rocks, but so were my previous trail shoes (Saucony Approach). Can feel the lack of cushioning towards the end of prolonged outings (over 15m) but this is also expected. Ok for some road use, but again not for prolonged usage on this surface.

My previous trails shoes were Saucony Approach and these seemed the ideal replacement choice being from a company who specialise in off-road shoes. In direct comparison they offer superior stability, grip, comfort, feel over the Approach's and perhaps they only come (a close) second on cushioning, which isn't a major factor for mixed terrain runs under about 15m for me. Having said that my second and third runs in these were 6.5 and 21 miles so there is little or no break in required. Regardless of shoe model I sometimes get minor blistering on my heel from hilly, muddy, trail conditions and did get slight irritation on heels from first run in these. I have suffered no reoccurance, although I do apply surgical tape to back of heels for longer runs (as I have with previous trail shoes).

Choose roclites as your off-road mileage workhorse, you won't be disappointed. Seemed good for undulating cross country and my next test for these is long off-road races and ultra-mara's. These are not quite as grippy as mudrocs I gather, and for tough fell conditions I have mudclaws, these are more comfortable for all round off-road use.