GearFlogger

Inov-8 Arctic Talon 275 Winter Running Shoe

First of all, the name: you just can't go wrong with Arctic Talon. It's serious and scary all at once, but don't be intimidated: this shoe is your best friend for traversing icy trails on the run. Inov-8 has made a reputation for producing shoes designed for some of the nastiest trail conditions you'll ever find - think fell running - and the AT275 is a worthy addition to the lineup.

Inov-8 actually has three spiked winter shoes. The Arctic Talon 275 is in the middle, designed for fast and light winter racing over less-than-great surfaces. It has a low volume fit with a fairly narrow toe box, and lacing it up you'll feel like you're strapping on a precision guided machine. The AT275 has 14 tungsten carbide spikes to keep you on your feet instead of on your butt. Of course the shoe really shines on ice and even snow, where the deep lugs provide plenty of space for snow to build up. Counterintuitively, snow on snow provides great traction, and the design of the Inov-8 lets it transition easily between loose snowpack and bulletproof ice.

The spikes are well laid out starting one row back from each end of the shoe. Why is this important? For before or after the race when you wear the shoe indoors onto a hard surface. The worst is tile, but even there we found the AT275 to be fine if you're moving forward and back. The first and last row of lugs - without spikes - grab as you stride forward or backward and grip before the spikes come in contact with the tile. As long as you don't make any sudden moves to the side you can walk normally; it's a really sweet design.

The Arctic Talon even has little pockets on the side for gaiters to hook into, a nice touch. The rand provides plenty of armor, as does the PROTEC shank underfoot. For any short to medium winter race the AT275 will do you better than fine. One thing that might be worth pairing with the shoe is a waterproof and windproof sock, since the shoe is neither. For a fast race where you can change quickly it's no big deal, but if you're thinking of using these for light hiking you'll definitely want the extra protection. At least until Inov-8 comes out with a spiked waterproof insulated winter boot...

$140.00 at Inov-8

Inov-8 Roclite 345 GTX Shoe

Inov-8 likes nasty. Nasty conditions for running that is, because running doesn't suck enough all by itself. Lucky for those of us who prefer a more sedate pace, Inov-8 shoes do it all and everyone benefits from the extreme capability built into their footwear. So fast and light people everywhere can gear up and get out.

The Inov-8 Roclite series is built for versatility in challenging conditions. The Roclite 345 GTX is a supremely balanced shoe: lightweight but still with good protection and decent cushioning, waterproof and supremely grippy. The mid-height boot cut provides a little more support and protection and makes it easier to fix a gaiter for your next trip up and down Mt. Marathon. That scree is nasty and oh-so-much fun, at least on the way down.

The Roclite runs just a tad small, so if you're on the fence between two sizes go up. The laces were a concern for us initially, because they're thin and run through even thinner cord eyelets, but we haven't had a problem so we're going to assume they know what they're doing. The benefit is that lacing up the 345 feels like strapping on a sports car, all close fit and performance.

The Roclite 345 GTX is a great choice for scrambling, hiking in sketchy terrain, mountain running and just about anything where you want to move fast and light without sacrificing protection and grip. We can even vouch for the grip on snow and ice, since we received these at the tail end of winter when freeze/thaw conditions were a daily occurrence. We've been impressed with the Inov-8's quality and performance over the past few years,