I have to admit the Flyroc’s were a bit of an impulse buy. Before the Inov-8 rep. gave his presentation at the RF Kick-Off meeting, I knew very little about the shoe but after he was finished I could not wait to get my hands on a pair of these shoes and get them dirty…..and get them dirty I did. These shoes traveled to every major Adventure Race I entered this year, including the 60 hour Untamed New England race and the 30 hour Untamed Virginia race. I have a ton of positive things to say about the shoe and a couple of negatives to consider.
First the positives.
1. Weight: 310 grams. C’mon!
2. The Grip: Mud, swamp, gravel, shale, wet grass, wet rocks…all elements that you face in an AR and all are no problem for the Flyroc. Seriously awesome grip.
3. The Fit: Like a slipper.
4. Breathability: Like no other shoe I have worn. Even in the 95 degree heat and 100 % humidity of the Virginia race course my feet did not develop even 1 blister.
5. Durability: I don’t know how many hours I spent racing in this shoe this season racing through mud, grime, swamp, grass, dirt, water and even pavement but it is still in pretty decent shape. No major injuries to the shoe. Impressive!
And now the negatives:
1. Cushioning: Non-existant (but the trade off is the awesome grip). Would love to have just a touch more to increase the comfort level.
2. Support: Specifically around the ankle. I have to admit that I rolled mine more than once and I did attribute it to the weak support of the shoe. I do know that this is one of the major sacrifices to keep the weight where it is.
If you are an Adventure Racer who has to deal with a mixed bag of terrain and who is willing to trade off a bit of comfort to stay on your feet no matter what the race course throws at you then the Flyroc 310 is the shoe for you. Looking forward to getting a new pair for the 2009 season.
