Review: inov-8 Race Ultra 290

Another shoe brand that I’ve never run in, so why not test it out? I had heard a lot of us buzz about the inov-8 Race Ultra 290, scored a pair through a friend and was stoked to take the shoe on the run.

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Promo Copy from Inov-8:

Our first-ever ultra shoe eats the hard miles for breakfast. The two-arrow race ultra offers optimal cushioning and comfort for the long-distance athlete, without the loss of proprioception. A flatter outsole ensures a stable ride when athlete fatigue sets in. Clip a gaiter onto invo-8’s unique on-the-shoe attachment system to ensure all debris is kept at bay. Female specific fit.

Details:

• Fit – Standard – Wide toes box allows the toes to splay. Perfect for forefoot strikers, athletes with a wider foot and when lifting heavy weights.
• Drop – 8mm
• Weight – 10 oz.

Construction:

• Synthetic, TPU upper
• Injected EVA midsole
• Mesh lining
• Shanks – Meta-Shank III – Multi-finger polymer Meta-Shank aligns with each individual metatarsal for increased benefit from the “Windlass Effect,” whilst retaining underfoot impact protection and flexibility.
  

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My Take

Appearance & Price
Inov-8 Race Ultra 290 is not much for looks, and yes, shoes do have looks. It lacks color. My first impression — blah!

Retailing at $130, the Race Ultra 290 has pretty competitive pricing compared to other shoes in the market that are meant for distance running.

Fit & Feel
I wear a women’s size 9 foot in the shoe. Here’s what I noticed.

• Wide toe box. Love it!
• The shoe upper is soft and pliable, making it easy to slip your foot in and out.
• The tongue of the shoe is padded for extra protection for the top of the foot and to keep the laces from rubbing the foot.
• The shoe feels flat, dense and heavier than expected. I could feel the density of the shoe once I laced up.

Ride
I’ve had the shoe for about three months now. The shortest distance covered in them is 10 miles, the longest distance 32 miles. After 120 miles of pure trail running in these shoes, I can say that I love the toe splay and the wide forefoot. The shoe offers great grip, stability and protection on a variety of surfaces — dirt, roots, rock, technical uphills and downhills, and a bit of water and mud. I don’t see significant wear to any of the lugs and the shoe outer, which is fairly impressive.

This is a heavy-duty shoe that is built to last, with a lot of attention to detail and offering subtle features like built-in gator attachment. The flatter outsole ensures a stable ride without the loss of proprioception, and as you continue to run and fatigue sets in, the 8mm drop and added cushioning are welcome.

Now for what I dislike about this shoe: The dense midsole EVA is thick, and I found that to be non-responsive. I feel like the shoe lacks bounce, and although it offers impeccable grip when running different terrains, you lose the sensation of flexibility when running a technical trail. The full outsole makes for an inflexible shoe and, therefore, a non-compliant ride. The shoe just feels flat, and somehow my foot didn’t conform to the shoe at all — even after logging all those miles.

Conclusion
I so want to love these shoes. I know distance runners who have raced 100 miles in them and absolutely love them. But for me, personally, I just never felt “at one” with the shoe when running in them. Despite the excellent quality and features the shoe has to offer, it’s not my go-to shoe for racing. I feel like somewhere in the process of adding the stability and protection to the midsole and the shoe outer, the flexibility was lost. Bottom line: It’s not a nimble shoe, if you’re looking for a smooth ride on the trails.

Author: Shalini Kovach is a trail junkie and ultra distance runner, forever in search of the perfect running gear that will make life easy out in the wilderness.