Inov-8 Men's Terraclaw 250 Trail Running Shoe

This is a superior OCR shoe.I am a dedicated obstacle racer and run 10+ races/year, ranging from short stadium sprints to Spartan beasts (>16 mi for Killington this year). I have a very normal-sized 9M foot and neutral pronation, as well as no history of knee or foot problems.Over the last year I have tried a number of makes: Keen (A86), Salomon (Speedcross 3) and Icebug (Acceleritas 4 RB9X), as well as these. None of these shoes were terrible by any means. The Keen was a good lightweight runner, but relatively fragile and minimalist without significant added traction--good for stadiums only, as I shredded them (ripped the uppers) on a relatively short mountain course. The Icebugs were lightweight and had good traction, but 1) showed ominous wear after a single Spartan Super, 2) did not drain well, and 3) had an odd fit--a bit narrow and long. I also had blisters, which has not been the case with any other make of shoe. The Speedcross 3 is a fine OCR shoe with great durability and traction, but during long races I noticed knee and ankle pain after extended running distances (10+ miles).Which brings me to the Inov-8 Terraclaw 250. They are lighter than the Salomons, but incredibly durable--I've run 2 Supers, 2 Beasts and a Tough Mudder in these over the last 3 months and they still have life in them. The overall traction is slightly inferior to that of the Speedcross 3, but this is compensated for by the fact that the less aggressive tread makes climbing and (as importantly) adhering to obstacles (walls, ropes, etc) much easier. Drainage is excellent. The fit is very normal and neutral, and I have yet to suffer any knee/ankle/foot issues even during very long races. Simply put, these shoes are better for running and repetitive stress than the Speedcross 3, and the best overall for true mud races of any I have tried.I have 2 minor complaints, neither of which is sufficient to dock a star. Inov-8 could provide better laces, along the lines of what the Salomons have. I have yet to have them come untied, but re-tying them during a race can be difficult when caked with mud. This is a direct segue to point #2, which is that there is a bit of extra flex in the rear of the shoe that lends itself to the entry of small rocks. The latter is not much worse than other makes, but can be annoying. But considering all factors, this is a easy choice. I'll be wearing these from now on.

The Terraclaw is at least my 10th pair of Inov-8s -- and the best yet. I do a lot of obstacle course racing, including a lot of longer races. This pair is by far the most comfortable I've owned with good traction and a roomy toe box. This is the pair I'll be wearing at the OCR World Championships.

I purchased the Inov-8 Terraclaw 250 Trail-Running shoes to replace my Saucony Xodus GTX shoes for obstacle course racing, specifically, Spartan Races. The Saucony Xodus GTX shoes are a phenomenal all purpose shoe, but they do not drain well and they became very heavy after water obstacles at the Palmerton Spartan races. I probably should have expected that of any gortex shoe. At Palmerton I observed other racers choice of shoes as well as getting input on various brands. The two most popular shoes at that particular race were Inov-8 and Salomon Speedcross 3. Honestly, I purchased the Inov-8 over the Salomon due to a sale on Amazon.The Inov-8 shoes are lightweight, have a larger toe box, and are very comfortable. The larger toe box is important to me as I seriously bruised my toe against the front of my shoes after running a Spartan Super and Sprint on consecutive days. The Inov-8 Terraclaw 250's are more of a minimalist type running shoe compared to the Saucony Xodus shoes and do not offer a large amount of support. However, the tradeoff between lightweight vs. support is well balanced and the traction is excellent. I believe I picked a winner. I registered for a Spartan Beast race and will be able to provide a better review after training and running the 14 mile race in the Inov-8 Terraclaw 250's.

I've put in about 10-15 miles of trails and a 6-mile Spartan Sprint in these. Honestly, I don't think I would buy them again.Most of my training is done in minimalist shoes, from Vibram FiveFingers to New Balance Minimus Trail models. However, for some training (and races) I need something with a little more protection against roots/rocks and with excellent wet traction. In that respect, these are good shoes, but I have two main complaints:1. Large drop and thick/soft sole creates a little too much cushioning for racing. Drainage isn't great, so once you add some water/mud to the mix, it's like running with wet towels wrapped around your feet.2. For some reason, no matter what socks I use, my feet slide around inside the shoes and don't feel stable or planted compared to other shoes I've used. I wonder if it's the slippery material for the insole, but I'm still experimenting with different socks (and lacing methods) to see if anything helps.I really want to like Inov-8 more...I've known of them for years and the construction is very good, but I'm probably going elsewhere next time.On the plus side, these are great dayhiking shoes!

I would recommend this product to anyone and several of my friends have purchased these shoes for our Spartan races. I did the tri fecta last year and used these shoes as well as doing a ton of trail running training sessions in them and there is expected wear and tear. I would only see if they could do a little better job on the toe protector is all. I have broad feet and this is the perfect shoe for my feet I dont spill out the edges and i bought my exact size as opposed to buying one size up as a i normally have to do. INOV-8 is a great product. My friend had the reebok spartan shoes and moved to these and will never go back to the reeboks again. They do not slip on the wooden obstacles.

Excellent shoes. I've put a couple of hundred miles in them, both running and walking, and the quality is excellent as is the grip. Last year I used them for a run/walk circuit of the Yorkshire 3 peaks and the only criticism I can level at them is they slip readily on smooth stones (which shouldn't be unsurprising).Great on grass and mud and it is nice to buy some trainers which fit to my size.

I am on my third pair of these and cannot rate the, highly enough....plenty of room for allowing feet to swell during long distances and super comfortable

Fab perfect fit great they do half sizes as I'm always in between usually 3 too small and 4 too big 3.5 spot on soo comfortable for walking

Great trail shoes I love them

Great grip when climbing, light weight, comfortable. Only issue is laces have to be really tight or shoes feel like they will come off when climbing