INOV8 Trailfly Pro Takes the Trail Shoe in a Different Direction
Photo : Inov8
While much of the running industry continues to add taller midsoles, rigid plates and increasingly complex geometries, INOV8 is moving in the opposite direction. The British brand’s new Trailfly Pro is designed to keep runners closer to the terrain without abandoning the responsive materials found in modern racing shoes.
Introduced during UTMB week in Chamonix, the Trailfly Pro weighs just 228 grams and uses INOV8’s new Powerflow Elite midsole. The supercritical TPEE foam is intended to provide more energy return than the brand’s previous compounds, but there is no carbon plate beneath the foot.
Instead, cutouts in the outsole allow the shoe to flex and adapt as the terrain changes. A 34 mm heel and 28 mm forefoot create a 6 mm drop, giving the Trailfly Pro enough cushioning for longer efforts while retaining the ground feel that has traditionally defined INOV8’s trail shoes.
A Wider, More Natural Fit
The shoe is built around INOV8’s NaturalFit shape, which holds the heel and midfoot securely while providing more room for the toes to spread. A new offset heel collar is shaped around the ankle bones rather than sitting symmetrically around the foot.
Underneath, the Trailfly Pro uses a partial Graphene-enhanced G-Grip outsole with 4 mm chevron lugs. It is primarily aimed at firm, rocky and mixed trails rather than deep mud, placing it somewhere between an everyday performance shoe and a lightweight option for faster trail races.
An Alternative to the Trail Supershoe
The Trailfly Pro is interesting because it does not attempt to replicate the plated, high-stack formula now appearing across trail racing. INOV8 is instead combining a modern, responsive foam with a flexible platform and a more anatomical fit.
That approach will not appeal to runners looking for maximum protection or the mechanical assistance of a carbon plate. For those who want a lighter shoe that allows the foot to react naturally to technical terrain, however, the Trailfly Pro offers something increasingly uncommon.
The INOV8 Trailfly Pro is available now for NOK 2,250, with men’s and women’s versions offered in the same technical configuration.
