Inov-8 Trailroc 270 | Low Profile Trail Shoe Review

Overview of the Inov-8 Trailroc 270:

The Inov-8 Trailroc 270 is the reincarnation of the Trailroc series originally launched about five years ago. And just like the original Trailrocs the new Trailroc 270 has a great fit, an excellent outsole, and is not overbuilt. Advertised as being “perfect for fast running over hard and rocky trails” I might disagree slightly. The Trailroc 270 is definitely built for fast running but perhaps better suited to hard-packed dirt trails without a lot of gnarly rocks in your path. Two things are for certain with this shoe – it is comfortable and you get a decent amount of ground feel.

Specs:

Weight: 270g / 9.5oz (US men’s 9.0) – unisex
Drop: 4mm, 21.5mm heel/17.5mm forefoot
Upper: mesh with welded overlays
Midsole: Powerflow+ (I assume it’s pretty standard EVA?)
Outsole: Tri-C Sticky Rubber (i.e., three different kinds of sticky rubber compounds placed in different sections of the outsole to promote more grip or more durability depending on the location); 4mm lug depth with good spacing between lugs to shed mud and debris; rock plate in the middle of the shoe that stops at the front of the midfoot

Presenting the Inov-8 Trailroc 270. A very comfortable, do everything kind of trail shoe as long as you like a bit of groundfeel.

Now for more details. In this review, we’ll break things down in to four areas:

What’s good: the new, differentiating, or simply well designed or built features or aspects of the shoe.
What could be improved: tweaks or improvements that could be made to make the shoe better.
When to use it: the situations or scenarios where the shoe excels.
How it compares: my current go-to shoes and how this shoe compares.
Should you purchase? My overall recommendation on whether to purchase this shoe or not.
Purchasing Information: where to go to purchase this shoe.

I’ll try to be as succinct as possible. After all, you’ve probably got more running you can do today!

What’s good?

The fit. From my experience Inov-8 seems to have two main lasts or fits they work with – either a foot-hugging narrow fit or more of a narrow heel fit with a more foot-shaped midfoot and forefoot fit. Thankfully, the Inov-8 Trailroc 270 shoe uses the latter fit. The heel collar is fairly low but holds the heel well. And then the midfoot is middle of the road with a more forgiving forefoot fit. It’s a near-perfect fit, at least for me.

A sweet upper combined with an accommodating last makes for a great fit.

Close-up view of the mesh and welded overlays on the Trailroc 270.

The flexibility. Probably due to the lower overall stack height and multiple flex grooves this shoe is fairly flexible and moves with your foot. It feels pretty road shoe-esque in that sense and I dig that.

The lower overall stack height contributes to a fairly flexible ride.

4mm drop. This is a personal preference of mine but I love 4mm drop trail shoes. I find these drop strikes the perfect balance of promoting a midfoot to forefoot landing combined with some heel support when pushing uphill.
As much as I love Salomon outsoles Inov-8 makes some pretty great outsoles as well. The Trailroc 270 is no exception. The three different rubber compounds contribute to grip where you want it with added durability in higher wear areas. 4mm lugs are just deep enough for most trail situations with the added benefit of not getting in the way on tamer terrain.

As usual, Inov-8 continues to design and manufacturer great outsoles.

With a mostly mesh upper and minimal, welded overlays this shoe breathes well and drains fast. It’s a good choice in warmer climates.
We don’t see anything superfluous with this shoe. No extra fabric where there shouldn’t be to weigh things down. No unnecessary foam in the heel collar. Lugs that grip without getting in the way of the ride.

The Trailroc 270 upper is nice and streamlined – no added fabrics or design choices to weigh things down unnecessarily.

What could be improved with the Inov-8 Trailroc 270?

Additional cushioning. I’d love to see 3-4 additional millimeters of both heel and forefoot cushioning. Some folks will really dig the ground feel. I prefer just a little less ground feel and I suspect a little more cushioning would make the shoe nearly perfect.
Better welded overlays. After only one run the welded overlays started to come un-welded (is that a word?). It’s probably mostly an aesthetic issue it doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in the long-term durability of the upper. (note: one of my favorite shoes of all time, the Hoka Huaka, suffered from the same welded overlay issue with the original manufacturing run and it didn’t really affect the integrity of that shoe other than looking kind of silly).

After only one run the welded overlays already started to break down.

The value. At $140 MSRP I feel the shoe is about $15-20 more than it should be considering its somewhat lack of versatility.

When to use it?

Everyday trail runs on mild to moderate terrain. On less technical trails the shoe shines but I would avoid the pointy stuff when possible.
Avoiding pavement. The ride on pavement is somewhat harsh and I would avoid much time in the concrete jungle wearing this shoe. It’s not the best door-to-trail shoe for this reason.

The Inov-8 Trailroc is a good everyday option for folks who like a lower stack height trail shoe with plenty of ground feel.

Similar shoes to compare with:

Nike Zoom Terra Kiger 3 or 4: Very similar shoes in terms of fit, overall comfort, and weight. However, the Nikes are $15 less (or a lot less on sale) with just the right amount of cushion and thus, protection. Nike wins here.
Hoka One One Speed Instinct (review here): I much prefer the level of cushion and protection the Hoka offers but I prefer the fit and breathability of the Inov-8. The Hokas are also a lot less now that they are on sale with version 2 released. Tough call but I’m probably reaching for the Hokas first (and more specifically the Hoka One One Speed Instinct 2 – review coming soon!)
Icebug Oribi RB9X (review here): Similar in terms of fit, ground feel, and protection. However, the Icebug has a 7mm drop and also costs $10 more. Tough call but I’m giving the nod to the Inov-8s here.

Should you purchase?

So, the $140 question – should you purchase the Inov-8 Trailroc 270?

In a word, maybe. If your preferred trails are tamer in nature and you like a bit of ground feel this is a good shoe. If you run on more technical terrain with rocks that could bruise your feet if you are not careful I would look for a shoe with more protection.

Questions, comments, or feedback on this shoe? Please share! And thanks for reading!

Purchasing Information

If you’re interested in purchasing this shoe, please first check availability at your local, independently owned running specialty store. They need your business and are a great resource for the community.

If that’s not an option, please consider using this link for the men’s shoe or this link for the women’s shoe . And special shout-out to the web marketing team at Inov-8 for presenting all the details of the shoe in a clear and concise way – bravo!

Thank you for reading.

Ben Zuehlsdorf says:

July 25, 2017 at 12:57 pm

Following

Tim Rizzo says:

July 25, 2017 at 1:31 pm

Nice write up, and thanks for the tip on the resurrection of my favorite trail running shoe of all time. I used to routinely get a thousand miles out of a pair of TrailRoc 255s. When they disappeared I discovered the Terraclaw 250s which was a boon because I think they’re an even better shoe if such a thing is possible and did I mention cheap? Cheap! But I guess I’m gonna have to check out Son of TrailRoc now, too. Run well, sir!

Ben Zuehlsdorf says:

July 25, 2017 at 1:47 pm

You may want to check out the new Trailroc 285s in that case Tim. Essentially the same shoe as the 270 but with an 8mm drop instead of a 4mm drop.

1. Tim Rizzo says:
  
  July 25, 2017 at 2:23 pm
  
  Yeah, I might. Tbh, like you, I’ve often felt that a 4mm drop was a sweet spot for a trail shoe and I wouldn’t mind getting back there… though a little extra in the heel was welcome on ridiculous, straight-down-the-mountain east coast US descents that cropped up in my races last fall. Am I making a case for having both? Heh, maybe I am.

Chad says:

July 31, 2017 at 1:33 pm

Having difficulty differentiating between the Roclite and Trailroc series. I have the Roclite 305’s and understand they are geared more toward soft ground and marketed as more versatile than the Trailroc’s, but overall both models appear more similar than different. I’m with you on needing a little more protection underfoot. And, with the price difference, if I had to choose all over again and was still planning to buy Inov-8, I would buy the Roclite 290’s at $120 with a 20/24 stack height vs 14/18 for the Trailroc’s at $140.

Ben Zuehlsdorf says:

July 31, 2017 at 1:58 pm

I think that’s probably the right call Chad. The 24/20 stack height is more optimal I believe.

1. Chad says:
  
  August 6, 2017 at 8:06 pm
  
  Thanks Ben!

alex says:

October 28, 2018 at 1:31 pm

just trying to find somewhere I can get trailroc 245 or 255 🙁

Tim Rizzo says:

October 28, 2018 at 7:53 pm

Alex, I feel ya, and as a lover of Inov-8 kicks, I’ve learned not to look to the past. I’ve implored them to make changes to current models rather than the slash and burn policies of the past where an entire model would get the axe on a regular basis. I’m just one guy, but Inov-8’s customer service team is great and have on more than one occasion pointed me to New Old Stock options with retailers if they know of them. Anyway, just want to chime in and say I’m currently rocking the Trailtalon 250 and really like it, though off the top of my head I couldn’t spell out every difference between it and my once dearly loved 255s. Grip is about the same- not a mudpit mudpit shoe but good, drainage is better with a less obtrusive rand which obviously means less protection, and I’m pretty sure that’s true for rock protection too, though here in the NE US it’s fine for roots and roots and more good roots. Best of luck finding what you’re looking for..

Mark Crawshaw says:

August 9, 2019 at 4:52 pm

Just bought some and I shouldn’t be suprised by now in not having any cushioning in an Inov8 but the firmness of the midsole is still perplexing at this weight. I swear by X-talons for racing and had two pairs of the old Trailrocs 245 and 255 but just looking at these and noting the 270 notation I expected some cushion in all that sole for the ‘hard packed trail’ and there is zero, only the insert will take any of the jarring. I think I may return them and try some more expensive but less damaging Hokas.

Inov-8 Trailroc 270 Review