My quandary was what size to get. I had seen some sites and reviews saying to order a 1/2 size down. I wear a 12 in most running shoes and have never had an issue with that size. I decided to go with the 12's in the Inov-8's and feel they fit just fine. The toe is more pointed than most shoes and maybe seems a bit longer but I put these side be side (and bottom to bottom)with several of my 12's including my Kinvara 2's and to me they all seem like the same length.Width is a little narrower compared to some of my other shoes but I wear a D width and the upper material is "stretchy" and I didn't notice any ill effects nor was I uncomfortable. In fact I was very comfortable in the shoe. The heel cup area is a bit lower than most running shoes but the heel stays locked in very well.
The upper graphics and toe bumper is some kind of spray on rubber type material, kind of like a bedliner. I looks good and works fine, and I am guessing it keeps the weight down. The sole is an injected mold EVA foam and a bit denser in feel to most EVA on other shoes. The colors on the EVA are painted on with some sort of rubber paint. Over all the shoe looks very good in person. There are a lot of color choices out there as well to pretty much match anyone's desire ranging from the very bold to the plainer solid colors. It is very light as well.
Feelwise I like low drop shoes but at 6'3" 205 some of them like the vibram's, merrell's, and minimus line pound me when I run as they just don't give me enough cushion. The 195's denser foam combined with a pretty good insert, actually do very well. I think the insert will compress over time so will have to see how long it lasts. The cusioning is better than the really minimal stuff but the ground feel is still very good and the sole low to the ground. Feel wise these remind me of my NEw Balance 730's but I give the comfort edge while running to the 195's. For a light 3mm drop low sole shoe, these are very runable for me on a cushioned surface like a treadmill or trail.
As a general workout shoe these are great. Fairly flat sole, locked in foot, low to the ground for stability, good cushioning. As I can run in them, moving from treadmill to free weights is no problem. At MSRP they are a bit spendy but if you look around you can usually find them in older colors on clearance somewhere.
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UPDATE: I have written extensive reviews on some Inov-8 shoes and received a lot of feedback that the reviews were helpful (no, I am not sponsored or paid by Inov-8). As much of my summer running has taken place on roads, paths, and trails in Inov-8 shoes, I can say that my past reviews still apply. I've pasted one below for whomever might find it helpful:==================
Shoes really matter, but not for the reasons most weekend warriors think. For example, if you spend a lot of time looking for high cushioning and support, or if you buy shoes because a sales guy at the running store put you on a treadmill and video your feet to show you how a certain shoe "corrects" your stride, you might be caught off-guard by the Inov-8 approach.
Here's why:
During recent decades, running shoes have been designed to help initially prevent injuries in poorly conditioned legs and feet by building shoes that replace natural body functions with artificial stabilization and extra cushioning. The resulting problem is that the person using those shoes initially becomes more aerobically fit and starts running faster and longer... without their feet and legs being structurally strengthened to handle the increased demand. Before long, the shoes can't continue to compensate for the fact that the person's feet and legs' inner structures simply aren't trained to handle the running. It's too-much too-soon meets too-little too-late. Consequently, painful "overuse" injuries (shinsplints, knee pain, back pain, stress fractures, tendonitis, fasciitis, etc.) are practically an inevitability for many well-intentioned and dedicated aspiring runners who take up jogging or join a cross country or track team.
A very large number of "overuse" injuries in otherwise healthy people result from a combination of two factors. 1) Weak/underused feet and leg structures, as described above; & 2) Bad running form it doesn't immediately hurt to run improperly on 2" of cushioning, but bad form will catch up to you as you increase mileage. Really, the problem isn't "overuse" so much as "use" when, thanks to laziness and bad shoes, critical parts of our bodies are only conditioned to "under-use".
The solution is to make the following transition: Stop running in shoes that put us on a cushy path to a painful destination and carefully learn to run in shoes that enable our bodies to run the way we were actually built to run. Most people are completely capable of much more running than you might think, but it takes a little work to correct years of under-use. This transition will require a little patience as you build the strength in your legs and feet to avoid injuries. It will also require learning to run with healthier running form, which is a lot easier on your body as well as more efficient for long distance.
Inov-8 shoes are designed to enable your foot, not to support it to the extent of replacing natural foot functions. In other words, if you are out of shape and decide to start running 20+ miles per week exclusively in this shoe, you are taking a risk. The shoes are designed for the runner who is making or has already made the transition as described above. Inov-8's entire product line is built on a minimalist philosophy. More and more runners and fitness buffs are realizing that the Inov-8 approach is, indeed, a better approach. (Not to mention a darned good shoe in terms of materials and quality as well as design.)
If you have not carefully transitioned to a minimalist running style and built up strong feet and legs for this type of shoe, a sudden switch could injure you. Take the transition slowly because your feet and legs need to get strong enough to actually do what they are built to do.
Inov-8 shoes are generally comfortable, very well built, and perfectly able to carry a fit runner through many hundreds, and even a thousand, happy miles. However, they do not replace under-used arches or compensate for pounding, heel-striking strides. (Contrary to popular myth, flat-footed runners can run just fine in these shoes if they get their feet and legs in shape. Flat feet are not the running liability many have been lead to believe. Ever watch world-class runner Haille Gebrselassie's stride? Talk about overpronation!)
How can I say all this? I have flat feet, terrible pronation, and am 6'3" tall. I ran four years of cross country in high school and was on the varsity squad for a state-championship team. The whole time, I fought miserable shinsplints, knee pain, and back pain. I popped Advil like tic-tacs. I loved the sport and ran relatively good 5K times but my chronic pain was bad enough to sideline me for all of track season senior year. Any time I increased my intensity or mileage, the problems got worse. Doctors were talking about "scar tissue" and "surgery". Well-meaning doctors told me to stop running. They said my body just wasn't made for it. Shoe-store employees continued to put me into higher support, more motion control, more cushioning to try and "correct" my feet and legs.
It wasn't until college that a former teammate (who is now a professional runner partially sponsored by Inov-8) explained the concept of minimalist running to me. Although I was in good aerobic condition, I spent a month resting and then the better part of three months carefully re-training from scratch, patiently overhauling my form to be more efficient, working my way into exclusively running in racing flats (Inov-8 wasn't available yet), and allowing my feet and legs to get much stronger and more flexible.
Since then, I run further and faster than ever before, with no more "overuse injury" bullcrap. My training mileage has at one point been greater than 90 miles per week. I have competed in a major marathon and placed in the top 4 in my age group. I have won a handful of smaller races. Better yet, I have not been injured or hurt ONCE since I made that transition to minimalist shoes and better running form. I haven't even owned a pair of traditional "trainer" shoes in over 9 years. (Much of my training is in an old pair of trashed racing flats with at least 1,500 miles on them. I prefer to use Inov-8 for more rugged terrain and tougher trails, where they excel, but they have models that make good trainers on almost any terrain. When my beloved racing flats finally die, I'll replace them with an Inov-8 racing model.)
I consider myself a "weekend warrior" and I am a far cry from an "elite" runner. Had I listened to the well-meaning doctors who told me I just wasn't built to run and should give it up, I would have stopped years ago. Inov-8 understands that we humans are literally built to be running machines. Their shoes don't get in the way of that. Run happy!
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