The design of this shoe is best described a hybrid of the slightly heavier x-talon 212 and the F-Lite series from the inov-8 line, taking the best of each shoe and resulting in the most comfortable trail running shoe I have ever put on my feet. I love flashy colors in footwear, so the candy-apple red color of these shoes was right up my alley. From the minute I took them out of the box, I was amazed at how light they were at less than 7 ounces for my size 12.
This shoe has a 1-arrow cushion (Shoc-Zone), which ranks as the as the lowest on the 1 to 4 scale that inov-8 produces for trail shoes. I have been wearing the 2-arrow x-talon’s for most of my running at distances under a marathon, so this was an easy switch to the 190. When I put them on, I could tell how low my foot was to the ground, yet in a stable position. These shoes have a 9mm heel and a 6mm forefoot height, resulting in only a 3mm differential drop. My test run was on the ultra-rocky and technical trails of Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville Alabama, at the foot of the Appalachian Mountain Plateau. Just like it’s big brother the 212, I was able to feel the rocks and roots as my foot would flex over them. That has always been my favorite attribute of these shoes; the fact that they are so flexible, allowing my foot to roll over trail obstacles naturally, as opposed to a plastic plate in the forefoot, that makes competitor shoes rigid and stiff.
I tried different paces and different inclines on the test run to simulate all facets of the footsktrike from the heel to midfoot to forefoot on the climbs. Each time I was amazed at how light I felt on my feet, yet having enough protection on my foot where I was never concerned about what I was stepping on. The aggressive lugs on the bottom seem to perfectly positioned as to not produce any hotspots while allowing you to evenly distribute your weight over the entire shoe. I also tested the sticky rubber compound on the lugs by running over some wet rocks and each time they stuck solidly with zero slippage. I was able to step on any surface including slanted rocks coated in moss with confidence that not only would I not slide, but I was also able to push off without any slip.
I really like that the tongue and heel collar are padded, providing some support for the foot in these areas. Some racing flats eliminate this padding to reduce weight but inov-8 has found a way to maintain it, while keeping the weight low.
I was a little concerned that I would have some trouble fitting into this narrow-looking shoe with my wide forefoot, but after wearing them, I found the material on the lateral seemed to expand slightly with my foot and did not put any uncomfortable constriction on my occasionally painful 5th metatarsal. I ordered the same size as I had been wearing for the x-talon 212’s and Roclite 295’s. I found that they were a little long and I probably could have gone down a half size. I probably would not wear these for a technical ultra marathon where I would worry about my feet swelling and I certainly am not going to replace the footbed with an insert, so the 11.5's might have been a better choice. The only issue with the sizing is that I had to cinch down the laces to where the uppers almost meet in the middle but this wasn't a problem.
Over the years I have gradually worked my way down through the inov-8 line from the highest cushioned shoes now down to one of the lightest. This has been a change for me that required a few years to transition my body and get my feet used to less and less. I would recommend these shoes to anyone who has been wearing the Roclite 295’s or similar and looking to make the transition to a lighter weight trail or cross country racing shoe. While I went through the 212 first, since they are somewhat similar, you probably could make the jump right to the 190’s. I plan to use this shoe at for high intensity, short distance trail racing across all types of terrain.
Now that I have the 190’s at my disposal, I feel like I have a full arsenal of inov-8’s for any distance and any terrain. Ever since I opened the box, it has been Christmas evert day for my feet!