Latest revision as of 16:30, 30 January 2016

The Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 is an excessively firm shoe, and provides relatively little cushioning for its weight. While it could be considered relatively light weight in comparison with many of the shoes, I believe you can do much better, either getting vastly more cushioning for the same weight, with the same cushioning for a vastly lower weight. If you want a shoe that provides a little protection from stones, such as running on gravel roads, without much in the way of cushioning, then you could give the 220 a try. The other aspects of the 220 are reasonable but not outstanding. For instance, the outsole uses materials and technology that could have been put to much better use. I rate the 220 as "Worth Considering". (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 top	Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 outside
Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 bottom	Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 inside

1 Characteristics

• Cushioning . The biggest problem with the RoadXTreme 220 is its lack of cushioning. The midsole foam is firm to the point of being hard. It offers similar levels of cushioning to the original New Balance RC5000, and the RoadXTreme 220 weighs more than twice as much. The comparison with that the updated New Balance RC5000v2 is even more brutal; the RoadXTreme 220 is twice as heavy but far less cushioned. Rather strangely, there's more cushioning in the forefoot than the heel, something I've rarely found in running shoes. If you look at just the forefoot cushioning, then the RoadXTreme 220 is not quite as bad, but still provides less cushioning than shoes like the Asics Gel Hyper Speed that way much less. To be fair, Inov-8 does advertise this as a minimally cushioned shoe, which is fine if the weight reflected the lack of cushioning. I've also noticed a certain degree of unevenness in the forefoot, as the midsole is thinner where the harder rubber outsole patches are located. This didn't cause me any problems on the shorter runs, but over longer distances it could be an issue.
• Drop. The RoadXTreme 220 has only 3mm of drop when worn, which is close enough to zero-drop that you probably won't notice.
• Structure. The RoadXTreme 220 has a single density of foam is nice and simple, without any attempt to interfere with natural foot movement.
• Flexibility. The RoadXTreme 220 is a nicely flexible for shoe, in spite of their "Dynamic Fascia Band." This technology is intended to replicate the fascia of the foot and create a ""windlass effect", but I couldn't detect any difference in practice. There is a little bit of spring at toe off, but no more than any other comparable shoe. I suspect there DF B does not extend far enough forward to have any meaningful effect, as it terminates under the ball of the foot.
• Outsole. The outsole is made of a variety of materials. If you look at the image above of the bottom of the shoe, then the white spots are hard rubber lugs that provide excellent traction on asphalt. These are a great idea, but are badly positioned, especially the lugs on the outside which are not going to be in contact at toe off. The black patch at the rear of the heel is a hard rubber outsole, but there are also patches of harder rubber that are color matched to the midsole. You can see them as the areas that are divided into squares on the picture above. This gives the RoadXTreme 220 some abrasion resistant material over pretty much all the contact surface.
• Shape. The shoe is does not match the shape of the human foot, so the toe box needs to be cut open for comfort. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
  
  

  The 220 is half way between a shoe designed for a human and a shoe designed for a mutant with a their big toe in the middle.
• Upper. The upper is an open mesh over most of the shoe, but a little thicker around the heel. There is no padding in the upper except for around the ankle opening. The apartment above the midfoot has some transparent plastic reinforcement bands, but these didn't cause me any problems.
• Tongue. The RoadXTreme 220 has a traditional tongue with tabs for the laces to hold it in position. The tongue has some reasonable padding.
• Lacing. The laces are thin and slightly rounded, but I had no problem with them coming undone.
• Heel Counter. The Heel Counter is quite innocuous, and is unlikely to cause much of a problem.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 IV at Zappos Buy Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 IV at Road Runner Sports Buy Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 IV at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 IV at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220

How Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Inov-8 RoadXTreme 220 compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
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