Of all the gear I've had, my Roclite 243s have got to be my favourite. I loved the 6mm drop model, the 295s, but with 3mm drop giving them better ground feel and making them lighter again they just work for me and have been used on almost every trail long run and event since I bought them in May 2014. Having said that, they're not without faults, but faults I'm willing to tolerate given what they've allowed me to do.
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| 2014 model, size UK 10.5 @ 750km |
Specifications
Weight: 243g (UK size 8)
Drop: 3mm (heel vs. toe height difference)
Footbed: 6mm (base sole cushion height)
Tread Type: Moderately aggressive trail
Initial Impressions
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| 2013 model, size UK 10 @ 1100km |
Coming from the 295 model with a higher heel (6mm drop) and more cushioning, the difference was immediately obvious. While they initially beat up my feet more than the 295s, the ground feel was better again and allowed much greater proprioception, especially on technical terrain. The reduced drop allows an easier fore-foot strike, with all the benefits and disadvantages associated with that (essentially better shock absorption without injury, but requires slow adaptation to let the calves and other support lower leg muscles adapt to the increased work load). The first run I took them out on was urban trail, so fairly flat and no technical but the flew! They felt lighter and more controlled. Definitely felt it in my legs though.
Long Runs
My first long run I hit in them was out through Anglesea on the Surf Coast Century course, taking in a variety of technical, urban trail and even sand. They handled all surfaces well, but I could tell I would need much better strength in my calves and lighter, more controlled, form to reduce the impact on my feet. Having said that, they were a joy to run in and I couldn't bring myself to wear the 295s even with the additional cushioning they offered.
Issues
The first issue I struck was the adaptation required to 3mm drop, but I don't expect this is unique to the shoe. Once I'd adapted (took almost 6 months coming from 6mm drop for me) then this was no longer an issue and I can run 100km / 12+ hours without any trouble at all. The first real test was only about two and a half months after I got them when I ran the You Yangs Hardcore 100 mile. They worked brilliantly throughout the event but I developed top of foot pain in my left foot from 100km onward, but not enough to stop me (although 2 weeks after the event). This hasn't happened since.
The second issue, which is the only issue that I still have with them, is the impact on my feet, particularly in the heels. This is worse over trail with lots of small-ish rocks, and particularly apparent on descents with these. I've slammed my heel into a few rocks and left them bruised for a week or two afterwards. This seems to be improving as I adjust my technique to stay lighter on my heels and as my heels adapt to the punishment they've been taking.
Durability
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Sole of 2013 Roclites (again @ 1100km)
Note the grip is still there, but rounding off & a little uneven. |
These shoes, like all Inov-8 gear I've used so far, have been built to last. The first pair I had I logged over 1150km in them and only retired them as the grip was starting to lose its edge. Still perfectly runnable and no rips, tears or other problems with the upper. My second pair are now on over 700km and tracking along well with the same performance. I do find the inner sole slips around a little in the newer revision than the previous model, but it's never caused any problems while running. Even the tread wears down very slowly and seemingly fairly evenly.
Summary
Overall, these shoes are brilliant for anyone looking for a light, but not extreme, shoe that has plenty of grip and won't need replacing every few hundred kms. I would suggest that anyone considering these, or probably any minimal shoe, should work on increasing their cadence and strengthening their calves ideally before transitioning to them, and phase them in before your previous shoe is done. As they are precision fit, I also went up half a size in the second pair to spare my toenails. The grip is outstanding and although it is true that you can run most of the trails along the Surf Coast, You Yangs, etc. fairly well in road shoes, I love moving fast on technical and descents and that is where they really hold their own. They provide traction not only to allow a firm hold to push off and for braking, but the noticeable difference even over the Trailrocs is the sideways traction which means you can take corners at great speed.
While I'd give them a 5 out of 5 out of the shoes I've worn so far, Inov-8 keeps delivering great products and I expect that some of their newer models (like the Terraclaw) may be even better, perhaps with the same feel but better traction. So I give them a 4.5 - they've never let me down and I've always felt comfortable that they're the right choice for any trail.
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