Pete Fraser Fitness reviews – if it gets our thumbs up – it’s good!
Inov-8 mudclaw 275 review
It’s sometimes difficult to get round to trying all the new products and clothing on the market. To help you, Pete Fraser Fitness have selected their choice favourites to save you the trouble.
Sit back and relax in the comfort we’ve put these garments and accessories through their paces, in the gym and on the hill!
At Pete Fraser Fitness we love running! We stretch our legs on roads, trail and especially fell – you’ll find us running in Mayfair and the mountains! If you fancy a change from roads or trail you’re going to need to swap those road shoes for some full on fell shoes if you want to stay on your feet! Here’s our pick of performance all terrain shoes.
The Run
Dry day in the West Cotswolds: muddy fields, woods, rock and of course hills! A 10 mile circular trod from The Duntisbournes to Syde and back. The new Inov-8 275`s were put through their paces.
The Shoe
Inov-8 Mudclaw 275 – Off Road Shoe
Called “the most agile trial running shoe on the market” And we’d probably agree. They fit snugly at the heel but still provide lots of toe room. The shoe is fairly well cushioned and takes heel or toe strikes on rock well.
The grip is good, especially on soft ground and surprisingly on slippy limestone. However, we do not agree with Inov-8`s direct quote: “releases mud as quickly and efficiently as it grips to it”, er, sorry Inov-8, no it doesn’t! We agree with the `stick-to` griping part but unfortunately the releasing bit did not follow. In fact, on the virgin outing, on the 1st muddy field the 275’s held onto an impressive amount of mud. So much so that we thought there was an allotments worth of mud sticking firmly to each shoe!
Ascending
On ascent, the shoe moves well. When up on the toes enough grip is available to generate forward momentum on wet grass, tree roots and mud, the upper is supportive on the foot. Ascending rocks, the studs grip well too, even on limestone!
Descending
Fast, confident, light and fun descending was had on wet grass and limestone. The heal digs in with securely when needed and flat sole contact rarely slides. There is good grip in direction changes through the descent.
Flat running – fast
Flat running on tracks was surprisingly fast and supportive. This is not the shoe for flat speed but coped well when forced.
Overall review
A light and comfortable shoe with excellent grip and positioning. Although we did not test on it we think this would make a good shoe on hard rocky terrain. Due to the level of comfort it would also make a good endurance shoe. Just remember to stay out of those muddy fields!
8.0 out of 10!
Technical features of the mudclaw 275:
Fit Scale:1
Drop: 4mm
Footbed: 6mm
Lug Depth: 8mm
Midsole: EXTEROFLOW
Midsole Stack: Heel 10mm / Forefoot 6mm
Shank: 3rd Gen META-PLATE
Sole CompoundSTICKYGRIP
Weight 275g / 9.625oz
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