Customer Reviews INOV8 F-Lite™ 195

First time ever ordering shoes on line. Seemed like I just placed the order, walked outside and UPS was handing them to me. Love them, love the colors, love the fit. Love the energy from the site.

I absolutely adore these shoes! Unfortunately I had to return them due to being slightly big (I ordered a half size larger than normal after reading some reviews to order a half size up. But I guess it really depends on the brand). Looking very forward to them being back in stock so i can order true to size. Very comfortable

I have 3 pair of the 195's 2 black and white and 1 blue and white...best shoe every until the 230 came along...I have 2 pair of the 230's black white and red...The Spartan colors for my branding logo and banners and signs and clothing...I own a personal training studio in Chandler AZ, Spartan Training. I stand all day sometimes for 14 hours...I probably have 20 pairs of shoes because I am always looking for something that will help me to stand long hours...Both of my ankles have been broken and I lost 30% range of motion in both so needless to say I have blood pooling because the ankles have to move a certain way to allow blood to pump up to the next valve in the veins...so I live with a lot of pain in both legs...Thank you inov-8 your shoes have helped to minimize the pain in my ankles and legs...The closest thing to barefoot and that for me is comfort...I cannot tolerate a shoe with an arch and so inov-8 is perfect for me...

These shoes are simply great! The size is true. The fit is comfortable and they are really light (it feels like I am not wearing shoes at all). I work out in a gym and also on a track including crossfit exercises. Get 'em!

Received the shoes on July 4th, 2012 (took about 8 days give or take via snail mail to Iraq). I use them about 6 days a week, which includes running, weight lifting and cross fit type work outs. I also just use them to walk around in as they are very comfortable once you get use to them. It does take a couple weeks to break in your calves and get your lower leg muscles used too, definitely not for those who are easily discouraged (I recommend using a massage ball or something similar during the break in period to help with the tenderness). Size wise, I normally wear a size 10R in the Asics (Gel- Kayano 17), so I gambled on a size 9.5 with the F-lite 195. The fit was fairly accurate, width wise was perfect and I still had about 1/2" or less big toe space while wearing socks. The best thing about these shoes is you'll immediately notice how much more stable your body alignment is when doing squats, dead-lifts or any standing press type exercise. Awesome shoe!

Love these shoes! I had a pair of F-Lite 195's in another color; when they wore out I bought this pair. I wear a women's size 9 and bought a men's 7.5. They fit very well overall with plenty of space in the toe box.

Great Minimal lightweight shoe. Looks cool too!

Awesome shoes, primarily used for CrossFit. The shoes didn't require any break in time and were significantly better than traditional running shoes right off the bat. I found that a half size smaller is the ideal fit, so keep that in mind.

I have been running in these for about four weeks. This is my first pair of minimalist shoes, so I really do not have anything else to compare them against. I am still transitioning to this style of running, as well. I really like these shoes. They fit completely differently from any other shoes that I have ever worn. They are form-fitting, but comfortable. After my run, these shoes are fine for doing my weight lifting workout, as well. I like the style and they are very light weight. So far, so good.

Love these shoes. I crossFit with these shoes and have total support. My balance and agility improved notably.

Very light weight and comfortable. I wear size 11 Adidas, so I ordered 10.5 in this shoe and they fit very nicely.

Fantastic shoes! Great for crossfit and running and held up well in a race that involved a lot of mud. Highly recommend these.

Great CrossFit shoe. If you aren't used to running in a flat shoe - bring your running shoes with you to the box. These fit a bit big - go a size smaller. Great shoe for squatting, lifting and everything that CrossFit has to offer.

The f-lite 195 is the best running shoe I have ever had, taking my workout to a whole new level. I also hiked up several volcanos in Ecuador in these shoes and they performed beautifully and took up very little luggage space. Great shoe.

Have heard how great these shoes are for crossfit. I've been wearing Vibrams and thought I'd give these a try. Really like them. Bought them a bit big so I can run in them too, but haven't tried them for a run yet.

Wow! Zappos is amazing! I ordered these on deployment in Kuwait, I got them in my hand 5 days later! Unreal! The inov-8's are amazing - the day I got them I took 'em to the gym and weighed them: they really do only weigh 7 ounces! Thankfully, I listened to other reviews about these, because I was really not keen on ordering shoes without trying them on, but I went a half size lower than my regular shoes, and these fit just perfectly. Plus, like others said, they really do end up forming to your foot anyway. A great buy, an amazing company, a new favorite crossfit training shoe! Now I've gotta get the blue ones. Thank you, Zappos!

Great shoes for crossfit! I have definitely seen and improvement in my squats. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an all-around gym shoe.

The best, minimal shoe you can get. Big toebox (no black toenails) Super grippy and durable, yet minimal sole. Low heel for proper footstrike. Plus it now comes in like a bazillion colors! If you are transitioning from a big cushy trail or road shoe, switch back and forth and keep your miles low to condition your feet and calves for the change. Less is more! Better trail running with less shoe! Walk before you can run and all.

This is my first Inov-8 shoe and I love it, great flexibility. This shoe provides great cushioning despite it's light weight. Had to size a half size up since my normal size fit snug.

These fit wonderfully. Just don't tighten the shoe laces to tight. You might end up with some numb toes. But otherwise they fit my feet like a glove and are wonderful for walking and running! Really cute too.

Just received these shoes after having to get full size smaller. Look and feel are incredible. Very light and flexible. I will be using these for crossfit and will update after workout.

These shoes are awesome. Just remember they run big by a half size. Very light, breathable, and great for Crossfit.

This is my second pair of F-lite 195's. Love them. They are the perfect shoe for crossfit and so comfortable to wear for casual use. The best running flat around.

One line summary: This is an amazing shoe, even for trail running but only if you have a neutral stance and good form. Short summary: Crazy stylish and comfortable shoe. Very light and low to the ground (something that I personally really enjoy). Only buy if you have a neutral stance (i.e. don't under/over-pronate). No arch support whatsoever, but that's the point of this kind of shoe. Full description of my experience: I began running about six months ago, the first three months in Vibram Five Fingers, during which time I got my body accustomed to a forefoot strike and shorter strides. I love the feeling of having very little weight on my feet while running, and for me there's a primal pleasure in running with as few modern amenities as possible (e.g. supportive shoes, headphones, etc) so I can focus simply on the act itself. It was this sentiment -- as well as the great reviews -- that led me to buy the F-Lite 195's. I ran in them for the last three months, and loved every minute of it until around three weeks ago when I developed quite of bit of pain in my right ankle and right hip. The pain would come on about 2 miles into my run, and a few times was bad enough that I had to stop my run short and limp back to the car. Not fun. I went to a sports medicine doctor who did x-rays of my hips and legs, and luckily he did not find any bone injuries (e.g. stress fractures). He gave me some over-the-counter orthotics (something I absolutely despise), referred me to a physical therapist, and sent me to have a video analysis done of my running technique. I ran in the 195's with the orthotics, and while the pain was slightly alleviated, it was nowhere near enough of an improvement. The physical therapist determined that I have a neutral stance on my left foot, pronation on my right (the leg where the pain was), and that my right leg is slightly shorter than my left. He concluded that the pronation results from my leg length discrepancy, that the discrepancy is contributing to my hip pain, and that the design of the shoes is causing the pronation to hurt my ankle. The video analysis of my gait confirmed this theory. While the pedorthist (footwear specialist) administering the analysis said that I have a very healthy forefoot strike technique both barefoot as well as in the Vibrams, the Inov-8's lack of rigid structure are causing them to collapse inward as I pronate, and that this motion is contributing to the pain I have been experiencing. I was really bummed out about this, because up until this all happened, I was head over heels in love with these shoes. Unfortunately, I will not be wearing them for running any more. I will be using either Vibrams full-time (while being very aware of my technique, to try to compensate for my pronation), or buying something with *gulp* more support. The pedorthist gave me a lift to put under the heel beneath the insole of my old Brooks running shoes to compensate for my leg length discrepancy, and the pain is completely gone. Unfortunately it looks like the Inov-8's were contributing to my injury. In summary, if you have a neutral stance and good technique, by all means get these shoes. You will absolutely not be disappointed. If you, however, over-pronate or under-pronate, or have any other bio-mechanical issue that may be exacerbated by wearing a shoe that leaves you to do all the work, then please think twice or you may injure yourself.