Customer Reviews inov-8 Bare-Grip™ 200
Write A ReviewRating Summmary:
37
37 total reviewsReview Breakdown:
76%5Rated 5 stars out of 5
5%4Rated 4 stars out of 5
5%3Rated 3 stars out of 5
11%2Rated 2 stars out of 5
3%1Rated 1 star out of 5
Customer Fit Survey:
82%"Felt true to size"
65%"Felt true to width"
65%"No arch support"
Additional Reviews
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Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort3Rated 3 stars out of 5
Style1Rated 1 star out of 5
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Poor SupportGreat Support
For my narrow foot, these shoes are phenomenal. I can see why some of the other reviewers would have issue getting these on due to being slightly narrower than a normal D width, but once you have them on....oh man. I found myself running up crazy 40 degree (angle) hills without any slippage. You do, however, feel every little rock you step on and that's the only downside for me.
Flabz M, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
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Poor SupportGreat Support
I got this shoe to use in USPSA competition. Most of the other competitors are wearing cleats which get uncomfortable standing around for 4-6 hours. These are great. They are comfortable for long periods of time and don't slip, even on wet grass.
Anonymous, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
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Poor SupportGreat Support
I'm a hiker, not a runner, so factor that into my comments. My normal Inov-8 size is 10 1/2 but I wound up getting these at size 10, partially because I wanted to wear very thin socks. They are significantly narrower than the X-Talon 190, but closer to the Roclite 285 or X-Talon 212.
They feature a close-to-the-ground feel similar to the X-Talon 190, though Inov-8 suggests it should be more minimalist. The construction seems relatively rugged for a light shoe. The sole wraps up to protect much of the toe area and wraps up to provide more arch support than I expected. The shoes are a bit heavier than marked; my UK size 9 runs 245+ grams. I'd expect the reference size UK 8.5 to weigh 220 grams. A light shoe but where Inov-8 makes the claimed weight part of the model name, the real weight should be closer. The aggressive lugs will probably be useful on some terrain but I wish they were a bit more subdued.
Frank H, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
Incredibly comfortable right out of the box. Super grippy and great for trail running/hiking. Just back from a hike with hardpack, mud & some scree - these shoes handled it all, making me feel like a mountain goat! Get some!
Anonymous, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
Used these shoes for a tough mudder event. Worked very well. Water and mud were not a issue for these shoes. Only down side and every shoe would have this problem, small rocks would collect inside the shoe. But over all very satisfied with the trail run ability of this shoe.
Joel B, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
Runs SmallRuns Large
I love the shoe, but decided to return them as soon as I tried them on. I'm trying to find a minimal trail shoe that has a roomy toe box - to allow the toes to splay properly (see page 6 of this article: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=25710). These inov-8 bare-grip 200's are very nice, but have a rather narrow toe-box. I did some research before ordering these, but could not find any information about the fit of the tow-box.
Michael S, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
I love these shoes. I'm trying to prepare for a Spartan Race and where regular (good) sneakers have caused problems getting up and down steep rock and dirt hills, these shoes make it effortless. They've been great for climbing up rocks with ropes. You can feel their stickiness just walking on a wood floor.
Lauren, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Comfort5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Style5Rated 5 stars out of 5
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
Love these shoes. I'm training for a Spartan Race and where regular sneakers have failed to help me up and down steep rock inclines and climbing up rocks, these shoes have made it a breeze. They help me exert less effort just trying to get to where I'm going.
Lauren, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Comfort4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Style4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
I have been an avid long distance runner most of my life. On average I run an hour a day. The last few years I have enjoyed trail running and running on the beach. This is why I bought these shoes. I really like the grip of these shoes. They are very lightweight and overall they fit well. I have a bit of a wider foot and I had read some reviews that suggested that this may be a problem, but for the most part they fit fine. There is one problem though. These shoes have no structure to the sole. They are extremely thin and flexible which gives you that barefoot experience, but if you get into any rocks you will feel it. I bought these shoes about 3 weeks ago and now I can't use them. I hit too many rocks in the upper center of my left foot, and now it is swollen up. It's like I have a blister under a callous. I am back to running on my Asics gels, for the time being until it clears up. Maybe by then my feet will toughen up and I will be able to enjoy the shoes more.
I'd also recommend:
La Sportiva
Jaw B, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall3Rated 3 stars out of 5
Comfort3Rated 3 stars out of 5
Style1Rated 1 star out of 5
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
I LOVE these shoes! With these shoes on my feet I feel confident running up and down almost everything that the Colorado Rocky Mountains can throw at me. They grip just as well in muddy, wet conditions as they do in dry sandy conditions. I've worn these shoes for steep hill sprints and long (20+ mile) runs with decent elevation gain. They are truly minimalist shoes so you feel every rock, root, and pebble under your feet, but a cushioned pair of socks makes them comfortable no matter what the distance.
Anonymous, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall3Rated 3 stars out of 5
Comfort2Rated 2 stars out of 5
Style2Rated 2 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
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Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
The problem with those shoes is that they are very narrow in the toe box. I am a woman with skinny feet and my toes get all tight together. But so far, they are the closest to barefoot and claw shoes that I have found. They work great on mud, snow and ice.
I'd also recommend:
Merrell
Luciep, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.
Overall2Rated 2 stars out of 5
Comfort1Rated 1 star out of 5
Style4Rated 4 stars out of 5
Verified Purchase
Runs SmallRuns Large
Runs NarrowRuns Wide
Poor SupportGreat Support
I was looking forward to trying these shoes after switching to barefoot (Merrell) awhile back. The Bare-Grip 200s were way too narrow in the toe-box, a bit long for the sizing, and generally uncomfortable. The worst part was the heel counter - even with socks around the house, I could feel a hot-spot developing, something that didn't happen at all with Merrell. I think it's just a mis-match between how my foot is shaped and the Innov-8 last, but while I could wear my Merrells all day long right out of the box, the Innov-8s went right back into the box. Also, while I'm sure they would feel very grippy in muddy conditions, on dry terrain I think the outsole is too aggressive. I felt like I was wearing a pair of cleats.
I'd also recommend:
Merrell
Paul K, Zappos Customer,
0 found this review helpful.