The Inov-8 Roclite 305 GTX for men is a trail shoe for diverse terrain. The shoes offer a lot of comfort and protection. No matter how varied and unpredictable the terrain is, the Roclite 305 provides a good grip, so you always walk with confidence. The buttons of the shoes have a Tri-C rubber compound and a shape in several directions. In combination with the full contact surface, this provides the right grip and quickly releases dirt. Pack volume: N / A Weight: 350 grams (size UK 10.5) Gender: Gentlemen Shoe type: Neutral Item group: Trail Colors: Black / Gray / Red Front foot height: 14.5 mm Heel height: 22.5 mm Offset: 8 mm

Promise

The INOV-8 brand was founded in 2003 and is one of the leading brands in the field of footwear, clothing, packs and other equipment for all-terrain running. INOV-8 operates in more than 60 countries worldwide. With pride, they can say that they are innovation products of excellent quality developments for all types of running and functional fitness. Inov-8 operates in the extremities of sports. You will find us in the world’s most demanding and adventurous conditions: all types of terrain, demanding conditions and hardcore workouts. How unpredictable too.

Test conditions

I bought the Roclite 305 GTX in February 2017. The purpose of the purchase was a trail/hiking course light packed through the Alps. It became the Tour du Mont Blanc of about 175 km. The trail was walking and where possible running was done. In preparation for this trip, I have been testing the Roclite 305 GTX for a long time and extensively. I did this, among other things, with multi-day bivouac tours in Belgium. The pack that I had with me during these trips weighed about 8 kg. So there was walking and running on the Roclite 305 GTX. During the sessions, the conditions were mostly good and mainly dry. The terrain was diverse and rugged. The route was about tracked and roughing. There were also some climbs in the course. In preparation, the Roclite 305 GTX had covered about 150 km.

Review

The shoe, or more precisely the INOV-8 brand can no longer surprise me. As a running/survival athlete, I have been using the trail shoes for many years. The Roclite 305 GTX has all promised features such as perfect grip in dry and wet conditions. The fit is good. Furthermore, this model (GTX) is equipped with the Gore-tex membrane. This makes the Roclite 305 GTX extremely suitable in wet conditions. Of course, every advantage also has its disadvantage. During warm conditions the shoe is warm, and if it has become wet during a wading, the Roclite 305 GTX dries badly due to the applied membrane. Where improvements can be achieved is the stability of the Roclite 305 GTX. A balance had to be made between weight and comfort. I was indeed aware of this, but given my goal, I needed a stable shoe. The Roclite 305 GTX was very disappointing to me regarding stability during my test sessions. It has not changed my image about INOV-8, but this was apparently not the right shoe for my intended goal.

Fit

The fit of the shoe is excellent. The Roclite 305 GTX encloses the footwell and has enough room to move. The Roclite 305 GTX is a lightweight trail shoe and feels like a competition shoe.

Material

The material of which the Roclite 305gtx is made is lightweight. This makes the Roclite 305gtx feel like a competition shoe. The Roclite 305gtx is a waterproof shoe with the Gore-Tex membrane. Here you do not notice anything in the weight or flexibility of the shoe.

Pros

• lightweight
• good fit
• rough profile
• good grip

Cons

• relatively expensive
• stability

Short conclusion

I would not buy the shoe for the aforementioned purpose or an equivalent company. I would recommend him as a walking shoe on even surfaces, beaten paths and Dutch soil. As a competition shoe during wet field races may be fine but not tested.