ProView – Inov-8 Parkclaw G 280

The Inov-8 Parkclaw G 280 boasts of being a “do-it-all” running shoe – able to eat up road miles, climb steep trails, and even leap tall buildings in a single bound. The Parkclaw just might be that quiver-of-one running shoe that you’ve been waiting for. So is this shoe a jack of all trades or a master of none?

I was psyched to start running in this shoe because I felt like it encapsulated me as a runner. I live in a small mountain town in Southern Appalachia where there are a dozen or so trails or old logging roads within 2 miles of my front door. And I’ve always hated the idea of running somewhere in order to run there. So I was excited to try this shoe out and see if it really was some sort of magic bullet.

Fit/Comfort 

The upper of the shoe is great! It’s a little heavy but breathes well and laces up nice and tight without hurting the top of your foot. The only real issue I have with the shoe is with the fit. The shoe is wide enough everywhere except in the toes. My second to last toe (is a ring toe a thing like a ring finger) rubs against the upper. It’s not that bad, no blisters after 100 miles of running, but I wish it was a little wider. To be fair to Inov-8 I do have quite a wide toe box and typically wear Altras. 

Look/Style

I really like the way these look. I grabbed the Nectar/Navy combo and think it looks really nice, and sheds dirt and mud really well.

Features

The grip that these shoes can get with relatively low profile lugs is insane! I don’t have a clue what Graphene is but that junk works. The grip is unreal and the durability of the rubber is crazy. A lot of my running has been done between road and gravel, and if I scrubbed these just a little the soles would look brand new.

Weight/Packability

The weight on these is fine. They are under 10 oz. so they aren’t heavy, but if you are looking for a tempo shoe or some super lightweight trail racer, look elsewhere. I’d like to point out, however, that under 10 oz. for a shoe that runs well on roads, shreds trails, and will last longer than any other shoe you have is pretty stinkin’ good.

Durability/Construction

A+, 10 out of 10, Gold Star, whatever award is given for durability these shoes win it. This has the durability of a boot with the agility of a good, swift trail-runner. I think Graphene might be a not-so-distant cousin of Vibranium or something.

Function/Performance

This is the stuff that really matters. Does this shoe deliver on its promises? In my humble opinion this shoe is not a road shoe, but to be fair I don’t think that is its purpose. The Parkclaw G280 is a trail shoe, let’s be clear on this. Don’t buy this shoe as your next daily trainer road runner. What the Parkclaw is, is an excellent trail shoe that sacrifices none of its burly grip and toughness to be an acceptable shoe to wear on your way to the trail. This may sound like a dis, but I mean it as a great compliment. And I’ll say it one more time for the people in the back, Graphene is a magical grippy substance that will last forever.

The Final Word

This shoe’s job is to get you from the pavement to the dirt and that it does better than any shoe I’ve ever run in. I’ve run in road shoes that can do ok on a well manicured trail, but I’ve never run in trail shoes that perform well on the road. The Parkclaw is a killer trail shoe that I plan on wearing for most of my trail runs until it falls apart (which will probably be a very long time), and I’ll be wearing it on the 2 mile jog from my front door to the trails as well.

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