ProView – Inov-8 Women’s Parkclaw 275
The Parcklaw 275 is the perfect hybrid shoe that easily transitions from road to trail in a single run. It’s become the go-to shoe for charging up my local butte in Bend, Oregon. From my front door I’m easily able to run the one mile paved road to the base of Pilot Butte, then make my way up the 500ft rocky dirt trail to the summit and repeat as many times as needed before heading home.
Inov-8 Women's Parkclaw 275
Product Description: The PARKCLAW 275 is the perfect shoe for runners wanting to run on paths and trails, or those looking to make a transition from road running to trail running. It performs superbly on both terrains, and features an aggressive outsole for increased grip.
Offer price: MSRP: $135.00
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Quality
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Features
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Durability
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Fit
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Friendliness to the Earth
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Summary
The Parkclaw 275 transitions easily from road running to trail running with its thoughtful design. Taking the best of both running worlds, the Parkclaw 275 combines the lightweight, cushioned feel of a road shoe with the grippy outsole of a trail shoe to create a winning combination that is a great option for many runners.
Overall
4Pros
- Lightweight
- Flexible and comfortable on both road and trail
Cons
- Not enough cushion or lugs for longer more technical trail runs
Features
Inov-8 created the Parclaw 275 with both trail and road running in mind. The outsole has a trail-style stud pattern for increased grip on trails while being low profile enough not to catch on flatter surfaces when running sidewalks or roads. Having a shoe that can transition easily from road to trail solves one of the constant dilemmas for runners like myself who often find themselves covering mixed terrain in a single run. There are many runs throughout the week that I don’t have time to drive to a trailhead. In those instances, I’m often left running from my house on the pavement to get to a local trail. Choosing shoes in this scenario can be tricky as traditional road shoes don’t have the proper outsole needed for grip on rocky trail terrain and traditional trail shoes typically have aggressive outsole lugs that can cause tripping while running on flat, firm surfaces. The Parclaw 275 quickly became my go-to shoe for all in-town runs. Knowing that I could easily go from my front doorstep to hopping on any number of the local trails in town without worrying about my footwear was such a relief. With a full-time job and packed training schedule, these types of “mixed runs” happen more often than not.
Overall, the Parkclaw 275 was a comfortable and lightweight shoe that was best for shorter trail/road runs in town. The shoe was comfortable and I never experienced hot spots or blisters. However, I did experience calf and foot soreness during my longer runs. I believe this was due to the smaller amount of cushion and higher 8mm drop than I’m used to. For context, I’ve been running in an ultra-cushioned shoe with a 4mm drop so this could just be a personal preference. The durable upper material held up great over time with no fraying and little to no dirt/dust transfer to the inside of the shoe. As a runner in the High Desert of Central Oregon, dust is a big issue so anytime I find a shoe that keeps dust out it is a big win! While the lugs are great for well maintained, easy trails I wouldn’t recommend them for some of the rockier more extreme terrains. The studs on the outsole didn’t provide enough grip or stability for the volcanic rock and alpine terrain during my long runs. That’s just one of the minor benefits you lose by creating a shoe that can easily transition from road to trail.
The Final Word
The Parkclaw 275 transitions easily from road running to trail running with its thoughtful design. Taking the best of both running worlds, the Parkclaw 275 combines the lightweight, cushioned feel of a road shoe with the grippy outsole of a trail shoe to create a winning combination that is a great option for many runners. It is an excellent choice for the beginner trail runner and the perfect fit for the busy intermediate and advanced trail runner who needs a shoe to get them from their doorstep to their home trail.
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About the Gear Tester
Dani Reese
Dani Reese is a midwestern lightning bug based in Sawtooth City, Idaho. She is the Community Manager at Ruffwear, an outdoor performance dog gear company based in Bend, Oregon. Dani is passionate about dog adoption and creating community wherever she goes. In addition to more than 10 years of professional marketing, Dani brings a deep passion and authentic approach to each person and project she meets. These days you can find her trail running, backpacking, and skiing with her pinecone obsessed dog, Vilas. You can follow their adventures on Instagram at @danioutdoors.
