Inov-8 F-Lite Max Review: Formed, Fitted, Functional

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Inov-8 F-Lite Max

CHAD: When in doubt, find yourself a niche and dive in with both feet. My first niche here with Believe in the Run was being the Clydesdale reviewer for running shoes, providing all the info that big guys and gals need about what to expect when lacing up for their miles. More recently, I’ve started developing a new role for myself as the go-to reviewer for cross-training and gym shoes. So welcome everybody, to Believe in the Lift… too derivative? Yeah, I think so, too. I’ll keep brainstorming.

I’ve recently been spending five to six days per week doing something that most runners should do but don’t: strength training. In addition to my usual three or four runs per week, I’ve been hitting the weights and hitting them hard, resulting in some pretty positive body composition changes. Given how much time I’ve been spending in the gym, I figured that I would be able to provide some solid insights into the performance of cross-training shoes, such as the Inov-8 F-Lite Max.

I first saw pictures of the F-Lite Max in my Instagram feed and really wanted to put it through the wringer, so here it is. Inov-8 says that the F-Lite Max is versatile enough to handle heavy lifting, functional fitness (i.e., CrossFit, Hyrox, HIIT), and cardio, so let’s see if that’s true.

What we like about the Inov-8 F-Lite Max

CHAD: Inov-8’s F-Lite Max definitely fits the bill as a do-it-all gym trainer. It has what Inov-8 calls a Boomerang footbed, which is similar to what you’d find in shoes from Altra or Topo Athletic. That means it has an anatomically shaped footbed, which provides your toes all the room they need to splay out for those heavy leg day movements like squats and deadlifts. I also found that when doing movements like lunges or calf raises, the way the shoe mirrors the shape of the foot makes that exercise feel much more natural and stable in the forefoot.

Speaking of stability, the F-Lite Max sits on a midsole of PowerFlow Max (enough Max, anyone?), which meets my expectations for a gym shoe. It claims to be cushioned for comfort yet rigid for stability, and the blend of those elements, along with a very secure upper and TPU heel stabilizer, provides all the protection I need to lift confidently. I also felt that the flexibility of the shoe, which comes from an outsole that has a groove under the fat pad of the foot, lends itself well to dynamic movements like step-ups and box jumps.

What we don’t like about the Inov-8 F-Lite Max

CHAD: My biggest gripe with the F-Lite Max is that the laces are extraordinarily long. Even with a double-knot, I felt that the laces ran the risk of getting in the way. Also, that flexible outsole that I highlighted above doesn’t have the best traction. On heavy lifts when my foot was flat (squats, deadlifts), it was fine, but with planks or lunges, when I applied some horizontal force, it felt a bit squirrelly with some slippage, especially on an artificial turf surface. Also, I’m not sure I would use this for any cardio other than perhaps biking, rowing, or the Stairmaster. I don’t see this being a shoe I would do sprints or any other form of running in.

Final thoughts on the Inov-8 F-Lite Max

CHAD: Inov-8 has created a very high-quality cross-training shoe in the F-Lite Max. Someone who enjoys hitting the gym and doing varied workouts that include heavy lifts, functional or HIIT movements, and non-running cardio can do pretty much everything in this shoe. It certainly handled everything I threw at it and handled it well.

You can pick up the Inov-8 F-Lite Max for $150 from Inov-8 by using the buttons below.