Inov8 Trailfly Zero Review: Fly-ing Under The Radar

Introduction to the Inov8 Trailfly Zero

JOHN: The day I got home from my vacation in St Augustine, Florida, this beautiful pair of NCAA Men’s Basketball national champion Florida Gators-colored Inov8 Trailfly Zero awaited me. You know, like former quarterback Anthony Richardson waiting to have his name called on draft day. And, as you could imagine, I was excited.

After all, the Trailfly G 270 is an absolute cult classic of a trail shoe — I think I’ve run through three pairs. It lasts forever, even in horrible, soul-crushing technical terrain, so when Inov8 released a zero-drop version, you know I had to try it out.

What we like about the Inov8 Trailfly Zero

JOHN: Immediately, when lacing up this shoe, you can feel the comfort. In the past, some Inov8 launches have come with adventures in sizing, but that hasn’t felt like the case this time. I’d say that my pair of US M11 fit perfectly with just enough room to spare — precisely what you want in a trail shoe.

The Flyspeed Pro midsole foam is also as good as advertised. It’s paired with Met-Cradle overlays to lock in the heel and midfoot, and a lightweight design that keeps the Trailfly Zero almost invisible on foot. I also find myself wanting to reach for this one over and over again, thanks to its versatile lugs, which I feel give it the flexibility to cover multiple types of trails. Inov8 tacked its Trailfly Zero with 4 mm multidirectional lugs with the grit for technical terrain, yet they don’t feel like they’ve worn on a few of my more urban pursuits, either.

Overall, the Trailfly Zero is bouncy and feels good, and I want to wear it everywhere. The zero drop gives the shoe a grounded feel that, to me, feels better than previous Inov8 releases.

I think I like the Trailfly Zero better than the Trailfly G 270 v2. I know it’s blasphemy, but anyone who’s a fan needs to try this out immediately — you will want to burn your old ones. Not really, they’re expensive, so don’t do that, but you know what I mean here.

The $160 price tag for this shoe is extremely fair, considering its features and durability.

What we don’t like about the Inov8 Trailfly Zero

JOHN: So, after using this shoe quite a bit, the only thing I can think of to complain about is that Inov8 purists may think it’s gone too far from what the company has done in the past and not care for the bounciness or flash that this new version has.

When I posted this shoe, it stirred DMs and comments on social media. I’ve used a lot of Inov8 shoes over the years, but my feet are happy in other shoes, too. I’ve never been married to one shoe. Inov8 heads are, though, and some have told me they haven’t liked recent updates because of the significant changes.

Final thoughts on the Inov8 Trailfly Zero

JOHN: This is the best shoe I’ve reviewed this year. In my humble opinion, the Trailfly G 270 v2 had a generic look to it, and the people who bought it (myself included) were like, “Whatever,” and loaded up on them because of the shoe’s longevity.

The Trailfly G 270 is definitely serviceable, but what Inov8 has done here is completely improve on it with the Trailfly Zero. They kept the soul of the Trailfly G 270 but made it a better-fitting, more comfortable, better-looking shoe with extremely versatile lugs. The only worry I have about this shoe is that Inov8 purists who are used to older models will think this one is trying to cater to a larger audience, not those who loved it for years. So, my only real pause on this one is that if you are tied to older Inov8, maybe try this out first.

You can pick up the Inov8 Trailfly Zero for $160 starting in late April 2025 at the buttons below.