If I were only allowed one pair of trainers for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t be Nike or Adidas I would turn to. It would be Lake District brand Inov8, and its incredibly versatile f-fly training shoe.
The Inov8 f-fly has seen me through short runs, long runs, leg days, CrossFit workouts, a hiking holiday in California and, most recently, a Hyrox race, all without setting a foot wrong. And for a limited time, the black and grey colourway is down from £100 to £50 in the brand’s Black Friday sale.
The shoe’s status as a jack of all trades is largely down to its powerflow pro foam midsole. It’s far more springy and cushioned than your average gym trainer for pounding the pavement (I’ve covered up to 10km in comfort) but lacks the sponginess and stack height that makes regular running shoes unsuitable for squats.
The shoe also maps the natural shape of the foot, starting narrow to securely lock in the heel then widening around the forefoot to allow you to splay your toes for balance and stability – if you thought most shoes were this true to the foot’s anatomy, you’d be mistaken. It’s incredibly lightweight too, with a UK size 10 coming in at 248g, by my scales.
What you’re left with is a truly hybrid shoe you can wear for lifting weights and running short to medium distances – the prerequisites of a Hyrox race. So, when I tackled my first one recently, I knew what I wanted on my feet.
The Inov8 f-fly didn’t disappoint either. The cushioning felt comfortable throughout the event’s eight kilometres of running, and my tired legs definitely appreciated how light the shoe was during the latter stages. The “boomerang” insole also contains hundreds of foam beads which “compress and spring back for 40 per cent energy return during your stride”. I can neither confirm or deny this, but I did appreciate how the sockliner’s lightly textured finish prevented my feet from slipping inside the shoe while moving.
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My only concern with the f-fly going into the race was that it wouldn’t provide enough grip for the sled push portion, but the 2.5mm rubber outsole didn’t let me down, and this wound up being one of my quickest sections.
I was also glad to have the shoe for the final round – 100 wall ball shots – as it provided a far more stable base when squatting than the running shoes of those around me. This allowed me to generate power through my legs more effectively and take some strain away from my shoulders.
Inov8 f-fly: Was £100, now £50, Inov8.com
A Hyrox race is only the latest in a string of challenging scenarios I’ve subjected the shoe to. In the eight-or-so months of owning a pair, I’ve worn it for countless runs, varied CrossFit workouts, gym sessions and more.
When I went to California in September, it not only saw me through a few days of hiking around Yosemite National Park, but also accompanied me for heavy squats and class workouts in gyms I visited during my stay. The shoe emerged from these assorted trials without a scratch too.
Now, it’s time for the disclaimer section. This shoe will not be as good as a purpose-built weightlifting shoe, or even a sturdier gym shoe, for lifting weights. While the flaring of the outsole at the heel means it’s impressively stable, there is a little bit of compression under the rear of the foot during squats over 100kg. It will also not be as good as a dedicated running shoe if you want to rack up the miles.
But I’m yet to find a trainer better at bridging the gap between the two. So if you want a do-all shoe, or a hybrid option that you can wear for Hyrox training and races, I think this is the smartest purchase.
Looking for more great Black Friday deals? Check out these discounts, hand-picked by a shopping expert to save you money
