Performance test of the Inov-8 oroc 280

A review of the spiked oroc 280 orienteering shoe.

Pros:

• Great all round traction from dobb spikes
• Foot feels comfortable
• Very light weight
• The usual Inov-8 sharp looks and colors

Cons:

• Slightly wide toe box (for me)
• Slight roll of foot within shoe on side hills (oroc 280)

Writeup:

Another Inov-8 release means another trip to the test track at Joaquin Miller Park in Oakland, California. Since the original Inov-8 testing here versus VJ orienteering shoes, we've been waiting for a better spike from Inov-8. The oroc is it.

My opinion is the oroc 280 is the best all-round orienteering shoe. They perform well on trail, hills, rock faces, mossy logs. Comfortable at jogging speed and at race pace. Finally, a spiked orienteering shoe I wasn't rushing to take off! And a quantum leap better than their now retired mudclaw 'O' +340 spike model.

On our "cornering test" on dirt, the spikes work great. Also on the downhill rock face test and up and downhill loose rocks under shoe test. The metal and rubber cleats work well together for overall traction and control.

The oroc's spikes are clustered in the center of the sole rather than edges. And the dobb spikes barely poke out above the cleat. This gives a nice "added traction" ergonomic. Reminiscent of ice traction. The classic VJ/nordic design gives more spikes and spikes closer to the edge. I believe this gives the VJ more traction in the event of "clinging" onto things like slick logs or deep loose dirt. My net opinion being the orocs give you just what you need and not more.

Most of my testing was in the oroc 280. The oroc 340 is a more built version. I imagine people will have the same preference per the mudclaw 270 vs 330 choice. For me the 340 has less foot role on the side hill. But feels a little too poofy in the upper. So I'll stick with the light weight.

Subsequent runs:

Orienteering: Felt great in a 45-minute course re-run at Joe Grant Park near San Jose, California. Good grip on the grassy hills. Felt nice and comfortable beginning to end even though it was a warm day.

Trail run: Took them out for a 30 minute jog on the trails. Felt great even on this intentionally non-demanding loop. The paved sections click along with the spikes but it didn't feel odd, if only in 25m stretches.

So far the embedded spikes seem to be holding firm in the sole.

Links:

• The updated short list of Inov-8 shoes for orienteering is at orienteer.com.
• Warrior Pants appearing in the video are prototypes by o21e.com.

Inov-8 MudRoc 280

Overall
The Inov-8 280 is a perfect all round shoe for orienteering, off trail, and single track running. (More photos)

Pros
Super light-weight but solid upper. Outsole of grippy studs (rather than pointy claws) for great motion control. Excellent traction on most every surface including loose gravel, grassy hillsides, and other typically slippery surfaces.

Cons
Slightly less traction on heavy duff compared to 270 MudClaws.

Test Comments
We took the 280 out to the Joaquin Miller test course in Oakland, California. I was immediately impressed on the pavement and trail sections: Great snug fit and control whether jogging or sprinting fast tight turns.

The 280 "spun out" more on our redwood duff traction test. We ran around a tree really fast and see if the shoe could hold on. Swapping over to the 270, I confirmed the 270 gave marginally better traction. However, on other loose surfaces of gravel and slick grass, the 280 is better. Inov-8’s “Sticky Rubber” composition outsoles are nice and grippy and give a good confidence.

We confirmed the Inov-8 280 traction with an orienteering run out at Indian Valley in Marin County. I felt great wearing these 280s whereas the 270s sometimes feel too minimal. On my foot they have a nice tight grasp of the heal yet the right amount of room in the toe box. Also, no heal slip going up a hill, like I've experienced with other Inov-8 shoes.

Shoe Choice
My line up of Inov-8s: Choose the 280 for best all-around orienteering/terrain shoe. Choose the MudClaw 270 or 330/340 for orienteering racing (super-light vs. control, respectively). Choose a conventional cushioned running shoe (I do Nike) for weeks of pavement and packed trail training.

I can add that I think these Inov-8s are a better practical choice than the venerable VJ Integrator for all terrains except ice and wet rock. Tungsten tipped spikes are a great/necessary confidence on those surfaces. Hopefully Inov-8 will improve on the 340 to provide a solid solution in the spiked category.