I’m going to come out and say it: these are the best running shoes I’ve ever had.

I’ll explain more about this in due course. First, a full disclosure: This is my first-ever shoe review, and inov-8 sent them to me.

I have mixed feelings about reviews; it’s very difficult to know what’s honest and what isn’t any more, with ‘influencers’ being given products to review and blogging/tweeting/Insta-ing about them – integrity doesn’t always seem to be the highest thing on a reviewer’s mind. This is the primary reason why we don’t review products in ULTRA magazine, because of that uncertainty and the requirement for our integrity to be rock-solid.

So, when I think of reviewing, I think of long-term tests, of wearing shoes and other gear for long days out in the mountains, on the trail, in the rain, at least dozens if not hundreds of miles before I feel like I can cast an opinion. So this is what I did, and this is the result.

I’ve always favoured inov-8 shoes. Back when I started trail running in earnest, over 15 years ago, I went for the manufacturers I knew from road running – like ASICS, Saucony – but then someone suggested this company that fell out of fellrunning, and I tried them – a pair of Mudclaws, probably about 2012.

Since then, I always have at least one pair of inov-8 shoes on the go and wear them interchangeably with shoes from La Sportiva and Hoka – I find it helps me to switch between different makes. But inov-8 are the ones I always go to first. I love the fit, I like the way they feel – like a well-fitting glove. I like how light they are, the low drop, the cushioning-without-too-much-cushioning. It’s like they’re made for me, and the first TRAILFLY G270s were about the best in that regard.

The one issue was how long they last.

This is not an issue specific to inov-8; most shoes are affected by wear and tear in our sport – a shoe could last 500 miles, but we can easily cover 50 miles a week, so 10 weeks’ worth and with prices increasing across the board, our once inexpensive sport (at least compared with, say, cycling) is suddenly at a premium.

It's good news, then, that inov-8 is listening. We spoke with the team there about our experiences with the earlier version of the TRAILFLY G270 (let’s call them V1), and some issues we had with the longevity of the shoe – especially around the crease at the ball of the foot, where holes eventually appeared - and so they redesigned it and released these: the TRAILFLY G270 V2.

They have improved the fit around the mid-foot, redesigned the toe box, and most importantly they have changed to an upper mesh material that they claim is 25% more durable than the V1.

With the much-vaunted ‘Graphene grip’ they feel sure-footed and precise and give me confidence that when I plant my foot it’s going to stay there. They hug my feet around the middle, and there’s plenty of room in the front for my toes to wiggle around and feet to expand when on very long ultras. This is one of the areas of improvement over the V1s – increased toe box area while maintaining stability, which is important for me as I suffer from claw toe, so I need that extra space.

And they’re zero drop, which means there is no difference in the height of toe or heel, which suits my running style, with the usual level of cushioning that is just enough to feel nice and springy, but keeps me in touch with the ground at the same time.

So far I’ve worn them for 250+ miles across all kinds of terrain, so it feels like I’ve given them a good test and I’m happy to give them the thumbs-up. I’ve tested on a variety of terrain types: I’m based in Surrey, so plenty of North Downs Way, St Martha’s Hill, Mickleham Downs, Box Hill, Leith Hill, Pitch Hill; rocky, chalky terrain, grass, dirt, hard-packed, bits of road, mud, plus a day in Bannau Brycheiniog (aka Brecon Beacons) and three days of Lake District running around Coniston with the Great Lakeland 3 Day race – rocky, again, often quite technical, and quite wet.

Truthfully, they don’t grip superbly well on wet rock, but then again not much does – and with care these got me around the Wainwrights course (50 miles and 18,000 feet of ascent/descent) at GL3D – so they really can be regarded as a great all-round shoe.

Durability-wise: after this distance and with those terrains they still feel quite new; there’s no sign of any wear in the uppers at all. After each run, I brush away dirt and grit from the mesh uppers to help avoid the ‘sandpaper’ effect that could lead to a hole forming, and I think this helps – but besides that, this does feel like a significant improvement over V1.

So, a worthwhile update?

Absolutely. Hats off to inov-8 for listening to its customers and making changes to its products. I like these new TRAILFLY G270s a lot, and I think I’ve found my shoes for Dragon’s Back in September this year.

I’ve tried to be clear about the terrain types I’ve run on with them, and my running style and preferences, because those things are important factors in recommending these shoes – everyone is different, after all – and in the end, if you’re a similar runner to me, you like a well-fitting shoe with zero drop and solid, precise grip, I recommend you give these a try.

Andy is the editor of ULTRA magazine, and is regularly to be found bounding around the Surrey Hills AONB.