Backup shoe that i hope becomes my primary shoe - Inov8 X-Talon 212 Precision Fit Trail Running Shoe - Mens

I purchased these shoes to serve as a backup pair to my Reebok All Terrain Supers I have raced 5 Spartans in. I have 12 this year and some are back to back weekends so needed a backup like I said. The reviews I read on this shoe for OCRs were fantastic so I wanted to try. The design and color is nice. More importantly I was concerned about the tread pattern and they deliver on that aspect, along with fitting my wide foot. I'll have to see how they actually behave in water crossings with regards to draining. My first impression when I put the shoe on was, wow, it fits my wide foot, however, I ordered a size 13 as that's the size of my Reebok and the left shoe felt really tight on my big foot in the length. I wore them around the house hoping to stretch out and not much happened. I didn't want to try out on the trail until I knew I could wear them without pain. I started wearing them every night for about an hour with a heavy wool sock on and just last weekend I took them for a 4 mile trail run over rocky and muddy terrain and they were comfortable, provided great support and stuck to the ground. Based on that run, I'm very happy with my purchase. I'm going to use these for the Spartan Beast on the 18th of April in hopes they drain well and will become my primary shoe for OCR races.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.