In the closing weeks of 2023, U.K.-based trail running brand Inov8 celebrated its 20th anniversary by unveiling a new hyphen-free name and a new logo unified by the statement, “ambition in movement.” Inov8 also introduced a new shoe model, the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed.
Founded and still run by Wayne Edy, the company has grown worldwide with an all-new footwear collection for 2024 across its three categories of running, hiking, and gym.
“As a brand we are hugely ambitious and innovative with everything we do,” said Lee Proctor, Inov8 Global PR and Communications Manager. “Our products and innovations are developed to enable ‘the flow’ — a state of mind and feeling sportspeople get when all distractions fall away, leaving nothing but the pure enjoyment of accomplishment.”
Inov8 is flying into 2024 with a company rebranding. All photos: Inov8
Inov8’s Rebranding for 2024
The previous Inov8 logo.
For Inov8 in 2024, you’ll notice a few key changes to the look of the brand.
The foot in the graphic logo is being phased out. The foot changes to a standard number 8, which was already used in the text expression of the brand, and next to it will be a bird’s talon. Inov8 says the talon signifies the past, present, and future of the company.
This change will be communicated in Inov8’s consumer marketing and in the logo on its shoes — though certain shoes may just be labeled “INOV8” without the talon icon at the end.
The second major change starting this year will be with the naming convention of its shoes.
The updated Inov8 logo.
Inov8 had always put the weight of the shoe in grams – as averaged across the full range of the product’s size – after the product name, for instance, the recent models Inov8 TrailFly G 270 v2 or Inov8 X-Talon Ultra 260 v2. In an effort to simplify all its names after receiving consumer feedback, Proctor says Inov8 has now dropped those numbers from any new shoe models’ name. For now, inline shoe models will maintain their original names.
Introducing the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed
Inov8 is best known for giving runners grip in wet and muddy conditions, which makes sense given the brand is based in the famous Lake District of northern England where these conditions are familiar. Though fell running is its heritage, Inov8 wants the next 20 years to be about reaching more people, beginning with its 20th anniversary shoe, the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed.
The Mudtalon Speed honors two decades of mud-running performance from classics like the Mudroc, Mudclaw, and X-Talon models, while meeting the needs of modern runners with an all-new foot-shape design — the brand’s first attempt at this shoe shape.
People reluctant to try Inov8 in the past with its mid-to-narrow fit will appreciate how all its new footwear in 2024 will use this more accommodating design, even in those models’ Precision Fit versions.
The Inov8 Mudtalon Speed.
Highlights of the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed include:
- A new foot shape will hug the natural contours of your foot, locking in at the heel and widening at the toes.
- Incorporated within the new shape are two new fits, Precision Fit and Wide Fit, for nimbleness over tricky terrain or a relaxed feel and extra comfort over longer distances, respectively.
- Inov8’s STICKYGRIP outsole rubber has been enhanced with even more adhesion.
- Eight-millimeter lugs with a new lug configuration points in multiple directions to shed all mud, improve toe spring on the uphill, and aid faster braking for the downhill.
- A claimed total stack height (including lugs) of 26 millimeters at the heel and 22 millimeters at the toe for a 4-millimeter drop.
With the Mudtalon Speed, Inov8 introduces its own new POWERFLOW PRO foam, an EVA material, which they said offers heightened levels of cushioning with a more responsive ride.
The Mudtalon Speed has already proved its mettle. In December 2023, Inov8 ambassador Andy Berry wore the shoes to complete the fastest solo, unsupported, counterclockwise Bob Graham Round. The 42-peak loop in the U.K.’s Lake District took Berry 18 hours and 6 minutes.
A limited first drop of the Mudtalon Speed shoes is available to buy now direct from Inov8 and its U.K. retail partners.
U.S. customers can pre-order the Mudtalon Speed now from Inov8’s website.
Call for Comments
- Are you a loyal Inov8 wearer? If so, what do you think of the company’s rebranding plan?
- Have you gotten your feet into the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed yet? What do you think?
A top view of the Inov8 Mudtalon Speed.
