Anyway, as well as the super long lasting and surprisingly sticky graphene-based material in the sole you’ve also got a bunch of 4mm chevron shaped lugs to add a bit of bite as well.

As for the midsole, that features a full length lightweight shank to provide a little bit of rock for energy return and to block out any sharp and hard stuff underfoot. There’s also a shock absorbing (but not plush) mid sole that contributes to a fairly highly stack height of 20mm at the heel and an overall drop of 8mm.

The upper has a tough, durable and structured feel to it but without making the Trailroc feel heavy or too stiff and constricting. It’s mostly mesh and there’s a hell of a lot of PU lamination across it, along with a protective toe bumper.

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick editor of Outdoors Magic

“I’ve spent a lot of time running in the new Trailroc 280 over the last 6 months, mainly on the muddy and rocky slopes of the Preseli Hills in west Wales, and I’ve been impressed.

“To be honest, there’s not much difference between this model and the last one. Inov-8 would say it’s in their durability where they’d mostly differ but I’ve been using the previous model for two years now without any notable wear and tear so I wouldn’t say it was a change that was massively needed.

“What I think I like most about them is that tough sole unit. I find it lets me run over technical terrain with a lot of confidence but it also has just enough flex to let me bring my toes into the equation when running uphill.

“While I can definitely see the outsole as being most at home on dry and dusty trails, I haven’t noticed any issues with how it copes with any sloppy muddy stuff. Still, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time on that kind of terrain I’d say you’d be better off with the Terraultra G 260.

I’d say it can just about handle a bit of wet rock but you wouldn’t want to push things too far there.

“After what must be over six months of testing now, my pair are holding up very well.”

“There’s enough shock absorption for runs involving a lot of mileage, though there are certainly much more cushioned options out there (the Nike Pegasus Trail comes to mind, then there’s Hoka of course).

“Breathability is good. On a similar note, I’d say they take on water pretty easily, but they also let it out fast – as a good fell shoe should. So that’s not really an issue.

“Looking back to when I started out testing these, I’d say there was out-of-the-box comfort, but I do remember them starting to feel even more comfortable after a couple of big runs. I have them in my usual size (10) and found they fitted perfectly.

“After what must be over six months of testing now, my pair are holding up very well. So, all-in-all I’d say I’ve had a very positive experience with this shoe – apart from when I wore it while playing cricket and badly sprained my ankle. That doesn’t count though.