I was fortunate enough to be given a pair of these a few months ago; they are the direct replacement for the outgoing Mudclaw 272’s (the Mudclaw 300’s, launched in September 2012, were the replacements for the 330’s).
The main differences between these and the 272’s are that the sole unit is flat, not rounded (if you place either on a flat service and look at them from the back you will see exactly what I mean). I often felt that on harder ground the 272’s had a tendency to roll inwards or outwards but the 265’s remain flat, a noticeable and significant improvement, particularly if you are already prone to under or over pronating.
Elsewhere, the materials used on the upper are far more resilient to wear and tear, despite being slightly lighter. After 3 months of hard use during some pretty foul conditions the uppers are showing little sign of wear, again a significant improvement over the 272’s which, for me at least, wore very quickly. The grade of rubber used for the soles and the stud pattern is much the same, so there is some wearing down and rounding of the studs but despite this they are still gripping well and not letting me down.
I have noticed that the heel cup on the new 300’s is relatively high, whereas the on the 265’s it is much lower, this suits my Achilles and the shoes have felt very comfortable right from the start; there was no breaking in required.
One thing to bear in mind, I have been a consistent size 8.5 in all Inov-8 footwear, however I have gone down to a size 8 in the 265’s and felt the fit to be perfect.
In summary, these are the best Inov-8’s I have ever had; they are ideal for both racing and training in just about all conditions and have become the fell shoe that I choose above all others when heading out; they suit my feet perfectly and have not let me down; I would happily recommend them.
