Just wanted to move the discussion from the comment section of Pete's blog post Top 3 Hybrid ... to this forum. I was actually surprised to see how much interest this has aroused. I thought this would vanish in the depths of the internet.

(Please be aware of that English is not my first language)

Before writing my comment on Pete's blog I had posted some pictures of my Trailrocs on the German trail running forum (link to posting).










the toe cap came already off after a couple of runs.



Symptoms:

The first mesh's layer in front of the second medial "shark fin" rubber patch rips. One or two more runs and complete rupture of the mesh occurs. This pattern moves along the medial side, e.g. you get several ruptures along the medial side.

Mileage:
I do not log my miles. I do have several 6000 ft mountains behind my
house (Bavarian Alps) and I use the Trailroc only for one particular mountain that I run
about once a week. Since mid September this would make about 140
miles. Add 30 miles for holiday runs. So it comes down to 170 miles as a
reasonable estimate. I must say the shoes looked good up to 150 miles.

Terrain:
Our trails are actually well maintained, we do have a lot of tourism here. For an impression please the the pictures I've posted on the German trail running forum  when reviewing the Petzl Nao headlamp (see postings #1 and #5).

Speculation:
I actually wonder if my use/run pattern has accelerated this type of
wear. This particular mountain run is quite steep. Therefore, the shoes
bend much more when compared to running in the plane. Almost like a
sprinter with regard to foot landing.
However, today was my last day of vacation and I went for 4 h trail run in the mountains. I paid special attention to how I run in the plane and how ascending. The shoe flexes much more up front compared to where the first tears appeared.

Outsole:
There is some wear but it still looks very good. In my opininon Inov8 makes the best trail running outsoles. Good compromise between durability and grip. It's jut a shame that the uppers are so vulnerable

Inov8's uppers
I have experienced tearing uppers with my f-lite 195s and x-talon 195. However, those ruptures were more of the nature of what "testedtodestruction" shows on his blog for the BareGrip.

Have I contacted Inov8
No, not yet. I can't even get a UK contact since their website shows only my local German distributor (see below why this is a problem)

Have I contacted the dealer
I purchased them in the UK but live in Germany. This makes returning/sending in merchandise quite cumbersome and takes time. The shoes still function and we have quite some snow here. I do not have any other zero drop shoes in my rotation that can handle this condition. I probably  run this shoe down to total disintegration. At least it drains well.

Would I recommend the shoe to a friend?
No

Would I buy another pair?
Yes .... unfortunately there is no real alternative in this segment (zero-drop, slightly cushioned, this type of outsole/tread).