The new Inov-8 Trailfly Ultra G 300 Max debuts Graphene-infused foam for the first time in footwear. ... [+]
British footwear brand Inov-8 has gone all-in on Graphene as its material of choice, debuting a Graphene-enhanced foam to go with its graphene-enhanced rubber on the new Trailfly Ultra G 300 Max trail runner. For Inov-8, Graphene provides everything it could want.
“It is about bringing this to the marketplace and I think runners will feel something very different with this,” says Michael Price, Inov-8 COO. “It just does give a significant difference. It is exciting.”
Graphene is one-atom thick, considered the thinnest known material, but about 200 times stronger than steel. Used as a building block to graphite, the Graphene material—the scientists behind the discovery were awarded the 2010 Nobel prize in physics—was developed, thanks to its unique properties, to have a place in athletic equipment, consumer electronics and the automotive industry. Managed by the University of Manchester, nearby Inov-8 entered into an exclusive four-year agreement with the university for use of Graphene in footwear.
The University of Manchester serves as a testing ground for Graphene-infused products.
Inov-8, a company founded in 2003 by Wayne Edy, first debuted the material in outsole rubber. The infusion allowed for both sticky traction, often found from soft non-durable rubbers, and durability. Lab results show a 50% increase in strength and elasticity versus traditional outsole and the Graphene-Grip rubber is now on half of the brand’s footwear offerings.
Inov-8 now moves Graphene into foam, dubbed G-Fly, with a 25% greater energy return than traditional foam and a more durable compound for longer underfoot rebound.
Price says that long-distance runners have long struggled with the foam degrading over the course of a marathon or ultra-run and mixing Graphene helps. “We ended up finding the energy return lasts longer when you add Graphene,” he says. “You optimize that ride for a runner when you add Graphene.”
The completely new Trailfly—it builds on learnings from the award-winning Terraultra G 270—gives runners an option with a 30mm-24mm stack height, optimized through the new foam. Built with the Graphene-Grip outsole and a new Adapter-Flex technology, the Trailfly brings a new perspective to the brand. The outsole features 35 multidirectional 4mm-deep lugs positioned to improve propulsion at the front and braking at the rear while dispersing water and debris.
The Graphene in the foam and outsole helps Inov-8 products with durability, energy return and ... [+] comfort.
The Adapter-Flex technology debuts on the Trailfy Ultra G 300 Max with a 10mm-deep groove to give this max cushioning shoe the ability to adapt to uneven terrain. The stacked midsole can flex with the foot because of the groove sitting underneath the midfoot, allowing the forefoot to turn inward or outward without influencing the same motion in the heel. Inov-8 went against current carbon fiber trends by bringing the energy return to runners through a special beaded insole and the Graphene-enhanced foam so the Adapter-Flex technology could provide security on trails.
With three patent-pending technologies in the Trailfly, the foam remains the focus. “It is not easy to just add Graphene into rubber and foam,” Price says. “You do lots of mixing and working with scientist to keep optimizing what you get. We have spent a huge amount of time and energy as a company to do that.”
Inov-8 works with a supplier of Graphene to ensure it has the highest quality product and with the University of Manchester to test all the product. The Trailfly gives Inov-8 the G-Fly foam on the trail but expect the brand to expand its use of the foam, whether for trail, hike, ultra-running, road or CrosssFit.
An exclusive business agreement has allowed Inov-8 to pursue the use of Graphene in athletic ... [+] footwear.
A team of over 300 at the University of Manchester has pioneered Graphene-related projects and is the home to the National Graphene Institute and Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. “This is testament to what a collaboration between the university and an innovative British brand can achieve,” says Dr. Aravind Vijayaraghaven, reader in nanomaterials at Manchester.
The multiple uses for Graphene add up to continued growth in products and global reach for Inov-8, Price says. With the majority of the business in the United Kingdom and a growing presence in the United States, along with hot spots in Japan and near the Alps, Price says Inov-8 continues to grow—the brand saw 16% growth in 2020—and the success of its Graphene-enhanced rubber has already started to take hold. By adding the Graphene-enhanced foam, Inov-8 expects to prove as durable as the material it features.