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The original Roclite Pro G 400, released in 2020, and are one of the best pairs of hiking boots I've tried; hard-wearing, supportive and very light. They went on to win the prestigious "Footwear of the Year" category at that year's Outdoor Awards show. So, when Inov8 announced they were revamping the trail shoe for 2023, I was keen to get my hands on a pair.

The  Roclite Pro G 400 GTX V2 is an adaptive trail shoe; you get the best of both worlds, a fully waterproof and supportive boot with the lightweight build of an agile trail runner. I've just spent a happy week stomping around the lake district in the Roclite Pro G 400 GTX V2, and I'm pleased to report that, if you were a fan of the original boot or if you are in the market for a new pair of hiking boots, the V2s are an upgrade in both durability and comfort.

Over the last few years, I have moved away from boots and exclusively use trail runners, so I was interested in how I would adapt to returning to boots. They were incredibly comfortable from the get-go; I didn't feel weighed down and didn't experience any rubbing; I had a lot of room to wiggle my toes, and my ankles felt supported but not restrictive. I'm a size nine, and these fit perfectly, so I don't suggest sizing up or down.

I was lucky and got the entire span of lake district weather over the week I was there, so I have been able to test the V2s in various underfoot conditions; we climbed mountains, did a good amount of road walking and crossed some seriously boggy ground.  Inov8 haven't changed things just to change things; if it worked, the V2 has kept it. The aggressive 6mm deep lugs the original Roclite used are back and hold just as well on all terrains, wet or dry. I had complete confidence in them ascending or descending, even over loose shale. They didn't shed wet sticky mud as quickly as I would have hoped, but that is my only complaint regarding grip.

The boots are well cushioned; they have changed the midsole material to the Power flow max foam. When I did a good amount of road walking, I noticed how much better cushioned they are over the original Roclite. They have a good amount of "bounce", and I was comfortable mile after mile; they felt more like a trail runner, similar to  Hoka or Altra, especially on the hard tarmac, something the original EVA foam failed to achieve.

The boot's upper has been redesigned and now uses a honeycombed-shaped weave of rip-stop nylon. This incredibly durable material ensures your footwear will last longer and protects the Gore-Tex membrane underneath. The hard-wearing rubber around the toe box and the ankle's base returns and safeguards the boot in the more vulnerable places. The shoes were a little hot, especially when the sun was beating down, but this could be because I'm used to more breathable shoes. However, I switched to a thinner hiking sock and had no overheating problem after that.

Overall, I'm thrilled with the Roclite Pro G 400 V2s; I'll switch out my trusted trail runners in wet weather, especially if I'm not doing a multi-day hike. The Gore-Tex kept my feet dry all week; even after heavy rain and stream crossings, I was incredibly confident with the shoe's ability to grip any terrain. They were comfortable even after long road walking sections. A Boot that offers more protection and comfort than the award-winning original. 

Andy Neil
Andy has been a keen long-distance hiker and wild camping enthusiast since he completed the Cleveland Way in 2015. Since then, he has walked thousands of trail miles all over the UK and is an active member of the Wild Camping UK community, being an admin of the largest wild camping community on Facebook. He strongly advocates for responsible wild camping and believes it is important to leave no trace when camping in the wilderness. He joined the UOG team in 2021 and works as a website developer and content creator. Read more from Andy Neil