Review of Inov-8’s Roclite G 370 Boots

This review of Inov-8’s Roclite G 370 boots will compare them to the Roclite 325, Roclite G 345 GTX and the new Roclite Pro G 400 GTX boots, also by Inov-8. I’ve owned all four models for a while now, and have thoroughly tested them.

Reasons for choosing the G 370 boots

Regular readers of my blog posts will perhaps know that I absolutely loved the Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX boots. I walked 1,200 miles in one pair from Land’s End to John O’Groats and they were comfortable from day one. I did walk them to destruction though!

The reason I didn’t choose to purchase another pair of the G 345 boots for my next adventure (the Scottish National Trail) was because the Gore-tex waterproof lining had failed on them after a couple of hundred miles. I didn’t want to risk this happening again and being stuck with boots that were letting water in but then trapping it.

This is also one reason for not purchasing another pair of the 325 boots. The other, fairly defining reason for not choosing the 325 boots is because Inov-8 don’t make them any more. They only now make 325 boots as a Gore-tex lined version.

So I purchased a pair of Inov-8’s Roclite G 370 boots instead for my next planned adventure – walking the Scottish National Trail. I chose them because they have graphene soles which would cope with the mileage, but most importantly, they do not have a Gore-tex lining. This meant that when my feet got wet, the boots would in theory be breathable and allow my feet to dry.

I therefore had high expectations of the the G 370 boots.

Graphene soles

The G 370 boots have graphene soles; Inov-8 were the first company to use graphene in sports shoes. It makes the soles last so long and they grip well on most surfaces. This was tested recently in the G 345s on an extremely icy Ben Nevis descent! (You can read about that in my blog here).

Inov-8’s 325 boots do not have a graphene sole. This is why I wouldn’t have chosen them for the Scottish National Trail, as the tread would have been worn by the time I reached the roughest part of the walk (around Cape Wrath).

The sole pattern on the G 370 boots is not the same at the 345s or the 325s, but the grip feels much the same in all 3 models. I am not sure why they have changed the pattern.

How waterproof and breathable are the G 370 boots?

I was not expecting these boots to be completely waterproof, as they don’t have a waterproof lining. This was a major advantage, in my book, as this meant there was no lining to fail.

Without the waterproof lining, the boots are in theory more breathable, allowing my feet to dry more quickly when they do get wet.

However, Inov-8 state that the boots are still waterproof as the uppers are made from a nylon material that repels water. During my testing, though, my feet got wet walking in wet weather for long periods or when walking through standing water.

Inov-8’s G 370 boots are not very breathable. I don’t feel that they are any better than waterproof lined boots. The boots would perhaps be breathable enough in winter conditions, but in anything above 10 degrees or so I found that my feet began to sweat.

Overall verdict

After 200 miles of testing the Inov-8 Roclite G 370 boots, I’ve decided that I’m not going to be using them on my Scottish National Trail walk.

The boots are comfortable and the soles are still in perfect condition, but the boots are not fully waterproof. This would be OK if they were breathable enough to dry quickly, but they’re not.

The upper material is also starting to show serious signs of wear already.

I think Inov-8 need to improve the quality of the uppers now they’ve made the soles last so long. There is no point having soles that last over 1,000+ miles if the uppers fall apart after 200 miles. I don’t think the G 370 boots are any good and can’t see any reason or purpose for buying them.

Alternative boots

A more breathable but non-waterproof alternative to the Roclite 370 is the Inov-8 RocFly G 390 boots. They do not have a waterproof lining and are designed to be highly breathable to dry quickly. Read My Inov-8 RocFly G 390 boots review.

Waterproof alternatives are the Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX and the Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX boots. These are both Gore-tex lined so fully waterproof but slightly less breathable than the Roclite 370 boots.

Further reading

My Inov-8 RocFly G 390 boots review

Inov-8 Roclite G 345 GTX V2 boots review verdict

My Inov-8 Roclite Pro G 400 GTX V2 boots review

Roclite 345 and 400 GTX V2 boots comparison review

Inov-8 Roclite G 315 GTX V2 shoes review

Best Hiking Footwear – Boots or Shoes?

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