I don't think there is any direct replacement. The Race Ultra 270 looks similar even though they consider it a trail shoe, but it has 4mm drop. As far as I know their only other road-specific shoe is the Roadclaw 275 which from what I can tell is nothing like the 233. FWIW, if you're trying to stay with Inov-8, I don't think you'll notice a huge difference going from 6mm drop to either 4mm or 8mm.

I haven't had the 233's for a few years but I find my Saucony Type A6 flats feel similar - low, fast and very firm, although they're 4mm drop. I haven't worn the NB Vazee Pace but it could be an option. Maybe a little more cushioning than the Inov-8's.

Inov-8 Road-x sneakers are really good. I had them too. U can try Saucony or kswiss running shoes. The quality is on the high level. Stable and comfy. That's just what you need for a good run.

A lot of these look like they have much thicker soles, even if similar drop. I guess I am going to have to try a few.

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

if you are looking for something fairly minimal as far as padding goes, the NB 1400 is a decent shoe. It has a thin sole though it is a 10mm drop. But if you are a forefoot runner, the drop is really not that important. I don't notice it and go between 0 and 10mm all the time. It also isn't a pricey shoe.

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Ian

I switched from a heel striker to forefoot a few years ago. I moved to the Inov-8 with the 6 mm drop b/c, during the transition, I kept "clipping" my heel. With the reduced drop, I stopped catching it. I tried moving to their 0 drop shoe and it just did not work for me. The 6 mm seemed to be the sweet spot. I like the thin sole b/c I seem to get better road feel enabling me to concentrate better on my foot strike. The Road X 233 have worked great for me. Really unhappy to see them go.

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Inov-8 seems to occupy a small niche with shoes that are low but not zero drop and still very firm. Again I think you'd be fine with 4 or 8mm which seems to be where they're going with all their shoes.

Also the Saucony A6 is not overly cushioned. If you're looking for relatively low drop with firm cushioning and you don't like any of the current Inov-8's then some sort of racing flat is probably your answer.

The Inov8 Road-X 233 was my favourite runner.

I also have Inov8 TrailRoc 245, Inov8 Road-X 155, Inov8 Race Ultra 270, Inov8 Tri-Xtreme 225, Inov8 TerraClaw 220. Was not as keen on the Race Ultra 270 and Tri-Xtreme 225, both of which I bought after discovering the Road-X 233's were being discontinued. Still love the TrailRoc 245, TerraClaw 220 and Road-X 155 (also discontinued).

Originally Inov8 had an 'Anatomical Fit' which worked perfectly for my foot. They have now renamed this as 'Standard Fit' and it doesn't feel as good. Which is why I'm not so keen on the Race Ultra and Tri-Xtreme. However for some reason I really like the TerraClaws that are 'Standard Fit', although I did drop half a size (from EU45.5 to 45) for these shoes.

I've since bought a pair of Saucony Kinvara 6's which I absolutely love. Extremely light, but with the thicker sole you do loose a little bit of feel for the ground. For me this is only an issue when descending on trails.

I also bought a pair of Newton Stability Racers which are also very good. For me the Saucony's feel more comfortable, but I get more feel for the ground with the Newtons. I wore Newtons before I changed to Inov8, but disliked the version 2 of the Newtons. I think Newton are up to version 4 (with the 5 lugs) and they feel more like the originals that I loved.

I'm going to give the Inov-8 Road X-Treme 220 a shot. We will see how it goes.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Disappointed to lose my go-to shoe. It was a long, painful, and expensive process getting to the 233.

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

What the hell is this thread? You've broken the rules and are now banished from the LR.

Pack up your tight jeans and go.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?