2011 Shoe (P)review Part 1: Neutral Shoes

If you're looking at getting into running and have never gone and bought a pair of dedicated pair of running shoes, well maybe take a gander here.

A lot of people out there these days, actually probably almost everyone has some kind of overpronation which can usually be seen by the wearing of the outside of your heel quicker than the rest of your shoe.  A lot of people will get orthotics to help solve this problem.  The problem with this is they usually make your shoes insufferably heavy.  So I used to always look at shoes that provided some stability to help prevent this, and those shoes were heavy too, so then I came to neutral shoes, started to run on them and it's actually been alright so far.

I can't remember who the person at the human performance lab (HPL) here at the University of Calgary wrote a feature in the Herald the other day.  The community is still out on whether orthotics actually do any good.  But he said what has been show is that if you feel alright about what you're doing/using you're a lot less likely to get injured.  So if the shoes make you feel good, or that the orthotics make you feel better than so be it.  It ultimately serves the purpose of preventing injury.

Today's post is going to be on some neutral running shoes, I'll cover some other ones next week

Adidas Adistar Ride 3

 

Adistar first came out from something similar to racing flats which are kinda your minimalistic no frills shoes that are super light and make you go fast.  When they first came out these shoes literally looked like racing flats, and even when I was testing with them on the sole material regarding traction.  Adidas has tinkered with this shoes (like the always do, for better or for worse) adding some foam to the midsole which gives you some more spring and cushioning.  There's still the same heel unit giving you that comfort with the heel strike.  Laces which are always a point of contention in shoes whether they pinch or what not is good, giving you lots of wiggle room in the toe area.  Gives you a little bit more support than racing flat would give you.  One drawback that is common throughout the whole adistar line is that although they're lightweight,t here's not a whole lot of cushioning for longer runs

Cost: ~130

Weight (oz.): 12.4 (M) 10.1 (W)

Brooks Defyance 4

Brooks has not always had a huge reputation for making great shoes, or even running shoes in the past.  I remember when I was a little kid, they were definitely not great, but they've come a long way so I'll give them credit for that.  You sit pretty low to the ground in these shoes, and they're great for just piling on the high mileage or tempo runs that we all (dis)like so much.  IT's based on the sole of a model from last year, but it's now more flexible yet firm underfood and snug in the heel which is something that I always like because movement in the heel without forward motion is wasted energy.  Wrapping your shoe about midsole around your arch is also something that this shoe does well.  Some will say that they won't like this shoe a whole lot because one of the consequences of being super low slung is not quite enough cushioning.  This shoe should be good for anyone that's getting into running or just someone that want's a good all rounder for training.  Nothing fancy, but does what it does well.

Cost: ~100

Weight (oz.): 10.9 (M) 8.9(W)

Mizuno Wave Creation 12

 

I wrote a post about this shoe a while back, some of you might even read it.  But I'm a huge fan of the wave creation line since I started with the 10.  Granted it might look like a freaking tank but man are they ever nice.  The key to this shoe is two plastic plats that cradle the food and act like struts to absorb the energy of the strike.  Because it's so heavy it's usually geared towards bigger runners to take advantage of the construction.  The heel is a little bit lower in the back because the old ones were so high up.  While the toe is curved up a wee bit more to make for a better ride.  It is quite stiff as a shoe, but after breaking it in, I have no complaints with the 10 or the 11 so it is a personal preference.  It's nice but firm and it'll let you just pile on the mileage.

Cost: ~140

Weight (oz.): 13.6 (M) 10.1(W)

 

Mizuno Wave Rider 14

Second entry for Mizuno in the neutral shoe category.  This pair is a little bit different than the creation.  This year the rider has put on a bit of weight because of more materials in the sole.  Although the added weight has made this shoe more stable, it still makes it really firm.  It's moved away from a go fast shoe to more of a run forever shoe.  The wrong of the shoe unlike the creation is a little bit shallow.  So it's for those that train everyday and don't mind a tighter forefoot.  

Cost: ~100

Weight (oz.): 11.3 (M) 8.6(W)

New Balance 1080

New balance has come a long way from being a tiny shoe maker.  They are interesting in how they name their shoes with numbers rather than names, but hey whatever works.  It's an updated version of the 1064.  It's good for those that run like horses (HEAVY).  You've got firm cushioning, thick hell and a beefy midsole.  This makes the shoe a little bit stiffer, but for the target market it's probably going to work alright.  The sockliner is really nice, something I always enjoy when slipping into a new shoe.  This shoe will be good for those that run every day and are maybe a little bit heavier.

Cost: ~135

Weight (oz.): 11.9 (M) 9.8(W)

Saucony Progrid Jazz 14

Saucony makes basic, no nonsense shoes, which comes with the price which is nice.  It's reliable for tooling around at a modest pace.  The upper is a little bit stiff, but he soft underfoot feel and snug heel make this shoe a good deal for the price.  Those who have higher arches and run a decent bit looking for something reliable will probably like this.  People say it has the right amount of cushioning while still feeling light which is always hard to get right.

Cost: ~85

Weight (oz.): 11(M) 8.7(W)

Somnio Pacemaker 2.0

I had never heard of this shoe company before, and chances are you probably hadn't either.  The shoe is cool because the big thing about it is customization.  So everything from footbeds, to foam plugs, insoles;  this allows you to tailor a shoe to your liking much like you would with a suit.  One thing it's missing is a medial post (which would make it a stability shoe).  The ride is firm, but this is offset by the ability to customise the shoe.  This will be great for people who are always injured or have special requirements.


Well there you go guys if you're looking into getting into running to stay healthy, you have a whole host of shoes to maybe go and take a gander at.  Go down to your local running store and get them to take a look. Next week will cover Stability shoes, and then in the last of this installment will be performance shoes and "others".


~Cheers

Cost: ~125

Weight (oz.): 11.8(M) 9.6(W)