Asics has labeled this shoe natural which, according to the orthodoxy of today, it is not. Nevertheless, a terrific shoe it is. Sail over the squabble between what is and isn’t natural, here’s a great lightweight trainer.
by Dan Empfield, December 27, 2011
This shoe has a 9mm ramp, and here is the strange thing. This is only 1mm of extra material in comparison to the Iso Transition, but it feels like there is about 4mm of extra material. This shoe is just that comfortable.
This shoe is similar to the Brooks Flow: Natural running shoes with more cushioning. The difference? This shoe is made for the runner who needs a little more stability.
It’s an off-road version and feels more like the Cadence, without the softer lateral side. What really makes this a trail shoe is its outsole design and an upper that is more durable.
This is the Pure Project model that comes closest to a minimalist shoe, but the sole is still too cushioned to fit squarely into the minimalist category. It’s natural running with a bit more cushion.
The Flow has more midsole thickness than the Brooks Connect. Look at this if you like the idea of a lower ramp and a minimal shoe, but aren’t quite ready for take the ultimate “natural” plunge.
We again present the top male 15 athletes overall finishers during the run and talk about their running shoes. Fastest runner again was Aussie Pete Jacobs who managed a marathon time of 2:42:29 and finished in 2nd place.
It is again time for our annual top 15 Ironman Hawaii features and we start this year with the top 15 female finishers during the run in Kona. The fastest run split of the day belonged to Mirinda Carfrae who clocked a course record 2:52:09.
The Newton MV2 is Newton’s first zero-drop shoe. At 5.8oz it’s a pure racer. It’s a shoe for the select few, the most efficient among us. Even for Newton it’s a departure from the norm.
This latest edition of the Gel Nimbus is moderately different than the two previous iterations, in fit, in flexibility, and in the ride. Do these changes make the shoe better or a worse than its predecessors?
Forget the literary overreach by Brooks on the technical aspects of this shoe. The ecstasy exceeds the utility. Just wear the shoe. It’s a very good update of the Glycerin line.
Saucony came to the market with the now very successful Kinvara, and yet again with the Mirage. The Hattori is about as far as Saucony is willing to go toward Vibram’s Five Finger, and that’s pretty darned far.
This shoe snuck up on me. I didn’t see it coming. It doesn’t only look good, it has a great fit and that’s not the end of it. Tim DeBoom inspired this shoe, and the result is solid.
