Running shoes are a hard thing to review. Everyone’s feet are different, so one person’s shoe preference is likely not the same for someone else. For example, I can’t wear Asics or Nike because they don’t fit my feet right. I am normally a Saucony girl – my shoe of choice for the past year or so has been the Saucony Ride.
Other than my Vibram FiveFingers (which I don’t run in, but I love to wear around the house), I have been very cautious to jump on the minimalist shoe bandwagon. For one, my regular running shoes have worked great for me for the past 15 years, so why do I need to switch? Second, I have a very hard time doing things gradually. I admit it – I like to jump into things with both feet and just go for it. This makes it hard for me to break in minimalist shoes the proper way. If I go out for a run, I don’t want to have to turn around and come back to change my shoes after 5 minutes. I suppose if I had a treadmill, this wouldn’t be an issue. And third, I have never found a pair that I really like. I’ve tried on several pairs just out of curiosity, but none of them have screamed for me to buy them.
When Brooks launched their new line of shoes – called the Pure Project – I was intrigued. The more I read about them and the science that went behind them, the more I wanted to try them out. Brooks was one of the very few companies that didn’t jump on the minimalist shoe bandwagon right away and release a shoe as fast as they could. Instead, they took several years researching and developing not one shoe, but four shoes – all for different types of runners. For more information on the science and technology, visit their website here. They have a very minimal shoe (The PureConnect), a lightweight shoe with some cushioning and guidance features (the PureFlow), a lightweight shoe for people who need more support (the PureCadence), and a lightweight trail shoe (the PureGrit).
Brooks put together this handy chart to help determine which shoe is best for you. Now, the only problem is that you have to normally wear Brooks shoes (or at least know which category you fall into) to use it. As a Saucony wearer, this chart was less helpful for me.
First I tried on the PureConnect and was not blown away. While they were extremely comfortable and cushiony, the arch felt very high, almost like they were trying to overcompensate for the lack of an arch in other minimalist shoes. So then I tried on the PureFlow and it was love at first step. These shoes hugged my feet like a glove and were so comfortable I knew I had to get them. They are extremely lightweight, yet very cushiony with the perfect amount of arch support. Walking and running in the PureFlow, I can feel the lack of a “big heel.” The PureFlow has a 4mm heel to toe drop compared to traditional running shoes, which have a 10-12mm heel to toe drop.
Until my marathon is over, I am still cautious about running in these shoes too much. With only three weeks to go, I don’t want to do anything stupid that would risk a good race for me. So, for that reason, I haven’t run in these shoes too much (but I wear them casually all the time). I have run in them a few times for some short runs – the longest being 3 miles. And they did not disappoint. They are just as lightweight and comfortable running as they are otherwise. I look forward to breaking them in running-wise in another month or so. But if my first couple of runs were any indication, I know I am going to keep on loving them.
She Runs Strong 