Gear Review: Saucony Xodus GTX 4.0 trail running shoe

The Xodus has been my go to trail shoe for 3 consecutive purchases. I did two pair of the Xodus 3.0 and now I have put several hundred miles on my Xodus GTX 4.0. This is the first time I have bought the more expensive GTX (Gore-Tex) model and I have only ran in rainy conditions once or twice so perhaps I don't really need the GTX feature. It does add weight via the added "booty" inside and the added overlays. The other thing that the Gore-Tex does is work. My feet stayed dry, all of the reviews I read said their feet stayed dry so if you're running in wet weather this shoe will keep you dry. The shoe pays a price for that GTX feature. It comes in at a hefty 11.9oz!!! but I suspect some of that is due to all of the protection this shoe offers beyond just the weatherproofing.

First off this shoe has a Vibram outsole with a very aggressive lug pattern. The protection and grip that this affords you in dry weather is exceptional but in wet weather the rubber starts to get a bit slippery. I've never had mud cake up the tread pattern or rocks wedge into the tread but the slippery aspect is a bit of a let down. This shoe also has a rock plate that runs the length of the shoe and it works! Roots, rocks or whatever you step on is not going to bruise the soft underside of your foot in this shoe. To lock your foot down to this bed Saucony has incorporated it's Pro Lock system that goes over the midfoot area to help lock the foot down to the shoe and give it that glove like feel. This is super important in my opinion when your bombing down technical single track. The shoe laces are those stretchy kind that I know nothing about other than they do not come untied. To back that up this shoe offers a lace garage on the tongue and to further protect you from trail debris this shoe has a gusseted tongue and gaiter loops at the toe and heel of the shoe. This shoe is the Hummer SUV of trail shoes. Most of the reviews I have read all agree that the weight of this shoe is less than stellar so that will take some getting use to for you but beyond that I have no reservations in recommending this shoe.

 I like the fit and feel of this shoe. It has a 4mm heel drop with plenty of cushion and protection for even the gnarliest of trails. The low heel drop is not the same on this shoe as it is on a minimalist shoe because the stack height is substantially different. 26mm at the heel and 22mm at the forefoot!!! When I said this shoe was the SUV of trail shoes I wasn't kidding. It's big and heavy but it works in all regards. Dry feet, protected feet, laces that stay tied and a lace garage on a gusseted tongue. You can not complain about this shoe other than it's heavy and I slipped out a little bit on some trail debris when it was misty out. I highly recommend this shoe although I may not go for the GTX model simply because I don't have a ton of wet run days or river crossings but if you do, by all means, get this shoe.

Gear Review: Saucony Ride 7

 The reviews I read when this shoe was brand new on the market were astounding. Trusted sites were saying this was the best version of an already great shoe. I read it was lighter with more cushion and could take a pounding for 500 miles. This sounded exactly like what I wanted for my fall/ winter marathon training and racing. Now that I have put 200+ miles on this shoe and I have done five 20+ mile runs on them I think I have my mind made up on these. In my opinion they are "uuuhhhhhh whatever". In other words I have nothing bad to say about them but for some reason I don't love them or feel the need to dump praise all over them. I am just middle of the road neutral on this shoe.

 Lets look at the stats that are being heralded as stellar by the shoe reviewers out there. First the weight of the shoe has been reduced from previous versions down to 9.3oz. That's great but 9.3 is not super light in my opinion. 10oz is where shoes start to get heavy and sub 9oz is where they start to get light. This shoe at 9.3oz is just okay. I will admit that when I first put them on they felt light and cushy and I was really impressed but as time went on I realized they didn't feel much lighter or much softer than my Saucony Xodus trail shoe. In reality they are lighter by about 2 oz! The second most praised aspect of this shoe is that it has been lowered down to an 8mm drop. That's great for people who are trying to work their way down to a more minimalist shoe. I highly encourage people to get out of the standard 12mm drop by starting with an 8mm and then going to 4mm and then to a zero drop. I'm running in 4mm or less 99% of the time and for me to go back to an 8mm was surprisingly strange. I did not realize just how different this higher heel would feel after an hour out on the road. Don't get me wrong. It's not a horrible feeling just different then what I am used to. One thing is for certain. When you shorten your Achilles tendon by raising your heel you risk Achilles tendinitis when you return to the lower heel height. So I'm not doing myself any favors by running often in this shoe, so I don't. I've owned the shoe since October and I barely have 200 miles on them.

 To sum it up, most of the reviews you will read on this shoe will convince you that it is a really great shoe and it is for some people but perhaps not me. It was Runner's World Magazine's Editors Choice award winner for whatever that is worth. I like the shoe. I don't love it. It's nice to rotate this in every once in awhile and if my legs feel beat up this is a good recovery shoe. I will probably explore other shoes in the future so buying a second pair is not on my radar for this model.

Gear Review: New Balance Minimus Zero

originally posted in 2013

New Balance Minimus Zero- What a lucky shot in the dark this shoe turned out to be. I was wasting time at the outlet stores and walked into a New Balance outlet. I saw my beloved Minimus 10 Trail (see above) and right next to it was what looked like a road version. It was indeed and it did not have the "open holes" in the sole that love to invite roots into the soft underside of your foot. I was nearly sold on that alone. This shoe is a zero drop shoe, hence the name. It is extremely light at 6.4oz and very comfortable. I think it has ample space in the toe box but does not feel sloppy at all. Quite the contrary, it has a sock like fit that seems to really hug the foot. The upper is extremely breathable. The shoe was designed to be worn either barefoot or with socks. I prefer the later. The midsole is made with Acteva (not the yogurt) and the outsole (tread) is made by Vibram. All of the overlays are "welded" on like the Kinvara and as you can see the structure of the upper comes from the honeycomb style plastic which you do not feel on your foot. The tongue of the shoe is attached on one side, some call that a burrito style tongue. The laces are anatomically angled toward the big toe and that really does seem to help the shoe fit to your foot when you lace it up. I love this shoe. I have about 150 miles on mine so far and would gladly buy a second pair. Other reviews on this shoe say it lasts a REALLY long time so I wont need one for a few more months at least. The NB website says these shoes retail for $109. I bought mine at the outlet for $60. That's a bargain for a shoe that feels sooooo good on your foot. A word of caution for those who might try this shoe: It's a zero drop shoe. If you have not run in zero drop shoes be sure to GRADUALLY increase your mileage with these. Consider doing a loop course so you can switch to a higher heel drop halfway through your run. In time your Achilles will adjust to the extra stretch and your running form will thank you for it. Until then, be patient.

Gear Review: Saucony Kinvara 3

Originally written in 2012

2012 Kinvara 3

This is a great shoe. I feel like this is the love child of my Pure Cadence & MV2's. My Pure Cadence were approaching the replace point and I thought I was going to go buy another pair. My brother had mentioned his love for the Kinvara line a few times and I recently fell in love with the Saucony Xodus trail shoe. So I decided to do a comparison at the local Road Runner Sports Store between the Brooks & the Saucony's. It was close but the Kinvara is just a touch better and I don't know what it is that makes the difference. The Kinvara is a 4 mm drop shoe that connects to the road as well if not better than any of the other shoes I've tried. Its definitely a light weight shoe at 7.7oz. The upper doesn't have the traditional sewn in overlays strategically placed to pull the shoe into your foot. Instead it has a "Flexfilm" that can be described as a plastic, filmy sort of nylonish material that locks the shoe upper onto your foot. This is a really great shoe at one of the lowest price points ($100) for a shoe of this quality. I ran hundreds of training miles in this shoe and even used in the Napa Valley Marathon in early 2013 where I set my PR. This shoe is not to be missed. I really feel confident in telling you to go out and try this shoe. Buy it at a store where they have a good return policy so you feel safe in making the purchase and then go do 3 or 4 days in the shoe and I am certain you will love it. You will not return it and you will come back to this post and leave a comment telling me I was not full of hype but rather spot on with my analysis that this is as close to a perfect shoe as any could be.

Gear Review: Newton MV2 from 2012

Original article written in 2012

Newton MV2 from 2012

Newton MV2- Pronounced MV Squared, these racing flats are a zero drop feather light shoe. The lightest shoe ever produced by Newton at 5.2 oz these really do feel like socks. The shoe still utilizes the trade mark "lugs" technology that is synonymous with Newton shoes. For those who aren't familiar, Newton shoes are all about midfoot/ forefoot striking and their shoes really do help promote a midfoot strike. The MV2 fits like a race shoe, very snug. If your looking for more of an everyday fit with a bit more room in the toe box I would buy a 1/2 size up. If you have never run in a zero drop shoe it is significantly different than even a 4mm drop. The extra stretching of the Achilles tendon takes some getting used to. To ease the transition Newton gives you a 2mm heel lift when you purchase these shoes so you can gradually step down to the zero drop. The barely there feeling of the racing sole is akin to the barefoot shoes I've tried. The one draw back for me are the lugs of the right shoe sometimes line up oddly under the pad of my foot and I develop a hot spot. The longest I've run in these is a half marathon and that's kind of pushing it with these shoes. There is just not much support in these shoes and that's okay because they are not meant to be an everyday trainer. They are meant for speed and they deliver. I hit my 5k PR in these shoes at :20:27. Not bad for an old man!

Gear Review: Brooks Pure Flow 2 vs Kinvara 4

My beloved Kinvara's are coming to their final miles. I usually run my shoes to 500 miles if possible and start breaking in my new shoe starting around mile 400- 450. By the time 500 hits the new shoes are broke in and good to go. The last time this happened with road shoes I was wearing Brooks Pure Cadence trying to get use to a lower heel height and less stability. I thought I was switching to the Pure Flow but my brother convinced me to try the Kinvara 3's and I was blown away by how light and comfortable these shoes felt. It was actually shocking to walk out with a better shoe than the Brooks Pure Flow! That same scenario played out again when I went to go get another pair of those amazing Kinvara's. The new model was on the shelf and everyone seemed to be out of the old model.

Gear Review: Saucony Progris Xodus 3.0

Saucony Progrid Xodus 3.0 from 2012

Original article written: Fall 2012

Saucony Progrid Xodus 3.0 - Another hybrid shoe in my arsenal that works really well on both roads and trails. I have a few combo routes that I like to do that keeps me from driving to the trails and this shoe fits that bill perfectly. I think it is a little more trail than it is road and that's a good thing (see NB Minimus).

Gear Review: Salomon XR Crossmax Guidance

2011 Salomon XR Crossmax Guidance

 Salomon XR Crossmax Guidance- My first officially designated "trail" shoes were these highly recommended shoes back in early 2011. At the time when they came out the hype was incredible. I saw these in every magazine, running store and blog article. Killian Jornet was making a big name for himself and for Team Salomon and this was the shoe to own. I like the shoe. I do not love it. It is a bit heavy for my taste weighing in at 12 oz and I prefer a lower heel drop. This shoe has a traditional 12mm drop. The Crossmax was designed to be a hybrid or door-to-trail shoe that can handle roads and trails equally and it does this very well. I never felt a lose of traction in any conditions in these shoes. I never had a problem with roots or rocks on the trails and on the road it cushioned and flexed as well as could be expected from a trail shoe. Most Salomon's I have tried on are narrow in the toe box. This is not the case here. The fit and feel of this shoe is really good. Getting to that fit is a bit of a challenge. The Quick Lace System is designed so you can pull on the cord and the shoe tightens to your foot and then the cord can be neatly tucked away in the tongue pouch. My experience is that you must pull the cord, walk around or warm up and then pull the cord again to achieve the perfect fit & feel. Not a very convenient feature when you just want to throw on the shoes and head out for a run. I have stopped numerous times a mile or two into my run to tighten the laces. The fabric or construction of these shoes is not durable in my opinion. I have less than 300 miles on these shoes and the fabric is ripping at the seams and welds. Not cool at the higher Salomon price point. This is a good all around shoe but not one of my top choices.

Gear Review: NB Minimus 10 Trail (MT10GY)

NB Minimus 10 Trail from 2011

NB Minimus 10 Trail (MT10GY)- This is a really great shoe that is terrible for what it was meant to do! Sounds like a contradiction but it really isn't. Let me explain. This shoe is a barefoot shoe. It is meant to compete against Vibram Five Finger shoes and Vivo Barefoot shoes to name a couple big names. On that alone I say this shoe does a very good job. I have tried (only on treadmills in stores) the Vibrams and I did not care for the toe separation whereas these feel like a sock wrapping your foot. So much so that most people don't bother with socks when wearing these shoes. I do but that's just my preference. If you are not accustomed to wearing barefoot shoes you will need to ease into these gradually. The shoe is a feather weight coming in at 7.5oz and has a tiny 4mm drop from the heel to the toe. This shoe in my opinion is absolutely fantastic and I would highly recommend it. But not for trails. It may be sold as a trail shoe. It even has "trail" in its name but this shoe is the farthest thing from usable on trails, gravel or anything that has the ability to poke the soft underside of your foot. I have wore this shoe on every running surface out there and the slightest gravel shoulder to the most lightly pebble strewn bike path presents a problem for these shoes. The ultra thin cushioning is incredible at cushioning my foot fall but its deep grooves let every rock, stick, pebble, root or whatever you encounter stab and bruise your foot mercilessly. The shoe is a staple in my rotation. I've done 15 miles at a time in this shoe and absolutely love it for a foot strengthening workout but not on the trails. Keep this one on the road and you will love it!