Skechers Go Bionic Giveaway!

In March of this year I posted a review of the new Skechers GoBionics.  To read that review, go here.

Since writing this review I have been asked by a lot of people when they are going to be available.  I am happy to announce that they are finally hitting the market.  These shoes are one of my all time favorites, not only for running, but for everyday use as well.  I have a ton of shoes to chose from, but day after day I almost always chose these to wear.

Merrell Mix Master II Review and Giveaway!

I remember looking at my toes and thinking that I looked stupid.  This was years ago. I had just started exploring the world of minimal running shoes and had bought a pair of Vibram five fingers.  I loved how they felt, but didn't want to wear them anywhere because they were dumb looking.  When Merrell introduced the Trail Glove I was psyched!  Now I could have a barefoot type shoe and not look like a tool.  But what really blew me away about that shoe was the fit.  I had never experienced a shoe that so matched my foot.  It felt like somebody simply put a Vibram sole on my foot.  I ran many miles in those shoes and still have them to this day.

Skechers Go Bionic Review

On September 18th my buddy Peter Larson posted a review of the Skechers Go Run on his blog, runblogger.com.  At the time I was preparing to run 108 miles of pavement across NH and was keeping my eyes out for a minimal type shoe that offered enough cushion and protection for all that pavement.  His review of the Go Run really caught my interest.  After several emails back and forth he put me in touch with the team at Skechers.

After giving them feedback on the first pair of Go Run shoes (loved the feel of the upper, loved the flexibility of the shoe, felt that the "bump" under the arch was a little weird when walking, but awesome when running, etc.) they sent me another pair with the changes I suggested.  How cool!!  Then another pair, and another, etc.  What started out as simple feedback has now blossomed into me being a wear tester for Skechers.  (Disclaimer:  all of the shoes I have received from Skechers have been at no charge in exchange for my feedback).

Before I get into the actual review of the Go Bionic it must be said that I am incredibly impressed with the team at Skechers.  They are one of the biggest producers of shoes and they have dedicated an incredible amount of resources to building real running shoes.  The complete lack of arrogance and genuine interest in my feedback has been incredible.  I have made suggestions for shoes and had a custom pair show up in two weeks.  The quality of their prototypes is so high that the first time they sent me a custom shoe I called them and said they must have made a mistake, I thought it was a production shoe. 

Go Bionic!

The shoe that I have been wearing the most is the Go Bionic.  Peter and I have been working collaboratively with them on this shoe.  Pete likes to run sockless and does shorter faster runs than me.  I always wear socks and generally run longer distances. Therefore our feedback comes from different perspectives and covers a wide type of runners needs.

Let me say one thing.  Although I like minimal shoes, I don't consider myself a "Barefoot" runner.  The only requirement that I have for running shoes is that there has to be a 4mm or less heel/midfoot drop.  I love how minimal shoes feel.  I love how they sort of disappear on my feet.  I love how they are not hot and breath well.  But I do not love how much the bottom of my feet hurt when I try to run long distances in them.  I like having some cushioning, or" bounce", when I land on pavement.

For me the perfect shoe would simply be rubber that would extend out of the bottom of my foot.  It would allow my feet to move and feel exactly as they do when I'm barefoot, but it would give me enough cushioning and protection to allow me to run all day (and night).  

Most minimal shoes cater to the barefoot crowd.  And most barefooters like to feel the ground.  Some of them write on their blogs how shoes with a tiny bit of hard rubber have no "ground feel" and aren't minimal enough.  Well, not this guy.  I have been trying to find a minimal shoe that would let me run for hours without making it feel like somebody beat the bottoms of my feet with a ball-peen hammer.  I have finally found that shoe.  And it is the Go Bionic.

6.4 Oz with sockliner, 6.0 without (size 10 mens)

The Go Bionic is a zero drop lightweight shoe.  Unlike most zero drop minimal shoes, the sole is made with a lateral midsole thickness of 11.5mm and has substantial cushioning.  For me, the Resalyte material has a perfect amount of ground feel with enough "squish" or "bounce".

Flexible....yes!!

 The horizontal and vertical slits in the soles allows the shoe to move with your feet in all directions.  A size 10 mens shoe weighs only 6.4 oz on my digital scale and exactly 6 oz without the removable sockliner.

Nice flat removable sockliner

Originally the shoe was designed without a sockliner and was meant to be able to wear sockless.  The first pair I received had no sockliner.  There was a noticeable feel to the blocks of rubber directly under my feet that was a bit strange when standing, but was undetectable when running.  Peter and I both suggested that they design the shoe with a very minimal removable sockliner.  It turned a really good shoe into a great shoe for me.

Without the sockliner

 Another thing that I love about this shoe is that there is zero arch support.  Zero.  I really don't understand why shoe companies design "minimal" shoes and then ruin them with arch support.  I want my minimal shoes to feel like my feet.  Not like traditional shoes that don't allow my arch to flex and stretch.  Skechers got this right.

Wide Toe Box

Breathability is excellent and the upper has a wide toe box that allows your toes to splay freely.  Running roads in this shoe feels like running barefoot on the grass.  That's the best way I can describe the ride.  Two weeks ago I decided to meet the family for breakfast...31 miles away.  I wasn't sure how my feet would feel after running that many miles in a zero drop shoe, but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived later after 4 1/2 hours of roads.

 
The slits in the sole do open the question about how waterproof they are.  Skechers has given the shoes a 3M Scotchguard Protective coating.  Not only does this improve water resistance at the bottom of the shoe, but it keeps the uppers looking better longer.  I have tested a pair of Go Runs with this coating by taking them off road through mud, sand, water, and general muck and was amazed at how everything just kind of slid off the shoes.  They tell me that it is very heavy duty and should last the life of the shoes.  The shoe also has a primer and cement layer between the midsole slits and the upper to increase protection.  I have not tested the shoes in the rain, but I have run in them when there was heavy snowmelt on the roads and did not have any water come through the bottom of the shoes.

Flexible in every direction.

Besides being a great road shoe, this shoe is a fantastic every day shoe for the person who doesn't want to have an elevated heel.  I love how minimal shoes feel for casual use, but I don't walk midfoot first.  Frankly I've never been able to figure out how to do it without looking like I am very "light in the loafers", so to speak.   Therefore, whenever I do wear a zero drop shoe for work,  my feet end up hurting by the end of the day.  With the Go Bionics extra cushioning I find that I have the best of both worlds.  Zero drop, zero pain.

Ok, so I'm gushing.  I love these shoes.  I have waited two years for somebody to come out with a shoe like this.  If you want a pair you will have to wait just a little bit longer.  The release date is scheduled for July of this year with an estimated MSRP of under $90.

If you want a more technical review of the shoe, check out Petes's post at www.runblogger.com.

New Balance MT110 Long Term Update

400 Miles and counting.

Since the New Balance MT110 has just started being released I thought it might be relevant to write up a quick update on how mine are holding up.  You can read my original review HERE.  I have used many pairs of shoes this year, but I still managed to put on over 400 miles on this pair that was given to me by New Balance in August.

Before I get to far into this post, let me say again how much I love these shoes.  Until this shoe I have never run 100 miles without significant blisters.  The NB ML1 last which these shoes (and the entire Minimus line) are built upon fit me like a glove.  I wore these shoes for the first 70 miles of the Leadville 100 in August and then the first 50 miles of the Bartram 100 in December (which was my first 100 mile win).  If they had a little more cushioning I would have worn them the entire way.  I'm going to resist gushing about these shoes, rather just show pictures of how they are holding up.  What I will say is that my enthusiasm for this shoe has not waned from my original review.  

And now for the best part.  They are holding up incredibly well.  For a shoe that is almost as light as a racing flat and less than $100 they are an incredible value.  I think that a lot of us have found that lightweight usually equals less durable.  This has not been the case with the MT110's.  I have used them on every type of terrain imaginable.  From the rocky Leadville Trails to New England mud, they have handled everything I've thrown at them.

Side view.  No tears, rips or holes in either shoe.

View of Sole. 

Rubber on bottom shows much less wear than I would expect from a trail shoe with 400 miles on it.

Exposed EVA (blue) shows wear, but doesn't effect performance. 

Heel wear.  Similar to forefoot.

Inside of shoe is in remarkable shape.  For such a lightweight shoe it is amazing that the inside has no rips or tears.

Another inside view

The only area showing any wear.  This is a tiny spot that showed up a while ago and has not got worse.

Honestly, I'm amazed at this shoe.  MSRP is $84.99 as seen on the NB Website. I have paid close to that for an off road racing flat that after 100 miles was destroyed.  I think this shoe presents one of the best values of a lightweight trail shoe available on the market.  For any of you on the fence about this shoe because of concerns of reliability, I hope this helps. 

Altra Lone Peak shoe review

Altra Lone Peak

When the Altra Instinct came out I was psyched.  Finally there was a cushioned zero drop shoe with a fantastic toe box.  You can read my review of the shoe here.  When I first discovered Altra, the shoe I was really looking forward to was the Lone Peak.  After reaching out to Altra and telling them about my PPS they emailed and said that they would like to sponsor my attempt.  They sent me a pair of the Instincts for free and gave me a discount on 2 additional pairs.  I wore them for the Western States 100, the Vermont 100 and part of the Leadville 100. 

As the summer wore on the release for the Lone Peaks kept getting delayed.  I couldn't wait for the additional traction and protection that the shoe promised.  When they finally came out my summer of racing was over.  Altra Co-Owner Brian Beckstead reached out to me recently and told me that Altra would love my feedback on the shoe now that it was out.  Originally they had promised to send me a pair for free when they were available.  For some reason, perhaps because my race schedule for the year was complete, Brian said that I could buy a pair at a discount.  At this point I have been using several other shoes as my go-to trail shoes, most notably the New Balance MT110's and Brooks Pure Grits.  I really did not need to buy another pair of shoes, but I had been waiting for these shoes to come out for almost 6 months and I do love the Instincts.  So I decide to take Brian up on his offer and bought a pair.

Notice how hard I'm pushing on the heel.  The sole feels like it's made out of steel.  It doesn't flex.

For comparisson, my Instincts with similar (if not less) pressure applied at the same point.

When they arrived I was super surprised at how stiff they were.  The addition of a rock plate and the additional stack height had turned the familiar shoe into a very rigid one.  I ordered the shoes a 1/2 size smaller on Brian's recommendation and I'm glad I did, as they fit well.  Once again, the toe box is excellent.  Nice and wide with plenty room to splay my toes.   But wearing them around the house the felt noticeably stiffer than the Instincts.  I put them in the closet where they stayed for a while. 

Much better traction than the Instinct

Finally I decided to give them a whirl and took them out for a 16 mile jaunt.  Within the first 100 feet I knew that they were a different animal than the Instincts.  My foot felt like it was trapped in a container, rather than being part of an instrument meant to enhance running.  My heel was rubbing up and down against the rear of the shoe with every step because the sole was so stiff that the shoe wasn't flexing with my steps.

Great Toebox

As the run continued onto the trails the shoe felt better, but still too stiff.  My foot had no ground feel whatsoever and the lack of lateral flexibility was frustrating.  The increased traction (over the Instincts) was a noticeable improvement.  One thing I noticed right away was that the rudder type thing on the back of the shoe was rubbing my opposite calf a lot and became rather irritating.  If I use these shoes again I am going to cut it off first.  I can't see that it serves any purpose. 

Calf hair remover....

Eventually I ran through a stream and discovered another issue.  The shoe doesn't drain.  More specifically, the insole is made of a squishy rubber that seems to absorb water like a diaper and then holds it against the bottom of your foot for the rest of the run.  It never dries out.  My feet were wet for the entire run, even though I ran through the water within the first few miles.  This would be a fatal flaw for me if I was going to run 100 miles in them.  I can't imagine how bad my blisters would be.

Honestly, I'm disappointed.  I love my Instincts and had such high hopes for this shoe.  It is so over built for my needs and feels just like the shoes I've been so happy to get away from since moving towards more minimal shoes.  Here's how it ends up for me:

Pros -
Excellent shaped last
Tons of toe room
Zero drop
Huge amount of protection from rocks, etc.

Con's -
Stiff sole
Stiff upper
Doesn't drain
Doesn't move with my foot

If you are looking for a Sherman Tank off road shoe with a zero drop this is your shoe.  For me, it's just to much shoe and lacks the elegance that I'm looking for in an off road shoe.

Brooks Pure Grit Shoe Review

In March I ran across a post on runblogger.com about the Brooks Pure Project.  As I was training for my Potentially Painful Summer I was contemplating what shoe I would use for tacking all these 100 mile races.  I wanted a shoe that had a minimal upper, less than 4mm heel/toe differential and sufficient cushioning and protection to run 100 miles.  The Brooks Pure Grit grabbed my attention.  On paper it looked like the perfect candidate.

I did everything I could to get a pair of pre-production shoes, but I just couldn't make it happen.   Finally early last month I got my hands on a pair of them.  Because I like lots of room for my toes I normally buy a size 11 in my running shoes, even though my foot measures more in the range of 10-10.5.  I got a pair of 11's and did a few short runs before my run across NH.  The shoes were simply to large for me, but since I did end up wearing them for over 40 miles of paved roads that day.  They turned out to be a really good road shoe with sufficient protection for long pavement runs. 

 A few weeks ago I ended up giving them to my younger brother, who loved them.  I bought a pair of 10.5's which fit my entire foot much better.  I used them for pacing my friend Adam for the last 32 miles of the Pinhoti 100.  I was in them for 10 hours.  I then used them last weekend for a 28 mile run that consisted mostly of pavement, but also had 15 miles of rocky rail trail.

I never encountered anything that technical during either one of those runs, besides some rocky single track at Pinhoti.  So when Pete from runblogger.com asked me to do a shoe review I decided that I better try them for a more technical run to better analyse them.  So this morning I headed out on a 15 mile trail run on the local snowmobile trails to put them through their paces.

I started with a mile of paved roads before I ducked into some of my favorite trails.  The trails were rocky and covered with leaves for the first couple of miles until I hit my first steep climb.  As I continued with the run I threw everything I could at them.  One thing I hadn't tested yet was their ability to drain.  I am glad to report that I ran through every waterhole, stream and puddle that I could and these shoes are remarkable at shedding water quickly. 

Post-run.  Ended up in a swamp buried up to my crotch.  All in the name of testing drainage...

I am a little bit mixed on my feeling on the traction.  I actually ended up ass over teakettle when I tried hit an off camber section.  The side traction isn't awesome.

Unique traction pattern.

I had no trouble with normal climbing and descending.  Over the course of the run I encountered loose leaves, pavement, rocks, mud, sand, water, swamps and nice sticky single track.   I even ended up stuck in a swampy bog up to my crotch.  It only looked like a puddle...

All that being said, here are my personal Pro's and Con's of these shoes.

CONS

Toebox.  I'm not sure if I have unusual shaped feet, but the toebox in the big toe area is very pointed.  It looks like it has been extended, perhaps to fit in the Brooks cameltoe thingy.  To illustrate my point, here is a picture of my feet on the footbeds. Because of the rapid slope of the toebox my outside two toes end up rubbing slightly against the front of the shoe.

I wore socks to spare you the horror that are my bare feet.

Arch support.  I have become very use to shoes that don't have arch support.  As a result I no longer have PF.  The arch support in this shoe has started to aggrevate it.  Not a good thing.

Too much arch support for my tastes.

Nav Band.  It just doesn't do anything.  I do have a low volume forefoot, so perhaps those of you with weird gangly tall forefeet will love it.  For me it is simply a nice place to tuck in the long laces.

Nav Band is too loose to do anything.

Overall Fit.  They don't wrap around my feet the way some of my favorite shoes do.  The New Balance MT110 is still the gold standard which I measure all trail shoes against as far as fit.  The Grits allow my foot to twist in the shoe when side traversing.  Its not severe, but it is still there.

Comparison in shapes.  PG insole, NB MT110, my foot.

PROS

Cushioning.   The BioMoGo sole does a great job of protecting your feet, offering lots of cushioning, while still being flexible.

Great cushioning, low heel rise, incredible draining powers

Minimal heel rise.  The forefoot/heel delta is only 4mm.  This allows a nice neutral mid/forefoot stride.

Drainage.  This is one of the quickest draining and drying shoes that I have ever used. The uppers material is excellent at shedding water.

Overall Usability.  If I could only have one pair of shoes (God forbid) these would probably be the ones.  They have enough cushioning to run 40 miles of roads.  They have enough protection to run rocky trails.  They drain well enough to run in mud and muck all day and they allow for and encourage a midfoot stride. 

I'd really like to see this shoe have less (or none) arch support and a more rounded toebox.  For now, those few flaws aren't enough to keep my feet out of them.