If you're wanting a more flexible responsive shoe, but tend to be a mild to moderate overpronator and still need a little support and guidance, the you may want to check out Saucony's new Cortana. It's gotten rave reviews and won several awards including "Best Debut" from Runner's World Magazine, September 2011 and "Best New Shoe" in Running Network's 2011 Fall Shoe Review.
I've always been a big "the proof is in the pudding" kind of guy, so while reviews go a long way with me, I still like first hand experience to make my final decision. Saucony sent me a pair of the Cortana about two months go and I've been testing them ever since. In this case the "pudding" is pretty dang good.
While not really a minimalist shoe, this shoe is like a souped-up racing flat. It's very flexible, but also provides a touch of guidance. It contains Saucony's PowerGrid technology the entire length of the shoe which is what provides great cushioning. The other feature that I really like is the 4mm heel-to-toe offset. This "close-to-the-road ride" really helps promote more of a midfoot or forefoot strike. The shoes are very light weight at only 10.7 oz.
I've run exclusively in the Cortana since I received them in August. I've done short tempo runs, speed work and longer runs up to 14 miles. In each case, the shoes were very supportive while at the same very flexible and cushy. The only thing that was a drawback was the the upper began to fray pretty quickly near the ankle area. For a shoe in this price range ($145), I expected the upper to last a little longer. Now this may be due to my particular stride, but I've not had other Saucony shoes' uppers wear so quickly. I think it's just the particular fabric used. The fraying doesn't affect the shoe's performance at all however and wouldn't keep me from purchasing a second pair.
So, if you're looking for a low profile, flexible, responsive and cushy shoe, I highly recommend the Cortana! And.....you're in luck! Saucony is giving one free pair of the Cortana away to one lucky RunnerDude's Blog reader!
WIN A FREE PAIR! To enter, simply send an email to runnerdudeblog@yahoo.com. Put "Cortana" in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. You have until Saturday, October 15th to enter! Each email will be assigned a number in the order that it was received. Then the TrueRandomNumberGenerator will be used to select the winning email number. The winner will be announced on the blog on Sunday, October 16th. Good Luck!
One of my all time favorite brands of running shoe is Saucony. My shoe of choice is the ProGrid Triumph. Recently Saucony contacted me to see if I'd be interested in testing out some of the new shoes in the ProGrid line. I eagerly accepted the opportunity and soon after, three boxes arrived at my doorstep. One box contained the new ProGrid Guide 4, the next box contained the ProGrid Mirage, and the final box contained the new minimalist trail shoe, the ProGrid Peregrine. It was like Christmas in March!
Below is a video review of my experience testing each shoe. Check it out. I enjoyed each shoe so much that they each receive 5 Dudes out of 5 Dudes on the RunnerDude Rating Scale. All three gave great rides. I particularly like the new Peregrine. It added a whole new experience to my trail running. For the first time, I felt like I was in control.
Win a Free Pair of the ProGrid Peregrine!
Entering this contest is a little different from entering previous RunnerDude's Blog contest drawings, so be sure to follow the directions carefully. To enter, visit http://www.facebook.com/Sauconyby the end of day (EST) on 3/26/2011 and post an answer to “What do you love about trail running?” on the Saucony wall. The winner will be posted on RunnerDudes' Blog on 3/27/2011.
Back in July, Newton Running sent me a pair of their Neutral Performance Trainers—the Gravity—to test out and review. I've tried to provide information on a wide variety of running styles (i.e., Chi Running, barefoot running, Vibram Five Fingers) on the blog, so I was eager to get the Newtons and give them a test drive. I've read a lot about Newton, but had not yet had the opportunity to run in them . I was psyched!
The Newton website, promises a lot for what the neutral performance trainer will do for a runner. I'm always a little wary when so much is promised. "Newton Running's top-of-the-line neutral performance trainer is the ultimate shoe for Natural Running. Get a fast, flexible ride with greater energy return and less impact. The 2010 model has enhanced durability in the heel, a new high-rebound midsole material and improved upper fit. This shoe allows you to run naturally — faster with greater efficiency and less overuse injuries (like achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis)." But in this case what was promised was delivered.
The neutral performance trainer is recommended for any distance. I wanted to test something that I could use on a regular basis for training runs, so this shoe seemed to be the best fit for me. The first thing that strikes you when you see a pair of Newtons for the first time are the huge lugs running across the bottom of the midfoot where the ball of the foot would be located. This is a part of the Newton technology or what they call the Action/Reaction Technology™. -
The technology is based on Sir Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion: "For every Action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." You see the large lugs act as levers and shock absorbers that return energy back to you as you run. The key to the Newton is that you land with a midfoot or forefoot strike instead of landing on the heel first. Newton calls this a Land-Lever-Lift motion. This causes continuous muscle activation instead of a start/stop action that's caused by the breaking effect when you heel strike.
- I've tend to have more of a midfoot strike, so adjusting to the Newton's did not take very long. But Newton does a great job of letting new Newton runners know that they should ease into running in their Newtons, especially if they've been a heel striker. You'll be activating some muscles that you may not have used much when heel striking or you may just be using them in a slightly different way. Anytime you recruit new muscle activation, there's a period of acclimation. Newton recommends not running more than about 1.5 miles in your new shoes the first time. Then you should gradually add a little more mileage with each run. Also, be aware that Newtons tend to run about a 1/2-size smaller than your regular running shoe. So, for example, if you normally wear a 9.5, it's probably a good idea to order a 10 in a Newton.
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My experience running in Newtons has been great. The shoes are amazingly light (only about 9.5oz). The energy return was very noticeable. I felt very refreshed after my runs. I have something called Morton's Neuroma in my right foot, which is basically a problem with a nerve hitting a bone when I'm on the ball of my foot. With a metatarsal pad placed just behind the ball of my foot, I can run with no problem. Because of this issue, however, I've never been able to run barefoot. With the Newtons, I was able to use my metatarsal pad and still reap many of the benefits of barefoot running. For performance and delivering on it's promise, the Newton Gravity gets 5 Dudes out of 5 Dudes on the RunnerDude rating scale.
- At first I was a little put off by the $175 price tag for the Gravity's that I tested, but then I discovered that the average runner can track close to 1000 miles on one pair of Newtons. So, you could buy two pairs of $100 or $125 traditional running shoes or just one pair of Newtons for $150 to $175 during that same time period. -
The video below shows Newton Running founder Danny Abshire as he demonstrates the finer points of forefoot running: proper athletic position; finding your sweet spot; the difference between walking stride, jogging stride, efficiency running and sprinting; and using the Land, Lever, Lift technique to perfect your form.
NEWTON NIGHT! If you live in the Triad area (Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, NC) then check out a pair of Newtons at our awesome local running store Off'n Running Sports located at 2201 Joan Ave in Greensboro (just off Lawndale). This Tuesday (October 5th) from 6-8PM will be Newton Night at Off'n Running. A Newton rep will be at the store to teach you about Newton shoes and how to run in them. Participants in Newton Night will receive a 15% discount on Newton shoes!! I told you Off'n Running Sports was great!
Note: Although Newton Running sent me a pair of the Gravity shoes and asked me to test and review the shoes, I was in no way urged to write a positive reveiw, nor was I paid or compensated in any other way for writing the reveiw. My review is purely based on my own personal experience using the product.
Barefoot running. It's gaining in popularity. Bring up barefoot running in a conversation with runners and it can be a hot topic. For the most part, runners are very loyal to their shoes. As with most anything, when the traditional way of doing something is questioned or changed, camps form and sides are taken. - I've said it before and I'll continue to say it...my philosophy of running is, "if it works for you, then do it." If someone has had 30 years of injury-free running in shoes, then I doubt he's doing anything wrong. And on the flip side, if someone has had injury, after injury, after injury running in shoes, then switches to running barefoot and suddenly is injury free, then it would appear that he's done something right. If it looks like a peach, and smells like a peach, it must be a peach. - The latter scenario, just happens to represent what happened to a buddy of mine Josh—Barefoot Josh. Josh has been running barefoot about a year and he's logged around 1,000 miles. (His barefoot miles don't include runs in which he wears socks, Vibram Five Fingers or other minimalist shoes.) He's also run a marathon and several shorter races barefoot. To read more about Josh's journey into barefoot running [click here].
Josh shared his love of barefoot running as well as proper barefoot running technique in a workshop at my fitness studio—RunnerDude's Fitness. I myself am a "taker and a maker"....I take bits and pieces of techniques from here and bits and pieces of knowledge from there and make my own home brew of running that seems to work for me. Because of a nerve problem in my right forefoot (Morton's neuroma), I'm not able to run barefoot. I guess, I could try running with one foot shod and one foot bare, but I'm thinking that may not work out too well. I may yet give one of the minimalist shoes a try, but until then, I've been incorporating many of the running form techniques advocated by barefoot runners into my own running, such as a shorter stride, more of a forefoot/midfoot strike, and a lighter more lifting motion of the foot instead of pounding the ground.
The one thing I'm not able to experience nor are minimalist runners is how true barefoot running can help a runner figure out what he/she is doing wrong by learning to "read" what their feet are telling them with each foot strike. Josh does a great job of explaining this in his workshop. Your feet become little sensors kind of like the ones in the fancy cars that tell you when somethings in the road ahead of you or when your tires are going flat. Your feet sensors can give the barefoot runner immediate feedback so that he/she can immediately make changes while running and hopefully avoid injury.
So, is barefoot running for you? Only you can tell. Give it a try and see what you think. Start slow and go short. Work your way up in distance and speed. Be patient. You may be surprised with the results.
Check out the video clip below taken from Josh's Barefoot Running Workshop at RunnerDude's Fitness.
