Boring stuff that is slowly becoming more interesting to me...

Inspired by KFM's sudden interest and diligence in the art of running well in recent years, as well as MF and discipulus kicking my butt in numerous races, I've been working on my running posture and transitioning to a forward foot strike since June 2011. In order to aid that effort, I purchased a pair of 'minimalist' Adidas running shoes last summer, and subsequently, a pair of New Balance shoes this summer. I've never reviewed shoes before, so I will compare my last pair and new pair of running shoes at the risk of appearing 1.) like a total running dork, and 2.) like I don't really have any clue what I'm talking about from a running shoe structure standpoint. If this review gives that vibe, it's because it is true. That said, here is an honest comparison of these two running shoes based solely on personal experience.

As you can see, the Adidas shoes are well-loved. (Top shoe) They are called the Climacool 'Ride'. 'Sounds almost like the shoe does all the work for you, doesn't it? Until this month, every mile that I had run since June 2011 had been run in them, and surprisingly, they didn't do any of the work for me, but they did hold up to the strain pretty well. The soles are slightly thinner than the well-cushioned, heel-strike-encouraging shoes in which I've been running my whole life. They are also much more flexible. The sole of the shoe makes a zigzag pattern from side to side with empty space between that allows the whole shoe to twist and bend. This made for some very uncomfortable runs until I got used to it. It also allowed buoyant, 'very small rocks' to get stuck in the sole, but there is enough cushion that I didn't feel them most of the time. Despite the thin sole, there is still enough thickness under the heel to scuff the ground at the end of a long run when my feet begin to drag a little bit. These shoes were my first step toward minimalist/barefoot running, though, and the first several months spent running in them were filled with sore calves and achilles' tendons. However, through an entire year of learning to run with a foot strike more forward on my foot, I had no injuries, and my feet never hurt, except that time I stubbed my toe. As someone who was a heel-striker all my life, I think these shoes provided just enough support under my heel to help me transition to a more forward posture, without scuffing a lot once I got there. They are also well-ventilated. I never got blisters in these shoes because my feet were too sweaty. The only time I did get blisters was because I didn't wear socks. 'lesson learned.

This brings me to the New Balance. (Bottom shoe) This is the Minimus MT10. This is the trail version of the regular Minimus zero drop shoes, but those tend to run a little longer and narrower and didn't fit my foot very well. These trail shoes, on the other hand, fit my feet like a glove that fits really well. They are wider at the toes and much narrower at the heel so they fit snugly around my heel and allow my toes to splay a little bit. There is a 4mm drop from heel to toe, and the sole under the ball of the foot almost feels like it's not there. It almost feels like a sock with a piece of leather on the bottom. The sole is so thin, in fact, that I can feel every pebble, half-eaten lollipop, and crack in the pavement. My foot wraps right around tree roots and larger stones. It'll take some getting used to. There is very little cushioning under the heel, so these shoes really force my posture to be more upright with a foot-strike on the ball of my foot. If my calves were sore after a week in the old shoes, I can only imagine what it would have been like to go straight to these new shoes. (I probably would have died, and someone at the Salvation Army would have gotten only slightly-worn running shoes, cheap.) Even after a year of working on my posture, I started running in these shoes three weeks ago and my calves burn after a run again. You'll notice on the Adidas that the shoe is worn around the outer ball of my foot. That's where my foot strikes the ground first and my toes splay quite a bit there. The egg-heads at New Balance figured this out and wrapped an extension of the sole around this portion of the shoe to strengthen it. They also put a neoprene strap over the top forward part of the foot to make it fit more snugly there. This really makes a difference, because it still allows my toes to splay, but the shoelace isn't the only thing holding the shoe on my foot. They also have a Vibram sole which has a reputation for being very rugged. The major drawback to these shoes, and the only reason I would recommend for someone to buy something else, if they haven't already transitioned from cushioned shoes, is the price. They are quite expensive. (Around $100) I'm not used to paying that much for running shoes, but I saw it as an investment. Actually, all of the minimalist shoes seem to be more popular now and shoe companies can charge whatever they want. Most other minimalist shoes which I tried on are similarly expensive, but none of them fit as well as these.

There you have it; my amateur take. All that said, having worked on my posture for the last year, I have noticed a major difference in mile splits over several miles, ability to run long miles under my aerobic threshold without feeling sore the next day, and the way a habitual forward foot-strike really helps running hills/trails. I won't conjecture that the shoes made all the difference, but I'm sure they helped.

Thanks for humoring me and reading to the end. Now you get a half-eaten lollipop.