Shoe Review - Asics GT-2160 / Update on runningwarehouse.com

      By: Brent

Like father, like son....

As I entered the running lifestyle, the first REAL pair of shoes I bought were the Asics GT-2140. I had had other "running shoes". The gimmicky Adidas and Nike, and even a couple random generic Asics. This was a real running shoe though. I slipped this on and angels sung, everything seemed brighter and I was know in understanding of what a good running shoe was. You slid into the GT-2140 and it fit like a glove. You felt the gel. The support was seamless and you didn't feel it pushing on you, and you never had any pain, so you knew it worked. It wasn't the lightest shoe you have read about, but I wasn't entering the next Olympics or even high school meet so it was going to be fine for my training. The shoe was going to function for many miles and not need to be replaced in 200 miles.

Sadly, even the finest shoe will wear down and break down over time. 210 pounds of constant pounding. 100...200...300...400 miles getting tacked on, you start noticing the end is near.

Starting back into running, one perk is getting new shoes and I made my attempt with Mizuno. It didn't go well and you can read about it here. Not that it was a bad shoe, but it wasn't for my foot.

I filled out my exchange paperwork and information to runningwarehouse.com. The easiest part was that both shoes were the same price so I did not have to get into the whole charging the card again process. In about 5 days I had a brand new, different, and what would turn out to be better shoe for my liking.

The Asics GT-2160. This years version compared to the well used GT-2140 was very similar. design was perhaps a bit nicer. I can't begin to tell you the difference in the technology. I'm sure it involves letters like "X arc" and "HI Flow this and that" and "ZX Q Form" and more crap that means "We didn't know when to stop with the fancy talk but you'll be fine." The one thing that I seem to read every year on Runner World is "...they added more memory foam...." Well when I put on the new GT-2160, I thought, hmm, "must have added too much memory foam!?!"

The GT-2140 hooked onto your foot, especially in the heel section. The GT-2160 sat up against your foot. I took off for my mileage in the 2160 and after my warm up walk and started into my jogging motion I never again thought about the heel section and the feeling of not being snugged into the shoe. Even after all the extra mileage to date, I don't feel that instant "love" feeling I did with the 2140, but it doesn't stop me from putting them on and heading out for a run.

All in all, I like the GT-2160 but I do like his dad a bit better. After 2 miles it is the same shoe as its dad. Same weight, same build and the same feeling of durability. The son is a little more finicky. Sonny might be a little more worried about the tech than the functionality of itself but all in all, he's a good kid.

As for runningwarehouse.com, I will continue to send them my business. I have now bought 5 pairs of shoes, shorts and some random gear, all flawlessly. Now having just dealt with my first exchange of a shoe I had no issues and I have had a clothing return in the past that also went without a headline, I dare you to find another source that has the selection, pricing, and customer service that runningwarehouse.com can offer you. Did I mention free 2nd day shipping and every shipment already comes with a prepaid return label? Good luck beating that.

Shoe Review, Mizuno Wave Inspire 7

By Brent

I have learned, as with the Brooks Ravenna, just because it looks good and feels okay walking around the house, means NOTHING compared to running in a shoe. Being signed up for another half marathon again I knew I needed to check my mileage in my current line up of shoes. I logged onto active.com where I have for the past year logged all my mileage running, biking or swimming (year to date, 0 miles!). The line up looked as follows...

Brooks Ravenna, 1,XXX miles due to being my everyday walk around shoe.

Asics Nimbus, 408.45 miles, semi retired

Asics GT-2140, 489.29 miles, retired
Asics DS Trianer 14, 260.49 miles, active but aging

So knowing that a bigger fella like myself is going to flatten a shoe out quicker than say, Usain Bolt, I knew that one aging pair of shoes wasn't going to do the trick. LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!!!

I have said before, with size 15 feet, I don't have the same luxury as most folks who walk into a store and point out the prettiest thing on the wall and try it out, so the best luck I have had so far is on runningwarehouse.com or roadrunnersports.com. Going through runningwarehouse.com I entered my specs and it shot out a fair amount of shoes to choose from. I also appreciate that there is no shipping and handling, 2 day air standard freight, and return label already shipped with the shoe, and almost every time, the best price you can find anywhere!

One option that popped out was the Mizuno Wave Inspire 7. I have wanted Mizuno for quite some time. I was pleased with the $85 price and they had my size in stock. The other perk was that the shipping time line worked out perfect for a family vacation we were taking that weekend down to see my uncle, and Boston Marathon runner, and I could use his True treadmill and not have to touch mine.

"Is True the best brand treadmill?" you ask. I don't have a clue. I know they have gotten good reviews from runners world magazine, but for me, my height makes me love it more than mine. I have to turn the treadmill 90 degrees, slide an acoustic drop ceiling tile to the side and run very steady with in a span of 24" front to back and 16" center to center.

So the Mizuno's arrived and I put them on. The only feeling better than a new pair of sneakers is a new pair of socks. As I walked around I thought they felt good. Not a noticeable amount of cushion, but still a good feeling shoe. snug on the heal, roomy in the toe. Very solid. I felt good about this one.

The family made its trip south and Saturday night was the big event. I got all dressed out and put on the Mizuno Wave Inspire 7 and began the walk. A slow, boring 3.5 mph walk. As I walked I did feel a disturbing amount of rub on the very back of the right heel about the sock line. So after a half mile walk I stopped and moved my socks, which were a no show sock, but were now pulled up rather high and looked fairly dumb. Either way, I wondered if maybe it was just this type of sock. So I got back on and walked another quarter mile and wasn't pleased with how things were panning out. I wondered if speed was the issue so I pressed the preset speed button on the True (wishing that I myself had one) and tried them out at 5 m.p.h. No better so after stopping and readjusting I hopped back on and tried out 8 m.p.h. No better. Another sock tweak, and another 5 m.p.h. lap and things were looking like my relationship with Mizzo was going to be null.

After 3.25 miles I decided that I will be sending the Mizuno back. After a side by side comparison the back of the Mizzo's do run up a good bit higher than my current Brooks or Asics and didn't have nearly the same ACL cut out section. I will be exchanging these and going back to my brand of choice, Asics and bringing in the GT-2160. What could possible go wrong?!?!

Shoe Reveiw: Brooks Ravenna

By: Brent

I must admit I did the unthinkable. When it comes to RUNNING shoe shopping, it would be best if the manufacturer's would only show you a picture of the box. When you go to try on a shoe, it should be covered in black peel away plastic. You the consumer shouldn't be able to see the shoe for 2 weeks after the purchase of a new pair of running shoes. However...that is NOT the case. I have issues. I have size 15 issues. I don't often get the option to walk into a store, point at a shoe, and them skip out from the back room and try one one. So I have to rely on Runners World and Running Warehouse and other reviews to tell me how I will feel in a shoe. The problem is, I only KIND OF did that. I saw this dazzler of a shoe and thought, "i shall have you". Then as it became available and the pricing was released and it hit the shelves and was able to be purchased, I did it.

WHY I DID IT?:

• I have had many a pair of Asics and I really wanted to try a pair of Brooks. check!
• I need a mild support shoe. check!
• I need something that is made AND available in a size 15. check!
• I mentally wanted a lighter shoe (mind you in a size 15, nothing is light). check!
• I wanted to keep my purchase under $100. check!
• but most importantly, I thought the Brooks Ravenna looked amazing. So I bought it.

When the shoe arrived, I got on the treadmill (huh!) and walked 1.5 miles to get a feeling for how I liked the shoe. I had no feelings. Zero. It was a shoe. I didn't think that it was super soft, amazing fit, great balance or even that it was amazingly light. I wasn't amazed, but it wasn't that I didn't like it. The problem is, I think i liked it best because of how it looked. So the next day, I brought them into work and wore them around to break them in more. Not bad. Not amazing, just fine.

So the first day comes around that I can get outside with them. I did a 2 mile out and back and they felt hard. Not painful but they just didn't have the give that my previous shoes have had. I will say other shoes before this have also been heavier shoe's so it makes sense that some of the extra foam in the bottom of the shoe has been pulled out to save weight.

Now since I purchased this shoe, not counting walking around at work, I have logged 46.2 miles. The best thing I did was pulled out the stock insole and replaced it with the thinnest Spenco insole available. This made any minor knee pain go away and I logged a 12 mile run this past weekend.

I want to add that my hope was that this shoe would be my marathon day shoe. It won't be. I have now also purchased an Asics DS Trainer 14. Very similar shoe characteristics but just feels better to me. I may even put insoles in that shoe but that has yet to be determined. The main reason I bought another shoe was to split the training distance but I think this may be my go to race day shoe. I need to log more miles before that gets determined.

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Choose a Running Shoe (howcast.com)
• Confessions of a Running Shoe Polygamist (runblogger.com)
• Running Shoes Jog Joints (scientificamerican.com)

Becoming One With the Bike

Image by JeffKamp via Flickr

By: Jeff

I have read many blog postings and magazine articles touting the use of clipless pedals. I have decided try them out.  So I bought my first clipless pedals and my first biking shoes.

In deciding what type of pedals and what type of shoes that I would be purchasing I decided to come up with some sort of criteria.  First, they had to be practical.  Seconded they had to be easy to use.  Third they had to look good!!!   Fourth they obviously had to be in my price range.

Image by JeffKamp via Flickr

The first decision, and this goes with the practical, is whether I would go with a mountian setup or a road setup.  Since my current bike is a mountian bike I defaulted towards a mountain setup.  This, however, was not my only reasoning for this setup.  A mountain biking shoe uses an SPD cleat setup, which is reassed into the sole of the shoe.  This makes for easier walking and is more practical for cross country trips.  As for the second decision I wanted something the would be easy to use, something with a low learning curve.  Minimally I was looking for something with dual sided entry.  As I got farther along in the decision making process I was also liking the Idea of getting something with a small platform.  This would be just in case I was in a situation where couldn't clip into the pedals.  The third decesion was primarily just based on the astecitics of the setup.  I just wanted something that I liked looking at.  The fourth decision, that of price, made me look to alternative models, ebay, and numerous online bike shops.

Image by JeffKamp via Flickr

With that being said. I ended up with Crank Brothers Smarty Pedals and Shimano M076 shoes.  It is winter here and very cold, (I know, I know,  man up right?!?).  Anyways, I did install the pedals and have had several sessions on the bike stand.  I don't think it is fair for me to review how easy or hard it is to get into the pedals until I am actually out on the road.  I will review these in full when I get them out on the road.  Until then I will keep practicing clipping in and out on my bike stand.