RUNssel

Kategorie: sneaker

März 12, 2016 / Keine Kommentare

shoeporn: Mizuno – Wave Catalyst

It is difficult to pick a running-shoe category for this one. With the latest Wave Catalyst, Mizuno just announced a successor for their Wave Elixir Modell. This shoe fulfils the lightweight and up-tempo chunk of their range. Pretty rare for a shoe of that category it features a moderate support for over-pronation. Looking back at the first-born Elixir model, the Mizuno engineers condensed the offset by 2mm. Mizuno used the grown space to renovate the padding, which provides this shoe a great cushioned sensation deprived of loosing a blameless contact to the ground, since very little energy is lost in compression and rebound.

Mizuno shaped a shoe that feels home among athletes gazing for a speedier trainer or tempo run shoe. Without a doubt there is speed in this shoe, but for a model like this it bids further stability, support and construction that a lot of comparable models miss.

The centre of attention is the Mizuno typical wave midsole (A Wave Plate constructed from pebax Rnew). It offers a great fitting and cushion through the heel and midfoot.

The Wave Catalyst is somewhat of a multipurpose, everyday training partner. There are not many shoes around that are that stable and likewise reckless. Mizuno offers great responsiveness with sufficient cushioning.

Pretty trendy – The Wave Catalyst in the “Palace Blue / Safety Yellow” colour theme. Mizuno understands to design characteristic shoes with a unique style.

Heavy-duty – I was astonished by the characteristic of the sole. Knowing the wear and tear sectors of my shoes following some miles of running, this one did not demonstrate too much shred. Mizuno promotes its extraordinary blown rubber to be super robust. Well, it looks like they are spot-on.

Besides the overall performance there are a lot of polite and petite features that make a shoe singular. Mizuno pleasantly incorporated their well-known runbird symbol in the sole.

The well-made compress of the upper material paired with stress-free adjustability of the laces creates a well fitting shoe. There is also plenty of room in the forefoot section without the impact on feet movement. With its 260 grams the shoe has a lot to offer for that weight division.

Robustness – A forceful carbon rubber is the highlight in the back part of the sole. Mizuno calls this rubber part “X10”. It supports the heel-striking runner. As a forefoot and middle foot striker I cannot access that piece. However I value the duration of the sole. Tough material is the backbones to the well-lit and bouncy cushion.

Key component – The flexible midsole shield provides an well-organized arrangement between the heel the middle part of the foot. It adds a secure sensation to every stride. Well needed with such a low-to-the-ground purpose. Running relaxed and gentle the shoe transports a clammy touch. But this is gone once you get yourself into a more lively and speedier state. The Wave Catalyst starts to deliver a dynamic and steadfast sensitivity with an capable structure that keep the motion in check.

All pictures (c) runssel

Other Mizuno reviews:

Mizuno – Wave Kazan 2
Mizuno – Wave Rider 19
Sneak Peak

Tune of the day: Joey Bada$$ – “Brooklyn’s Own” (Prod. By Statik Selektah)

März 4, 2016 / Keine Kommentare

shoeporn: Hoka One One – Vanquish 2

Hoka is back with its second version of the neutral Vanquish. More cushioning does not mean more weight. So the new form of the Vanquish happens to be even lighter and offers this characteristic and remarkable sensation of sensitivity combined with an incredibly light performance. With a total weight of 276 grams (size 42) this shoe is considered to be a partner for a smooth gallop.

Gossip has it that Hoka is well known to be pretty narrow. Width-wise I never experienced any difficulties. The Vanquish 2 adds to that impression and offers enough space for my ordinary sized feet.

As usual, the framework design is very distinctive. Not a surprise when it comes to Hoka. A robust two-layer foam shell saves the legs with its dense core construction. It benefits the feet to stay in place without being too inflexible. A foam layer close to the foot delivers cushioning. Foam on the outer assists a robust and agile stride.

Frenchman’s Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas Mermoud formed Hoka One One with the intention to offer more cushioning paired with a wide and firm stand based on light and durable fabrics. When they searched for a name they came by the Maori expression of “flying over the earth” which means Hoka One One.

A robust, well-muffled sole is the key factor to transport firm support in an active and responsive ride.

A Dual-Layer Midsole Construction that fuses rebound EVA in the body with a cushioned EVA on top, offers customary HOKA ONE ONE Ultrasize cushioning with a bit of extra springy ‘zing’ in the stride.

The images display the Vanquish 2 in the “Grey / Orange Flash” colour theme.

Properly there is not a spookier midsole out there then the one you witness here. Hoka uses the midsole to intensify lateral structure to their produces. This works tremendously well with this exemplary. A feature that makes the brand stands out from the competition. As far as I’m concerned there is not a comparable technique around with the competition.

This shoe is considered for road running and the “Full Ground Contact design” bids a secure feel. In the past the Hoka outsoles caused some light issues as the wear and tear was an problem. Not with this one.

Several geometrical details: Offset: 5 mm, Forefoot: 27 mm, Heel: 32 mm

The Vanquish 2 makes for a great long-distance training shoe – bouncy and reactive. A joy for training crushed up jogging limbs.

Other Hoka One One Reviews:
Hoka One One – Speedgoat
Hoka One One – Huaka
Hoka One One – Clifton 2

All pictures (c) runssel

Tune of the day: Sendemast – Generation Hauptbahnhof

Februar 19, 2016 / Keine Kommentare

shoeporn: Merrell – All Out Crush Light

Back in 1981, two directors for the Rossignol ski enterprise, Clark Matis and John Schweizer joint forces with Randy J. Merrell. Merrell had been manufacturing vastly celebrated custom hiking boots. Quite some amount of shoes has been build and sold over the past few years. All sorts of outdoor shoes can be found in the current Merrell catalogue. Their hottest onset is called “All Out Crush Light”. Another highlight to their rising off-road jogging battery.

Breathable netting paired with pleasant TPU and woven fabric upper makes for a comfy fitting and a smart exterior. The “All Out Crush Light” is a super flexible shoe. That does not mean you can bend the shoe all around. It means the shoe is pretty adjustable to diverse exteriors. An elastic upper makes up for this distinct touch and creates a dynamic feeling on the trails and on the road.

Merrell bids a pretty trustworthy under foot guard named “TrailProtect”. Notwithstanding eluding the significance of a sensation for the ground, a unfailing defence versus harsh natural disturbs is well incorporated.

Did you ever smash a stone or a rock while cruising around the trails? Well, I wear US 13 so it is pretty likeable I do get some knocks here and there. The shielding toe cap safed me some blue toenails.

Quick data: A courteous 6mm Drop beside a 5mm lug elevation. These specifics paired with a springy sole and some responsive soft foam make for a balanced trail shoe.

I enjoyed the tangible rubber outsole of the “All Out Crush”. It performed very reliable on all sorts of paths and throughout different types of weather. Besides the pleasant off-road performance the sole does also offer decent comfort on tarmac. The UniFly Midsole is a great comfort midsole and the heart of this shoe.

218 grams is not much for a shoe with such characters. It enhances to the vibrant impression while running Merrell’s latest lightweight cannonball throughout its speeds. A exciting all-rounder.

A good looking and fast Trail shoe. Alongside a 99,95 € retail price the “All Out Crush Light” occurs to be a well-thought-of and economically priced trail shoe option.

Heaps of smart features makes that shoe stick out. Certain facings do also feature highly shimmering outer material . An exciting feature during night runs.

A prosperous adding to the off-road running portion in the novel Merrell catalogue – the “All Out Crush Light”

All pictures (c) runssel

Tune of the day: Gramatik – Ass Kickin’ Bass

Februar 7, 2015 / Keine Kommentare

shoeporn: La Sportiva – Helios

The Helios just appeared right on time. As the season got worse and worse, my daily runs got a bit out of control. Snow and frost on the streets and challenging trail situations made up for some dodgy actions while training.

With a fine heel-toe drop of 4mm the Helios could be perceived as the bigger, bulky brother to La Sportiva’s Vertical K trail running shoe. I jogged the Vertical K and treasured the shoe for it’s minimal style and the forceful sole. With the Helios La Sportiva established an additional lightweight (8.1 oz, 231 g) shoe which can be seen as a day-to-day workhorse and light racing shoe for runners who can handle just about the perfect extent of cushioning and nothing more. We are talking about a light and steadfast trail shoe by any means. I found it hard to slow down while cruising the trails with this reliable partner. On muddy trails I found the grips to be utterly astonishing. The inner of the Helios is made up in a sock-like style. Besides a comfortable feeling it helps to pretend from slipping or sliding.

Being a admirer of an minimal approach to shoe design, I have to say that La Sportiva did a fantastic job with the Helios. I used the shoe in rain, snowfall and on dry days, on the road and on the trails. I never was dissatisfied by any means. The comfortable mood stayed with me all the time without loosing the aggressive style and touch for the soil. For me the Helios is a complete training partner and flawless racing shoe for longer trail competitions. Having a wide foot I found this shoe to be a perfect fit. Well done, La Sportiva!

Prego – 231g of italian trail running funk.

HyDrain Mesh on the outside. Feels good.

This sole goes by the name of FriXion. I dont know what it means but i know that it works. Pretty well.

Grip as you need.

Ciao Bella! Another red italian race car?

Straight outta Ziano di Fiemme.

Slick design.

Trail jogging made easy with the Helios.

Tune of the day: Skizzy Mars – Red Balloon (Instrumental)

Februar 15, 2014 / 6 Kommentare

#shoeporn: Haglöfs Gram XC

Swedish outdoor enterprise Haglöfs is not really a trademark you would associate with foot gear. Since a couple of years they build some pretty nice alpine and hiking shoes besides their key range of clothing. Recently they paired up with Japanese footwear powerhouse Asics to please the booming trail running market. The distinguishing presence of their main model Gram XC is nothing to oversee. This shoe is red. Just red. Funky.

Appearance is a lot for me when it comes to running shoes. If I don’t like the look of a shoe I would not really use it. Indubitably taste is something that is interpreted in a lot of special ways. For me this shoe looks good. I like the shape of the shoe and the little gimmicks that come with it. It is well build and pleases the eye with its individual monochrome design. Something new in a very special way.

It is raining and storming when I lace up the Gram XC to go out in the forest for a test ride. The first couple of kilometers lead me past the local farm roads and through grass tracks. The shoe feels solid on tarmac. Sometimes trail soles feels awkward running on normal, even ground. This one is a bit unalike. The lightness of the shoe is a main feature according to the product information. Yes, the shoe is light but not any different to comparable models. It feels good and for a shoe with this amount of cushion it certainly is not heavy.

Just when I take a sharp turn into a soaky grass trail I get to feel a nice feature this shoe has to offer. The grip is pretty awesome for a sole of that style. A very sweet foam mixture of the sole and the shape makes it nice to move aggressively in corners and on technical trails. A very responsive feeling is something you really appreciate with this shoe. I continued on some slippy trails through the local forest. Hurdled some trees and cruised along rock sections that generally make a road running shoe scream. Not so the Gram XC. Very straightforward performance by this guy.

I continue to wonder about the flexibility of the Gram XC and certainly feel that this shoe obviously does have a Rock Protection in the AHAR (Asics High Abrasion Resistance) sole, as I land on some sharp gravels. The Asics Gel system nevertheless works nice and for a forefoot runner like me the cushioning is well placed in that shoe. As always I could do with a bit less plastic on the back. After running the shoe for a couple of weeks now I have to say that the sole material looks pretty “run down” at some parts. Something that other shoes in my rack don’t.

As you will see the pictures the Gram XC has some mesh covering the lacking. They say it is a ‘lace pocket’. I could not really fit the laces in there, as it is cut way to short and rigid. I tried it twice but lost the interest in that feature pretty fast. Other then this feature it is a nice protection against rocks and sand. Not so against water and rain. I found the shoe to get soaked pretty fast. Even with light rain and misty trails. The lacing system does come across a bit thin but feels good and holds the feet in a secure position. Also the cut of the shoe in the back gives a nice and secure feeling and all kind of undergrounds.

So did I like this shoe? I certainly did. Despite being a shoe designed for trails and off-road running the Gram XC pleased me on all king of terrains and weather conditions. It is a nice and well build all-day training shoe. For me the highlight is the sole and the way it supports you and keeps you on track. I’m exited to see what Haglöfs has on offer for the next round of trail running models. The start was ok. Lets see what the future holds.

Tune of the day: Talib Kweli – State Of Grace

Dezember 12, 2013 / Keine Kommentare

#shoeporn: Salomon S-LAB Sense Ultra

Dezember 9, 2013 / Keine Kommentare

#shoeporn: Brooks – Adrenaline ASR 10

It is not an easygoing mission to find the accurate shoe for this kind of damp and rainy climate. You never really know what to expect when you go out for a run these days in the middle of Europe. The day-to-day training bounces amongst dull roads, misty forest paths, muddy farm-tracks and your splashed home-grown single trail.

Most of the time I’m just so impatient to go out running that I simply do not want to think about the shoe I’m going to wear. Unquestionably in summer it does not really matter what you wear. The difficulties and undergrounds do not ask for to much during daily exercise. Suddenly in wintertime this changes. Not only to the best.

So when you jog along in the early morning or evenings you need some comrade out there. You need somebody who can do it all. Someone who is an “a jack of all trades”. Just call it an “a jack of all tracks” – the polymath of running. Let’s call it: Adrenaline ASR 10

It is not the first time I run this shoe and it surely wont be the last. In this kind of season he is man. The Adrenaline comes with a humble but efficient and well positioned „MoGo“- cushion that still give you enough sensation for the environment your leaping past. Together with the new outside that features the well-known Gore- Tex Membrane nothing really speaks against this shoe.

With the 10th version Brooks still opted the game for this role-model that set the standard. Merged with this new ADR sole. Well, they created a true polymath for daily running training.