We’ve certainly come a long way in shoe technology compared to the old sandals they wore in Ancient Greece. At least I think they wore sandals... movies are historically accurate right?
I have been trying to find my perfect pair of running shoes and, while nothing I have tried so far has been perfect, they’re still worth taking a look at.
This was my first pair of running shoes that I bought when I started to take running more seriously. It’s a neutral shoe with a 12 mm heel-to-toe drop. Overall, I think it’s a really good shoe for the casual runner. It’s very cushiony, which I personally like a lot, and the upper is very breathable. I especially love the roomy toe box which gives my feet a ton of room to spread out.
The reason this pair is no longer part of my everyday running gear is because it’s a bit too heavy for me now and I’m used to running with slightly less of a drop. Again, if I were a bit more of a casual runner, I would think these would be a great pair of shoes. Definitely worth a consideration if you’re looking for a new pair.
When the HOVR line first came out, my YouTube feed blew up with reviews of this shoe. At $100 (at the time of this post) it was definitely worth taking a look. It’s a neutral shoe with a 8 mm heal-to-toe drop and was relatively light (compared to my Brooks). I, personally, loved the design of the Sonic and the upper was extremely breathable. In fact, there were days when my feet were a bit too cold because this shoe let in so much air. UA’s big marketing push for this shoe was the energy return and I will admit that it lives up to the claim - it’s definitely very springy.
I’ve put about 120 miles on my pair so far and I really want to like this shoe but the biggest drawback for me is its width. For some reason, the shoe is just really tight on my feet. I’ve played around with the laces and used alternative laces but it feels like my feet sometimes goes off the sole a bit. The toe box is cramped compared to the Brooks (although to be fair you can park a Buick in the Brooks) and has led to some very uncomfortable distance runs. I’ve checked the website and have not (at the posting of this blog entry) seen an option for a wide. My verdict; if you have narrow feet, go for it but otherwise it might be a bit too uncomfortable on longer runs.
I actually picked up the Zantes on a whim because I was looking into a pair of shoes with a lower heel-to-toe drop. I swung by my local running store and they had this on sale because it was last year’s model. At first, when I tried to run in them, my reaction was that I didn’t like them because I felt it lacked the cushioning that I’ve grown accustomed to with the Brooks. However, now that I’ve put about 200+ miles on them, I have to say they’re probably closest to being perfect (for me of course).
They’re light and the upper is very breathable. There’s a lot of flex in the sole when compared to the other two pairs and the toe box didn’t feel as cramped as the HOVR. The foam in the sole could use a bit more energy return but that is probably more of a personal preference than anything else. With a 6 mm heel-to-toe drop, this is the most aggressive offset pair I have to date. I don’t have an issue using these for long distances so I’m likely going to use this pair for my 1/2 marathon in May.
All products in this review were purchased with my own money and no one has approached me to do a review for them. My thoughts on the products are my own and do not reflect the thoughts or opinions of anyone else.
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