Puma Mobium Elite

The first time I saw this shoe, I know I had to get it. But I knew nuts about it. Only that it is Puma. And Puma is the brand that is sponsoring Usain Bolt. Maybe the hope is that a little bit of his speed will rub off. Haha. But the true is that I was attracted by the price and more importantly the color!

I have not had an orange shoe for some time. In fact, the color for the past 2 years have been green. Orange shoe has been kinda hard to find. But now I got 2. The other pair? That will be revealed later in another post. But first back to the Puma Mobium Elite.

It was on offer at $90.00 at the Puma Outlet. Any shoe below a $100.00 is a bargain. And this is 2013 edition not some past season shoe. And it comes with a lot of credential. Or rather the hardsell from the manufacturer. "Puma Mobium is a new innovative running shoe......adaptive running. Puma Mobium Elite naturally adapts to the foot as it moves, expanding and contracting as the foot naturally does in strides" What does that means? It means that after 2 or it it 3 years of research, the good people at Puma has decided that human should run like puma and came up with their interpretation of it namely:

a) A Mobium Band. Inspired by the tendon, it runs through the outsole and the more force applied - the more spring it returns.

b) Expansion Pods. Inspired by the paws of the puma, it is supposed to provide cushioning, flexibility and protection. Damn, it does really look like the paw of a cat!

c) Windlass Chassis. It is supposed to change length, height and proportion in line with the foot's movement.

The Mobium is supposed to be a minimalist shoe. It comes with a 8 mm drop and weights about 240 gm. Not exactly minimalist by my standard.  That all for the mumbo jumbo. So how does it really feel on the run?

First the issues:

To date I have worn it for close to 50 km. The first time I worn it, i got a giant size blister on the outside of the big toe. I attributed it to the cheap socks I was running and switch socks the next round but the blisters moved to between the third and fourth toe. Evidently, the toe box is too small. Not too sure whether the shoes come in wide size. But there was another problem. The shoes felt loose. It threatens to fly off if I swing too hard and high. In the end, I had to really tighten the shoe laces to keep it in place. So is it too big or to small? More importantly, every time I start running it it, I develop this super soreness and pain in the arch. I think it is because of the design of the Windlass Chassis. But after about 10 minutes into the run, the pain disappear and the ride becomes more comfortable. 

Now for the goodie:

For short run, this feels great - the arch soreness aside. The spring is incredible. I feel like I can fly. And there is ample cushioning and flex to propel me forward. I am not too sure where the mobium band comes in. Maybe I am not pro enough to detect it. 

Waterproofing is adequate. With its netted upper, it drain off water fast enough. And its is not hot. But then again, I did all my runs in this pair of shoes in the evening and for not more than an hour each time, so heat built up is not an issue or something that I have encounter yet.

Overall, I will err on the safe side and wear it only for short runs and intervals not exceeding 1 hour or 10km. Definitely not for marathon distance.