Skechers GoRun 2

This comes about 3 years late. But hey, better late than never. I first read about the Skechers Gorun back in 2012. Back then, Skechers had just embarked on the development of a running shoes and the review wasn't that great. Nevertheless, my curiosity was piqued and I was determined to get hold of one to try out. But being the kiam kanah, I wanted to get one at a more down to earth price since it was just for the purpose of trying. I waited and waited and Gorun 2 came and went and 3 came along. And finally I decided to buy. But not the Gorun 3 but the by now on offer Gorun 2. Beggars can't be chooser so I ended up with a blue shoe. My 2nd pair of all blue shoe after so many years. But the store didn't have any other color available. Worst of all, it was half size too small. I knew it the minute I put it on but so strong was my desire to try it, that I just went ahead. To be frank though, I quite like the color. That was back in the middle of last year and after that, it was left in the box for another 6 months before I finally took it out this year!

The Gorun 2 comes with a 4mm heel to toe drop and is considered a minimalist shoe. The upper is very breathable. And  it is light coming in at about 200 gm.

The heel counter is on the low side just like the tongue is pretty short too for my long feet at least.

The sole is what set the Gorun 2 apart from other running shoes. It comes with round studs which they called Pods. Not too sure what the various colors and design does but whatever it does though it must be doing something great for I am going to say it now, this is probably why I now consider this the best pair of running shoes I ever have!

So far I worn it for over more than 30 km and I am loving every km of it. Notwithstanding the fact that it is still half size too small. In my first run, I knew it was too small and because I have Morton's toe, it was a tight fit at the front although the width was just right. Not willing to give up on the shoe, in my next run, I decided to go sockless and bingo! Without the sock, the fit was just right and there was no blisters on my foot. Not at the heel where I expected or the side of the toe. Nothing. I was really delighted!

Cushioning. This is supposed to be a minimalist shoes and rightfully I do not expect much cushioning but it was there all right. Not a lot but enough to make the landing soft. And best of all, extremely comfortable. 

Traction: I ran mostly on road and in one instance, after a heavy downfall. There was no slippage even on the smooth concrete surfaces. Ground feel was good too. Obviously because this is not a trail shoe, I have not attempted to run in the trails with it. I think the upper appears to be a bit thin to take the toils of the trail. 

Flexibility. The shoe is rather flexible despite the presence of the many pods. The design of the pods forces the wearer to land on the midfoot and toe off properly. No way to land on the heel which is as it should be. I took it for a few hard runs with the longest distance at 10km and it works well especially the pushing off part.

Water Proofing. I ran once after a heavy downpour and maybe because I didn't deliberately run into puddles of water, my foot didn't get wet.

Overall, I would say this is by far the most comfortable running shoes I ever have. However, to date the longest distance I did in them was 10km and I am a bit apprehensive about going longer distance although I am aware many runners have already worn it for marathons. Maybe now that Gorun 4 is already out, I will go and see whether I can get a pair of Gorun 3 at a price below $100.00 with the correct sizing  and perhaps try to run a marathon in them. 

My Unconventional Shoes

I constantly tell people to wear proper and suitable shoes when they run but when it comes to myself, I never ever follow my own advice. Take this 2 pair of shoes for instance.

I bought the Puma Mobium on impulse at the Puma Factory outlet in December 2013. Back then I knew nothing about the shoes and the only reason I bought it was it cost less than $100.00 and it was orange in color. True be told, it wasn't a really great shoe. It was a tad too rigid for me and I was always afraid the Mobium band will break. But slowly I got used to it  In fact, I worn it so often that I managed to clock more than 700km in it and all from runs of not more than 10 km. I still couldn't bring myself to run longer distance in it. And the Mobium band didn't break. In fact, it was the upper that finally tear and force me to retire it. So it has been a pretty good shoe after all and certainly good value for money. But not a shoe that I will recommend to anybody.

The Skecher shoe on the right of the photo is the Skecher Go Run 2. I got this in the 3rd quarter of 2014. It was on sale as the Go Run 3 was already out. Since then it has been in its box till this week when I finally took it out to replace the Puma Mobium. And these 2 shoes wouldn't have been more different than night and day. But more about the Skecher when I run substantially enough to form a proper opinion.

So these 2 pair adds on to my collection of unconventional and non main stream running shoes which so far have included the Altra Lone Peak (still in use); Terra Plana Evo (one of my favourite and now retired); Tyr booties, Pearl Izumi SyncroPace; Zoot UltraTempo (another favourite) and my current daily ride, the Puma Faas 300. How many of these names do you recognize?

Puma Faas 300 V3

My very first pair of Puma running shoes was the Mobium. I didn't really like it initially but it kinda grew on me and I am still wearing it for daily runs and it has clocked more than 600 km and still look none the worst for wear. So when Puma wanted to pass me a pair to try on, I was hoping to get the Mobium Elite V2 but instead I was given the Faas 300 V3. I had a shock when I realised that the shoe comes with an 8 mm heel to toe drop. The past few shoes I had was either 0 or at most 4mm drop so this was going to be something new to try on. 

Anyway, since I don't know anything about the shoe, I had to quickly find out more about it from the Puma website. So here are the usual mumbo jumbo.

The first impression I had when I got it was wow. It looks rather nice. And it was in red to add to my collection of red shoes.

Design: I like the speckles of grey that is scattered all over the shoes. Apparently, they are luminous and reflect light making it a good shoe to wear for night running.

I also like that the length of the tongue was not too long and not too short. Some shoes come with super long  tongue which brushes against the ankle or too short that the top shoe laces lies on top of the foot instead of the tongue. This one is just about right. And it has some nice codes on it. I am sure those words there mean something but what I am not exactly sure:)

The heel counter was also just right and this is one of the few rare pair of shoes when I did not get any hot spot at the heel even though I wear mainly low ankle socks. The heel  counter grip well and give fairly adequate support.

Weight: Coming in at about 230 gm for my size 12, I must say this is super light considering that it has a very thick looking sole.

Cushioning: Cushioning is more than adequate with Puma FaasFoam+ midsole and EverRide+ forefoot blown rubber. However, not being used to too much cushioning nowadays, I feel that it hinders more than enhance my run. 

Traction: So far I did about 35 km in this shoe covering a fairly wide range of surfaces except for trails. I even worn it for the Puma Night Run 2014 where the route surfaces included tarmac, pavement and some uneven slate ground. I also ran in it during a heavy downpour over extremely wet ground with a lot of puddles and the grip was terrific. Probably because Puma uses what it calls EverTrack high abrasion resistant rubber. On top of that, I believe the design of the sole helps as well.

Flexibility: The shoe is pretty flexible. Again the design of the sole helps a lot allowing for smooth toe off and transition. I didn't get any arch pain or discomfort unlike what I first felt when I worn the Puma Mobium Elite.

Water Proofing: The upper is made up of a air mesh which means that water can get in easily. As it was, I was caught in a heavy downpour during one of the run and water got in almost immediately. But it also drained out pretty fast. 

Overall, I quite like the shoe despite the 8mm drop. It didn't really affects the running as much as I feared maybe because I am still wearing the Mobium which also has an 8mm drop. The only thing I didn't like was the rather narrow toe box which could potential give problem over longer distance. So far the longest distance I ran in them was 15 km but it has yet to give me problem so I could be wrong about it. Nevertheless, I feel that this will be a good everyday shoe for training, short fast run rather than long runs or marathons. And at S$130.00 I think it is a good buy compared to the much more expensive more well established shoes available.

New Shoes

It has been a long long time since I have so many pairs of new running shoes. But I reckoned it time to retire some of my running shoes and I am mighty excited at what I have to replace them with.

First on the list is my 4th pair of Saucony Kinvara. This is my 2nd pair of Kinvara 3.

I bought this a few months ago at the Royal Sporting House when there was a 50% discount. I guess the hefty discount was due to the Kinvara 4 being out for some time and the release of the Kinvara in other countries and they were trying to get rid of the number 3. Number 3 suits me fine though and if it ain't broken, why fix it? And at 50% discount I can't go wrong, not with my current pair hitting over 700km and although a bit worn out at the sole, still giving good support.

This is the left sole of the current shoe. Having clocked 708 km, I think it is still in pretty good shape. For the record, I managed to clocked 661 km on my earlier Kinvara 2 so who says Saucony shoes are not lasting?

Next new pair is my first Skechers. I been meaning to get a pair of Skechers Go Run since I first read about it but flinched at the price. But now that Go Run 3 is available, the price of Go Run 2 has finally been reduced and I managed to get a pair at $89.00! 

This will be my everyday training shoes to replace my Puma Mobium which despite my earlier apprehension has served me well and is still in good condition despite clocking more than 500 km todate.

Last but not least, is my first "new season" shoes. It has been a long time since I have a brand new first season shoes and for that matter, a free shoe to trial but here it is. The New Balance 980 Fresh Foam Trail courtesy of New Balance Singapore and Trail Running Singapore.

Ain't it a beauty? Unfortunately, trialling this will have to wait as I am giving trail running a short break while I focus on my training for my next attempt on a road ultra. And beside, I still have 2 relatively new trail shoes still waiting for me to pick them up.

Saucony Kinvara 3

I really like my Kinvara. So much so that I am now into Kinvara 3. Wait a minute, I heard the Kinvara 5 is already out and I am 2 generation behind! So maybe I am not such a big fan of the Kinvara after all. But of course the reason why I am so behind is that I am the typical "kiamseap" guy and I will only pay less than $100.00 for a pair of shoes which means I have got to wait until the new season shoes are out and the last season shoes are on clearance. Like this pair of blue/white Kinvara 3.

Here it is compared to the Kinvara 2. Design wise it hasn't change much except for more colors and more aggressive looking lines and curves.

Performance wise I don't feel any great difference from the Kinvara 2 which is great. There are some improvements made to the materials. No time for the mumbo jumbo but they can be found here.

Anyway I like it so much that when I passed by the Royal Sporting House at Suntec and discovered it was on sale, I promptly bought another pair of the Kinvara 3, in a different colour of course!

Date of Purchase: 13 July 2013

From: Running Lab

Price: $109.00 after $50 trade in

Races::

Tokyo Marathon 2014

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. 

The North Face Hyper Track Guide

After I retired my last North Face trail shoe, I promptly went and bought another pair of North Face. This time attracted by the bright colors of the North Face Hyper Track Guide, I scooped it up at a good price as it was last season's shoe and on the way out.

Design: In the past, North Face has not been known for its colorful shoes. Both my 2 previous pair of NF were rather dull looking but this time round, NF has out done itself proud by coming up with nice beautiful colors and the Hyper Track Guide is just one of them.

The bright color extends to the sole with its striking yellow and blue color.

I especially like that they put the NR logo on the heel of the shoe instead of the usual side like everybody else does.

Weight: Coming in at about 280 gm, this has to be one of the lightest trail shoes ever produced by NF. As a comparison, my NF Sentinel weights in at 650 gm and my NF Arnuva Boa is a hefty 710 gm. Even my beloved Altra Lone Peak 1.5 is heavier at 345 gm!

Cushioning: There is sufficient cushioning. This is after all not a minimalist shoes. It has a 8mm heel to toe drop. It also lack the NF signature rock plate and is not meant for technical trail.  But one of the reason I bought this shoe apart from its color was that it is touted as a road cum trail shoe and where I am, the trails are short and there are always plenty of roads in between the trails. And our trails are fairly easy to run on and not very technical indeed. So I figured this will be a suitable shoes. And in my runs to date, I find no issue with the cushioning. My first run was on the beautiful carpet grass of Tampines Eco Green and I felt I was almost like running on air. For my next run, I took it for a long run on road at the hard ground of the Punggol Promenade. Again, I had no problem with the cushioning even on the hard concrete. My final run before this post was on the more challenging trails of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The ground was wet and rather soft and on the little area where there were more rocks, I walked over most of these so I couldn't really test how well the shoe protect me from the rocks. But generally, cushioning was very adequate and good enough for people switching to minimalist.

Traction: From the Bukit Timah run, I was fairly pleased with the performance of the shoes. The trails were generally wet and slippery but the sole gripped well. I didn't feel any slippage but then again I said the same thing of my Altra and it failed me miserably in the harsh wet ground of Kinabalu. Hopefully the Hyper Track will only have to do duty in safe comfortable Singapore.

Flexibility: Unfortunately it wasn't as flexible as I could like it to be. When I flexed it, I thought it was flexible enough but for my initial 2 runs, I had some difficulty adjusting to the harder ride and there was some strains on my mid foot as I tried to flex my foot. But on the trails, it was flexible enough or maybe that was because I replaced the insole? But overall, this is more a trail shoe than a road shoe and I think it adapt better to uneven ground than flat ground. 

Water Proofing: The upper is made up of a fine mesh and it will appears that water can get in easily. However, on my run through the Green Corridors, there were many small puddles of mud and water which I happily went through but nothing went in. But looking at the mesh and design, it is definitely not waterproof but I expect just as the water will get in easily, it will also drain out easily.

However, I do have one bad thing to note about the shoe. In my earlier 2 runs, my left toe kept rubbing against the side of the shoe so much so that I developed a super duper blister. I read conflicting online review of the shoe fit. In my opinion, the shoe fit well. Is snug and not loose. There is very little side movement so I am rather surprised. I replaced the insole for my third run, applied some Bodyglide on the toe and went for my 2 hours run and came away unscathed! So the verdict is still out on this.

Overall, I like the shoe for its light weight, its flexibility for both road and trail and of course the bright color. But because of the toe box, I will be hesitant to use it for too long runs and will probably use it for shorter runs.

Running Lab Singapore is currently clearing stock of this shoe at up to a whopping 60% discount and for those looking to get their first pair of affordable trail shoe, this could be it! 

New Old Shoes

I gonna into this strange habit of buying old shoes. Old as in not used but past season shoes. I used to buy in to all those marketing crap about not wearing shoes that have been in storage for a long time caused the foam will have harden and will not be able to absorb the impact. But nowadays, it is the less cushioning read: foam layer the better so who cares whether there are any cushioning. And besides, I go for those shoes with very little foam in fact the thinner the better so that logic doesn't apply to me anymore.

Anyway, recently to replace my dwindling stock of shoes (I am down to only 2 pairs now), I went and bought 2 new old or is it old new shoes.

First was this nice Saucony Kinvara 3 which I got from Running Lab during the trade in promotion.

That was in July and after the trade in, cost only slightly over a $100. It is still sitting inside the box though and Kinvara 4 is already out! Will it stay in the dark for a year like its older siblings? Anyway, this will be my 3rd Kinvara shoes and I think I gonna love this as well.

A month later, I got this:

The North Face Hyper Track Guide which is about maybe 10 months out in the market already? Not too old but if I am not wrong, North Face has released new models recently. Anyway, this cost me slightly over $120 after a good discount so it wasn't too bad. Why this shoe?

More of that and the Kinvara after I finally decide to wear them.

Shoe Review - Altra Lone Peak 1.5

I gotta a decent mileage on the shoes and had the opportunity to test it out in various conditions so I guess this is as good a time as any to write what I feel about the Altra Lone Peak 1.5.

Design: I covered this in my earlier post. Still need getting used to the bright red color which really stand out but overall I have no problem with the design.

Weight: With my size 12, it weighs in at 345 gram which is fairly decent for a trail shoe. More importantly, after running in it for 3 to 4 hours in it, I still didn't feel its weight. Maybe it is because the upper material is kinda soft unlike some trail shoes which are hard to the feel.

Cuushioning: There is minimal cushioning. Heel to toe drop is zero but the inclusion of a "Stone Guard" rock protection helps helps to reduce the impact and poking from sharp rocks. But the minimalist folks won't really like this as the outsole and midsole adds up  to a fairly substantial stack. But for me coming down from the hefty North Face Sentinel and moving up from the minimalist NB MT101, this is really the ideal shoe for the longer distance trail runs.

Traction: What can I say about this? I have ran in normal dry condition, through "pondings" and just yesterday, over 10km of slippery clayey muddy terrain and not once did the shoe failed me. The shoes held well where it was supposed to be maybe because of the unique "claw" design of the outsole.

Flexibility: It is not flexible as I like but the slight rigidity probably helps to protect me from nasty ankle sprains. 

Water Proofing: Because of the 4 holes in the front of the shoes to drain water easily, water also get in more easily but I don't really feel the dampness as the water evaporate rather fast. 

Overall, having ran more than 90 km in it so far, I can safely said this is the most comfortable pair of trail shoes that I ran in. This will be my shoe for next week The Most Beautiful Thing trail race in Sabah and hopefully, it will carry me through the mud and watery conditions that are expected to feature prominently over there.

Altra Lone Peak 1.5 - First Peek

"Inspired by Lone Peak, one of the rockiest, toughest mountains in the Wasatch Range, The Lone Peak™ was designed to conquer the Wasatch 100. While the foot-shaped design allows athletes to stay relaxed and comfortable for hours, this do-everything mountain shoe promotes happy feet, increases ankle stabilization and improves form with the Zero DropTM platform"

I don't know whether the Lone Peak  can indeed makes a happy feet or where Wasatch Range is but what I do know was  I needed a new trail shoe. My last 2 pairs were bought in 2011 and after 2 years, its time for a replacement especially since the New Balance MT101 bought in December 2010 has given up the run and gone to the great shoe warehouse in the sky after the long run last week.

So when the local distributor for the Altra shoes offered me a good price for the Lone Peak, I grabbed the offer even though I know next to nothing about this shoe. Anyway, the aforesaid quote was from the Altra's website. There are a few other claims but I guess I will only know after running in them and this I haven't done yet.

But before going for a run, let take a look at the physical and overall appearance of the shoe.

It comes in a striking red, white color. Just nice for National Day hor!

This is a zero drop shoe with a wide toe box. There is also the quick dry and abrasion resistant mesh on the upper. It is not seamless but Altra said minimal seam. So hopefully that means no blister, no black toe nails.

This is the sole. There is a footprint imprinted on it. Altra called it the  "trailclaw" lugs and is supposed to provide very good traction. Too bad it is in white. Should turn dirty very soon.

The lace is "asymmetrical" whatever that means. Probably going to dump it and replace with the usual lock laces.

There are 2 holes at the front of the shoe to drain out water easily although I think it can also do the opposite i.e. allow water to get in easily.

The heel comes with a velcro flap What is it for? To put some coins? Keys?

No. Actually is just a flap for sticking a gator to it. Thoughtful! If you need a gator that is. And by the way, we not talking about an alligator here ok!

So does the shoes live up to all that the manufacturer has claimed? Certainly, there are a lot of positive feedback out on the world wide web. For me, the truth will come when I start on it this National Day.

Erke Women Running Shoes Review

Finally after several runs over various distances, the sidekick is ready to give her opinion of the Erke Women Running Shoes.

But the problem is - M doesn't want to write so I am gonna try paraphrasing her here.

Look:  She likes the colour and design. Generally I do agree it looks fairly nice. In fact, some of the ladies who have seen it also like the color scheme. 

Weight: The shoe weighs 215g. Fairly light weight unlike the traditional running shoes. M said it was light and comfortable to wear.

Feel: The sole is made of rubber and initially she was not used to the rather bouncy feel of the shoe. Running beside her, I can hear the loud sound of the shoe as it hit the floor with every movement. She didn't like the bounce. Too much she said.

Cushioning: According to M, there is sufficient cushioning despite the low heel to toe drop. 

Flexibility: The shoe is soft and flexible enough for her to run the usual mid foot

Water resistance: M don't like running in the rain so there is no chance to do a wet test. So I did the next best thing. Pour some water on the upper to see how fast the water can seep in. Unfortunately, the water got in pretty fast although most of it stayed on the upper and did not trickled down to the insole.

Overall: After several runs, M has kinda gotta used to it. She wears it for short run though as she said it heat up over longer distances. In her opinion, the shoe is suitable for short training and easy run and not for long distance runs. She would recommend it for beginners, people looking for a cheap but good pair of running shoes to kick start their running.

The Erke Women Running Shoe is available at all Sportslink outlet and retails for $69.90 although the last time I went to one of the outlet, it was on the offer shelf for $49.90.

NB: M's pair of Erke Women Running Shoes came courtesy of the people at Erke

First Look - Erke W. Fitness Shoe

Sometime ago, I got an email the content of which surprised me. It was an invitation to review a shoe. I haven't got many such invites for a long time, probably no thanks to my rather negative review of the Nike Sportsband. So it was really a big surprise. And it was for a shoe that I know absolutely nothing about. An Erke running shoe!

So far the only thing I know about Erke was that it is a Chinese sports manufacturer and produces apparel which I had seen selling in Sportslink here. In fact, I think I might even have one or 2 of their shorts. So I decided to enlist the help of the world most famus guru, Mr Google to find out what the shoes was and not entirely to my surprise - came back with absolutely zilch, zero and nothing! That put me in a spot. I would certainly love to do a review but having nothing to start off with was like... what am I going to write about? So I wrote back to the nice lady and told her accordingly and also to warn her that I may end up writing a very negative review if I don't like the shoe. And I thought that was that. Well, she surprised me by coming back with an offer of a compromise and bingo a new pair of shoe to try out and to replace my dying Brooks. But unfortunately, they didn't have my size and I had to settle for another compromise - a Women's shoe for the sidekick to try and we will jointly write the review. And here it is: introducing the Erke W. Fitness shoe [insert drumroll]

Ok the color is a bit unusual. The type of love it or hate it color. Luckily, M don't seem to mind it.

Here is some very brief description of the shoes from the people at Erke:

The ERKE W. Fitness Shoe can take sports women from the gym to the great outdoors. Featuring the ERKE Easy-Bending Technology which allows easy bending of the shoes up to 180 degrees, ladies can run and exercise with the slightest of resistance of running and greatest comfort. The soft material used also ensures that shoes are lightweight, minimizing the amount of energy needed for movement. 

To ensure sufficient cushioning while keeping the shoes light, the thickness of the rubber soles are increased at the ball of the foot and heel, and in areas where greater pressure is experienced. 

The ERKE W. Fitness Shoe is made of high-density space leather materials at the front and heel of the shoe to increase the sturdiness and impact resistance of the shoe, and breathable mesh to keep the runner’s feet comfortable and dry.

That about it. Nothing on the specific make up of the material for the sole, the body etc. No mention too of the usual stuff that other manufacture like to throw about - heel to toe thickness, technology involved etc. But from the descriptions and the pictures, we can ascertain what it is and not:

It is not a minimalist shoe. Yet at the same time, it is not exactly a conventional shoe. The side profile of the shoes looks like almost all other newer shoes from established manufacturers like Nike and Reebok. The heel to toe drop is just under 4 mm so should qualify as a minimalist shoe but it has much better cushioning all round. I am not too sure about the material used for the cushioning though. The description said rubber sole so rubber sole it shall be.

Erke W. Fitness 

Nike Free

Reebok Realfex

The upper of the shoe is supposed to be made of high quality leather and breathable mesh material. I cannot smell any leather smell but the material feel sturdy enough and looks about the same as many other conventional shoes.

So far from what I can see, I like that it is fairly well build and flexible. This could be due to the design of the sole with it cross cut groove.

M hasn't took it out for a run yet. That will be remedied once she completes the main part of her training for the Sundown. And thereafter, we will put up her feeling and opinion of it. Until then.

NB: This product review is made possible by the good people at Erke Singapore.

New Running Shoes - Altra

In recent years with the boom in running world wide, many new brand of running shoes have came out against the traditional brands such as Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Asics. With the evolution from traditional heel strike to mid foot and barefoot running, shoes manufacturers have all rush in to come out with their own versions. Following the wildly successful Vibrams Five Fingers, many non-running shoes peep like Skechers have also come out with their own running shoes. Runners are now spoil for choice with shoes from the traditional brands, the secondary brands such as Zoot, Newton, Merrell and the minimalist movement like VFF and Vivobarefoot. And then there are the new player like Inov8; Hoka, Cloud and Altra.

For us runners in Singapore, we now have access to almost every brand of shoes that are available in the international market. The latest entrant is Altra Running with their range of minimalist shoes.

I went to their "open house" and unfortunately couldn't get anything suitable in my size. Not to be deterred, I still ended up with a pair of Altra Provision for the kid.

This is a pair of zero drop shoes. Something not entirely new to the kid who wears a pair of racer for running.

From its website:

Modeled after The Instinct™ platform, The Provision™ adds a firmer midsole and a removable varus stability wedge to assist men with fallen arches, excessive overpronation and knock knees. Built for moderate and high overpronation, the Zero Drop™ platform, foot-shaped design and stability wedge combine to provide a high level of stability without the excessive bulk and weight of traditional stability shoes. Simply remove the stability wedge to convert this shoe to work for neutral and mild overpronation.

The included Stability Wedge™ provides a moderate to high level of stability and is optional. It is designed to provide additional support to those with excessive pronation or flat feet. It addresses the four main challenges with stability in running shoes.

The stability Wedge is the grey color insole like object at the bottom of the picture. The blue color piece is the insole. Both are removable and washable.

Here are the technical stuff (also from its website):

• Zero Drop™ Platform, Foot-Shaped Design, NRS – Natural Ride System™.
• Weight: Provision with the wedge weighed in at 9.9 oz. (9.1 oz. without the wedge)
• Midsole: Two-Layer EVA / A-Bound™
• Outsole: Blown Rubber FootPod™
• 2 included insoles: Molded Support, Stability Wedge
• Upper: Quick-Dry Mesh with Minimal Seams
• Liner: Sockless-Friendly Premium Liner
• Asymmetrical Lacing
• Stack height = The total thickness of the shoe/the distance between the foot and the ground.
• With Support Footbed: 20mm(Heel)/20mm (Forefoot) 
• With Stability Wedge & Support Footbed: 25mm (Medial Heel)/25mm(Medial Forefoot) 
• Strengthen Configuration (No Footbed): 15mm(Heel)/15mm (Forefoot)

So how does the shoes fare on runs? Unfortunately since I am not the one wearing it, I can't give a comment right now. So far the kid has done 1 short run with it and said he is pretty satisfied with it although his calves are now killing him. I gonna let him do a few more runs and then he shall ghost write the review for me here.