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Category Archives: Gear Review

On Cloudrush Shoe Review

October 31, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , 5 Comments
On Cloudrush Shoe Review

In my quest to find a more cushioned shoe for the marathon I decided to try the On Cloudrush!  Weighing roughly 8.1 ounces, the Cloudrush is a more substantial shoe for workouts and racing than what I’m used too.  As I mentioned during my training, one thing I’ve done to stay healthier is to use shoes with more substance and cushion.

On cloudrush shoe review

On Cloudrush Fit:

On generally run narrow and the Cloudrush is no exception.  Something good (for me anyway), like many racing oriented shoes, is it unisex sizing.   

Fit wise; I’m usually anywhere between a women’s size 10-11 wide. Since they are unisex, I chose the 9.5 and was fine but width and length.

The Cloudrush is almost all mesh.  It’s lightweight and breathable, but at the same time, it allows moisture into the shoe much quicker.  That being said, most people are racing or doing workouts in the shoe so it’s not as if you’ll go run a 30-mile muddy trail race in them.

The lightweight mesh also allows for the shoe to be much lighter and a lot of breathability. Every part of the upper is thin and lightweight, from the toebox to the laces, to the tongue.  The shoe was made to run fast.

On cloudrush shoe review

On Cloudrush Ride:

The On Cloudrush is both responsive and soft. That is a weird thing to type. If you’ve never run in an On shoe, their technology uses small rubber pods on the bottom of the shoe that each adapt to the needs of a runner.

The Cloudrush has 18 pods. Each pod collapses and compress when the runner strikes the pavement. So if you hit more on the heel, the heel pods will compress to your stride. If you strike the forefront, the forefront will collapse more. The pods make for a much more personalized ride.

On cloudrush shoe review

I like how light the Cloudrush is but that it still provides cushion.  Many true flats have little to no cushion, but I do appreciate the substance of the shoe.  Throughout the last month, I’ve done several runs in the shoe ranging from an easy run to 400s, to a tempo run.  For me, I think they are best suited for a tempo run.  I think I appreciate more cushion for a long race, but I do believe a lot of people would like this the On Cloudrush for either a half or full marathon.

On cloudrush shoe review

On Cloudrush Conclusions

I like the Cloudrush, and I will continue to use it for workouts (at this point after New York).  It’s lightweight and responsive but also well cushioned. For me, it’s an excellent combination for workouts.

It’s definitely a good half to full marathon shoe.

Shoe Rotation:

Easy Runs/Daily Runs: On Cloudace, Hoka Cavu, Hoka Clifton 5, Brooks Glycerin 16,

Workouts: On Cloudrush, Nike Pegasus Turbo, Nike Fly

Races: Nike Fly

Questions for you:

Marathoners, what is your shoe of choice?

Do you have a favorite shoe? 

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Hoka One One Cavu

October 10, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
Hoka One One Cavu

The Hoka Cavu is a new model from Hoka.  It’s one of their lightest models that can be used for racing, training, or workouts.  It’s quickly become one of my more favorite running shoes.

If you are looking for a “beginner” Hoka shoe, the Cavu, as well as the Clifton 5 and Mach, are good options depending on your foot type.

The Hoka One One Cavu has a broad range of use.  It can be used for daily runs, to workouts, and races.  I don’t think I would use it as my go-to 5k shoe, but it’s a solid marathon shoe.

In February, Hoka launched three new lighter models in their “Profly line.”  It included the Cavu, Mach, and Evelon. The Cavu is designed to be the fastest of the shoes.  I’ve used it for both workouts and daily runs, and I prefer it for workouts.

Hoka one one cavu shoe review

Fit:

Like many running shoes now, the Cavu has an all mesh upper.  This makes the fit better for someone with wider feet or someone with bunions.  It fits very similar to the Mach, but with the seamless mesh, fits wider feet. I wear a women’s 10-11 wide and the size 10.5 has fit fine.

Hoka one one cavu shoe review

Ride:

The Hoka One One Cavu is designed to be a fast shoe.  Personally, it’s too much shoe for me on race day. However, it’s a lot less shoe than the Clifton or Bondi.  If you train in the Clifton, both the Cavu or even Mach are shoes to look at one race day.

All three of the Hoka “Profly shoes” use new “Profly” technology.

What is that? It is designed with a softer heel for shock absorption and a firmer forefoot for propulsion and energy return. The Cavu has a much softer heel. However, the forefront is firm.  It’s a much more responsive shoe than the Clifton and even the Mach.  Like any Hoka model, it still uses the “rocker” technology that you feel like you are being propelled forward.

Keep in mind, how you run will play a significant effect on how you feel the technology in the shoe.  That isn’t a bad thing but those who run on the forefront might feel a firmer shoe, and those towards the heel will feel a softer version.

Hoka one one cavu shoe review

Hoka One One Cavu Conclusion:

In all, I think the Hoka Cavu is a great choice for workouts, and I enjoy it.  In fact, right now it’s one of my staple shoes, and I find myself wanting to run it more often than not.  In fact, I believe I have already put over 150 miles in them. It is light and durable and a great racing shoe for anyone already using a substantial Hoka model.

Shoe Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080, On Cloudace

Workouts: New Balance 1400, Nike Fly

Races: Nike Fly, Nike LT Racer

Questions for you:

What shoe do you race in?

What is your favorite running shoe? 

New Balance 1400 Shoe Review

October 3, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments
New Balance 1400 Shoe Review

Despite never running in the New Balance 1400, I’m familiar with it.  It’s been a favorite shoe for several of my coworkers who prefer racing marathons.  It won’t be my marathon shoe (which is still undecided), but it’s been good to do long runs and workouts in.

The New Balance 1400 is a great racing flat for anything from the 5k to the marathon. It’s been around for several updates and designs as well.  I’ve tried on the shoe (as I like to do with every shoe), through each version but never run in it until now.

new balance 1400 v5 shoe review

Fit:

I wear a size 10-11 wide in running shoes, and the 10.5 womens is fine.  Often times I need to just scratch women’s racing flats and go to a unisex/ men’s shoe because of my foot width.  The women’s 10.5 is fine.

New Balance 1400 v6 show review

Other bonuses of the flat include minimal seams and overlays. Less weight, less rubbing, equals faster runner.  There is only so much actual cushion you can remove from a flat, so many companies are removing as much stuff from the top as possible.

Also included in the fit is an update to the tongue. While I did not run in the previous version, but I know the tongue bothered several people.  Many people said it bunched up or caused irritation.

The updated tongue is more similar to the New Balance track spikes.  I suppose if Emma Coburn and other New Balance professionals like the tongue of a shoe, the common folks like us can too.

New Balance 1400 v6 show review

Ride:

There isn’t much to say about the ride.  It’s light, responsive and reacts with the ground.  The material used, is called “revlite.” It’s durable yet responsive.  It’s much more responsive than fresh foam (like in my favorite New Balance trainer the 1080).

Interesting and somewhat unique of the 1400 is that is has a 10 mm drop (many flats have between 0-4). You don’t really feel the difference and to be honest, if no one told me I would never know. I have preferred it recently for long tempos and longer runs.  I’ve done some short 400s too, but longer runs seem to be my favorite.

New Balance 1400 v6 show review

Finally, something to note is that it responds well in rain. When a racing flat is not good in weather, it can be a shock come race day and you don’t have a good shoe.  (Some shoes that don’t respond well to rain include the Nike Fly and Brooks Levitate). I’ve raced A LOT of road races in the pouring rain including Shamrock, Atlantic City, and Broad Street. If I didn’t have a good racing shoe that day, I now know this is always a faithful weather backup. In fact, one of my better photos in the shoe is in bad weather.

Conclusion:

In all I like the New Balance 1400 for workouts and races.  In bad/wet weather I believe I am more likely to use the shoe because it has more traction than the Nike Fly and many other flats.

New Balance 1400 v6 show review

Current Rotation:

Workouts/Racing: Nike Fly, New Balance 1400

Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080, On Cloudace,

Long Runs/Faster Runs: Hoka One One Cavu, Underarmour Sonic

Questions for you:

What is your staple racing shoe?

Do you change shoes in the weather?

On Cloudace Shoe Review

September 28, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , 22 Comments
On Cloudace Shoe Review

The Cloudace is a brand new, highly cushioned shoe from ON.  As most readers and followers know by now, I prefer a well-cushioned shoe for training.  The more cushion, the better.  When On created the On Cloudace, I knew it would be a shoe I would eventually try.

If you are someone who is injury prone or likes a well-cushioned shoe, the On Cloudace is going to be a good fit for you.

If you have never run in ON before, they will feel different.  I’ve run in the ON Cloudflow and the ON Cloud Surfer before. On claims it’s cushioning that doesn’t change or break your stride but supports you how you need it.

On Cloudace shoe review

The “Clouds” at the bottom of any of their shoes are adaptable and cushion both horizontal and vertical forces.  This means it will feel soft but also responsive. When you strike, the Cloud technology lock and form a supportive foundation.  For the most part, I’ve always felt that in each model I’ve run in.

Watching videos of this visibly happening is cool. I actually appreciate brands you can see their technology.

Fit:

Like many running shoes, there are no seams in the upper.  Usually, in women’s sizes, I wear between 10-11 wide.

On doesn’t make wides at this point, so I chose a 10.5.  It fits well, but given the option, I would have preferred a 10.5 wide.  Other than that, it fits fine, and I haven’t had any issues with needing a different size.

If you have bunions or extremely wide forefront, your feet might not fit well into On.

On Cloudace shoe review

Ride:

To date, the Cloudace is one of the stiffest shoes I’ve tried.  You can feel it’s that it’s maximum cushioned shoe without feeling weighed down.  Like mentioned, it’s supported where I personally need it.

The Cloudace itself is stable and responsive. With the weight, that is rare for shoes.  When I tried it on, I wasn’t sure how responsive it would actually be.  Would my foot melt into the cushion?  Would I be able to run “fast” in the shoe?

I’ve done a few short workouts in it, and I have run about the same pace.  I’ve also done a few easy runs in it and felt good.  For me, it will fit in nicely as a recovery run shoe.  I can run fast, but I prefer other shoes to run fast in.  Having such a wide range for a shoe is rare. If you’ve never worn On before, you’ll notice the “Clouds” at the bottom of the shoe.

On Cloudace shoe review

If you have ever run in Newton or adidas, you might appreciate On, because they do feel fairly similar. (I ran through 17 pairs of 4 lug Newton Gravities many years ago).

The only, drawback of the Cloudace is the price point.  While most shoes that are of similar cushioning level are between $140-$160, the On Cloudace comes in at $200.  It’s definitely one of my most expensive running shoes but I’m hoping it will be more durable than many others.  So far I’ve put about 100 miles on the shoe and it could easily be mistaken as brand new.

Current Shoes I’m running in:

Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin 16, New Balance 1080

Recovery Runs: Hoka One One Clifton 5, On Cloudace

Workouts/Races: Nike Fly, Nike LT Racer, New Balance 1400

Questions for you:

Have you tried On?

Brooks Levitate 2 Review

September 14, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
Brooks Levitate 2 Review

The Brooks Levitate 2 is the newest version of the Brooks Levitate.  I ran in the original Levitate, and while it wasn’t my favorite shoe, it also wasn’t my least favorite shoe.  The Levitate 2 was updated early.

Brooks levitate 2 shoe review

At work, when people ask: “was my shoe completely redesigned from the last version,” usually the answer is no.  In this case, the Levitate to Levitate 2 has seen drastic differences.  Everything from the upper and lacing system to the heel collar is different.

The shoe is marketed for tempo runs and daily to long runs (so basically most things).  Personally, I’ll keep it to easy recovery runs.

Please keep in mind, what works for me might not work for you.  We all have different feet.

See: Why you Need to Be Fitted for Running Shoes or How to Find the Perfect Pair of Running Shoes.

Brooks Levitate 2 Upper:

The upper is all on one seam which makes it great for anyone with a wider forefoot or bunion.  There are fewer seams to rub. There is enough structure to the upper that your feet feel secure and like it’s not free-floating around in space.  I typically wear a women’s size 10-11 wide, and the 10.5 seems to work well (as usual for most Brooks shoes).

One thing, I must mention is the extreme heel collar of the shoe.  The Brooks Levitate 2 comes up higher than any other trainer out there right now. I dislike it. It is the first shoe to ever irritate my ankle and even give me a heel blister. I’ve run through over 100 pairs of shoes in my running career and never gotten a blister on my heel.  There is a first time for everything.  Once it healed, I was fine, but I hope this doesn’t start a trend for Brooks.

Brooks levitate 2 shoe review

Brooks Levitate Ride:

The Brooks Levitate 2 is one of the heaviest shoes out there.  I’m not sure, why so many bloggers continue to talk about how “light the shoe is” but the fact of the shoe is it’s heavy. The women’s size 8 weighs 9.7 compared ounces compared to the Brooks Ghost of 8.4.

Of the Brooks shoes, the Levitate is by far the firmest and poppy design. It’s far more responsive than both the Ghost and the Glycerin.  You feel the ground a lot more.

Brooks levitate 2 shoe review

One thing I found was you do slide more when the pavement is wet.  It’s not my first choice to run on a rainy day.

Other than that, I found the shoe to be responsive as advertised but I did feel like I had a Sherman tank underneath my foot.

Brooks Levitate 2 Conclusions

Like the Brooks Levitate, this wasn’t my favorite shoe.  Although, it’s much lower on my like list and I think the original Levitate was much better.

The positives are there is plenty of firm cushion in the shoe, and it fits well.  The negatives are the heel collar, the grip on a rainy day, and then the weight (a shoe I felt noticeably dragged down). I’ll keep the shoe for easy runs but won’t do anything more in it.

Shoes in my Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin 16, New Balance 1080, Underarmour Sonic, Hoka Clifton 5,

Workouts: Nike Fly, New Balance 1400, Nike LT Racer

Races: Nike Fly, Nike Lt Racer

Trails: Underarmour Horizon BPF

Questions for you:

Have you run in the Brooks Levitate 2?  I’m curious to hear others!

What is your favorite shoe? 

Underarmour Horizon BPF Trail Running Shoe Review

August 29, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running Tags: , , , , , , 20 Comments
Underarmour Horizon BPF Trail Running Shoe Review

Recently, I tried the Underamour Horizon Trail shoe.  Between the Underamour Sonic and the Trail Horizon BPF, it has been my first time logging significant mileage in an Underamour shoe.

I’ve wanted to try both the street shoes: the Bandit as well as the Sonic.  Anyway, at the Copper Mountain Trail race, I tried them on and thought they felt very comfortable.  As poor of an idea as it was, after my initial try on, I thought they were extremely comfortable, and I raced in them.  They felt great, and as most people know, I had a good race.  So yes, my first time running in the shoe was the Copper Mountain 25k.  They did well and I would 100% wear them again for the race.  It is definitely not something I recommend with any shoe, but they felt great and I couldn’t be more pleased.  I also recently raced the Killington 25k and they were just as good.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Underarmour Horizon BPF Fit:

I typically wear between a women’s size 10-11 wide.  I found the women’s 11 to be the most comfortable on my foot.  It’s relatively true to size.

The upper of the Under Armour Horizon is durable and is very breathable.  Since the primary function is a trail running shoe, it also provides a lot of protection from rocks and trail debris.  The great part is it’s waterproof which came in handy when I was plowing through mud puddles in Killington.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Ride:

The outsole has a high-traction rubber which is actually designed by Michelob tires.  So yes, the same rubber your tires have, your shoes have.  Most people know I’m incredibly clumsy and I found the shoe to grip every part of the trail.  I never felt as though there was a surface I couldn’t handle.  I found the rubber extremely helpful for Killington and I’m not sure how well I would have done with something less aggressive.

But the shoe is not all rubber! The Underamour Horizon also has plenty of cushioning and is both soft and lightweight. It is not as rigid as many trail running shoes and provides plenty of cushion during your run.  I like the shoe a lot for running because it’s soft and relatively light for a trail shoe, with plenty of traction.

underarmour Horizon BPF shoe review

Conclusion:

Right now, this is my favorite trail running shoe.  I also own the Brooks Cascadia which I find better for hiking but the Underamour Horizon better for running on trails.  If you are looking for a good, sturdy trail shoe, I would definitely look into this shoe.  It will probably stay my primary trail racing shoe (when I do trails).

Questions for you:
Do you run trails?  What is your favorite trail shoe?
What is your favorite running shoe?

Hoka Clifton 5 Shoe Review

August 15, 2018 By in Gear Review, Running, Training Tags: , , , , , , , 4 Comments
Hoka Clifton 5 Shoe Review

I’ve run in most of the versions of the Hoka Clifton.   Since the Clifton 1, I’ve found the Clifton itself to become more and more durable.  One complaint I’ve heard over the years is the Hoka Clifton has gotten heavier.  That is accurate but with the few ounces in weight, has come a lot more rubber on the bottom as well as durability.  From a specialty standpoint, it’s definitely one of the most popular Hoka models.  For some runners it’s their racer, for others it’s their easy and recovery day.  For me, it’ a daily trainer and I prefer a heavier model such as the Bondi for recovery days.

Hoka one one clifton 5 shoe review

Fit:

The upper of Hoka Clifton 4 saw the most significant change from the 3.  It became a seamless engineered mesh.  The Clifton 5 removes even more seams, and it also fits true to size.   I wear between a women’s size 10-11 wide, and in the Hoka Clifton 5, I wear a 10.5

The Clifton 5 uses fine engineered mesh in the upper which gives it more structure.  Your feet don’t feel as though they are “free floating” around like in some seamless uppers.

Hoka one one clifton 5 shoe review

Ride:

If you have never worn Hoka before, know it feels very different from any other brand you’ve worn.  You either like Hoka, or you don’t, and there is no shame in either.  Your feet sit lower to the ground than you think.

Many people ask: “will I fall because I’m higher” and the answer is no.  What people don’t realize is most Hoka models are actually flatter, and it takes time to get used too.  A lot of cushioning, especially in the Clifton is more visual, and your feet sit much lower than you think. Most models are between a 4-5 mm drop versus 8-11 like many traditional brands.

Personally, I find the cushioning in the Hoka Clifton 5 is much better.  It’s a bit firmer.  I’ve heard from several people who got arch pain in the Hoka Clifton 4, just because of how soft the shoe was.  If you have ever imagined running on marshmallows, the Clifton 4 was the closest thing.

The Hoka Clifton 5 is much firmer (not as firm as the Mach or Bondi).  I prefer the Clifton 5 much more than the 4 regarding ride.

Hoka one one clifton 5 shoe review

Conclusion:

In all, the Hoka Clifton 5 is a great update, and if you like the 4, you’re fairly certain to like the 5 too.  If you had issues with the arch of the 4, the 5 is worth your while to revisit because Hoka has firmed it up.

Like the Clintons before it, the ride I still very smooth and soft.  If you’re looking for a more responsive shoe, you’ll want to go with the Mach. It’s a great shoe in the rotation for both recovery or daily runs.

Other Shoes I’m Currently Running In:

Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin 16, Hoka Clifton 5, Saucony Ride ISO, New Balance 1080

Workouts: Underarmour Sonic, New Balance 1400

Races: Nike LT Racer, Nike Zoom Fly

Questions for you:

Have you tried Hoka?

What is one shoe you’ve run in most model of? 

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