January 8th, 2012
I’ve switched between two shoe models for a while now: Saucony Kinvaras and Adidas Adios. They’re different on a couple levels – Kinvara is a low-heel drop shoe, the Adios is a racing shoe I wear as a trainer and it has a standard heel-drop, but both are lightweight. This used to be more of a rarity, but lightweight shoes have been popping up like daisies in the past year, several featuring a low heel-drop so it seemed a good time to try something new, particularly since the newest Adios’ are so freakin’ ugly, I’m on strike till further colors become available.
Note on the right shoe, my trademarked snip at the base of the shoelace trim piece. Also of note, I do not have cankles though the photo makes it look like the left one is. It isn't. Really.
I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Brooks Pure line, so I thought it worth a shot. The PureConnects would have been my first choice, they’re the lightest, but too many reviews mentioned a narrow fit so I didn’t even bother. The PureFlows, however, according to Shoeftr on Running Warehouse and the reviews I’ve read, pointed to a wider fit and roomier toebox, so I ordered a pair. Here are my thoughts:
Weight: I’m currently wearing men’s models in both the Kinvara (size 7, 7.1 oz) and Adios (size 7½, 6.8 oz). For the PureFlow, I bought women’s size 8.5. At 7.5 oz, they’re slightly more shoe, but not noticeable to me.
Heel drop: Since I’ve been wearing Kinvaras for ages, it feels normal.
Fit: Feels great. The toe is rounder than the Kinvaras so there’s more room for the tootsies. There’s also a thick elastic band that crosses the instep which turns out to be pretty cool, keeping your arch snug to the shoe. The trim frame around the laces is hard plastic and I had to snip it for my right foot (sensitive big toe knuckle), but I do that on all my running shoes now, so no biggie.
Sole: It’s got a harder sole than the Kinvaras which makes it much more comfortable over gravel, you don’t feel each rock. I like this a lot. However, it’s also said to be slick in wet conditions (as discussed on the last few pages of this) so I’ll switch out on rainy/snowy days. I could do without the split sole design since the resulting space will surely grab an occasional rock and it doesn’t seem to do anything perceptible, but this is just a minor “eh”. (Edit: I took them out on a rainy day and for the most part, traction was good, though under a couple bridges I definitely noticed some slippage. So I won’t be using them for snow or racing/workouts on a rainy day but rainy training runs are fine)
Comfort: Super comfortable! Well padded and an enjoyable ride. My first run in them was Friday, a planned 8, but they felt so good, I took it to 14mi.
Conclusion: I really like these shoes and think we’ll be buddies for a long time.
A Cutback Week In Review
My paces improved significantly this week. I’m still not back to September fitness but getting there. In the meantime, today I start posting my paces again.
It’s probably not apparent but the shape of the week was purposeful: lower mileage at the start for faster recovery, higher in the middle and lower today since next week will be high again. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be so anal about it but after that accelerated mileage bump, it seemed sensible to treat it like an ocean wave chaining the weeks together (calm, crest, calm).
As far as effort, it was all easy runs aside from today, when I did my first bit of faster running in a long time. Boy did I need it, mentally as well as physically – the nag of workouts has been on my mind and while I said I was going to add strides, I hadn’t yet. It was fun without any pressure for distance or pace, just “go to that curve” or “where those people are standing” and as a result, I got a couple 7:3x miles in, which I haven’t had in ages.
Mon: 6@8:53
Tues: 6@8:28
Wed: 8@8:17
Thurs: 10@8:44
Friday: 14@8:24
Sat: 9@8:23
Sun:8@8:11 (fartlek)
Total: 61 mi
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OK – that instep band is just weird looking.
Honestly, when I first saw it, I was ready to take the scissors to it (you know me, I have no worries about cutting up my shoes) but after a run with it, I really liked what it did for me. I sometimes feel my arch on my right foot as it hits the shoe but the band stops that happening, makes it “stick” to the shoe. (or the shoe to the foot, whatever)
Yep, I LOVE the Pure Flows. They are in my current rotation. I actually considered them for Houston. The only thing that kept me from it was that I have a problem with shoes that have bigger tongues. The Pure Flow’s tongue is not THAT big, but it does come above the top lace loop (or where most people stop lacing). Whenever I wear shoes like this, the tongue gets pushed to the side. This bothers me.
I’m really curious to get the Pure Grit soon, and see how those hold up on the trails. Brooks is really coming out with some good stuff, that’s for sure!
Oh yeah, and with that foot strap thingie, it’s easy to over-tie (too tight) the laces. .
I’m SOOOOO glad you are back in full force, injury free! Whoohooo! By spring you will be ready to kill some races.
If the Adios are uglier than those! Black shoes have never done it for me, but I like the idea of more room for the tootsies than with the Kinvaras. Will check them out if they get them at the local shop.
Nice cutback week. Paces look good (but then, anything under 9-minute miles looks good to me!).
Rebecca, thanks for the tip about lacing. You are gonna KILL it in Houston this weekend. Sending you fast vibes for the next 6 days.
Ewen, I’m not a fan of black running shoes either so yes, that tells you the Adios are butt ugly – orange and yellow with some tacky underlay beneath the mesh…these are gorgeous in comparison.
Glad you like the shoes! I just don’t understand how so many people can get away with that low heel drop without straining their calves and shins. Does not work at all for me. The Mizuno Elixir is about as minimalist as I get. Glad to hear your paces are speeding up. You’ll be back to your old self in no time!
The Pure Flow is now may main shoe although I alternate with an Asics model. I had no problem with the lower heel drop, but I race and do speedwork in a low-drop shoe and started running trails in the New Balance trail Minimi, which as the same drop as does the Flow. No transitional issues for me and I don’t notice the difference in heel strike (my old Asics had a 12mm drop).
To Ewen’s point, the men’s shoe is actually a bright green which is a green that I associate with the recent adidas color schemes.
I tried the Pure Connects, but they seemed a bit too little shoe for me, although I am thinking of getting a pair of those as well.
Finally, thanks for the wet-weather tip. I’ve not had any trouble with them but I’ll bear that in mind.
Green, I don’t remember having trouble switching to a lower heel-drop though I know a lot of people take it gradually, a few miles here and there in the new shoes. But hey, might as well stick with what works for you.
Joe, cool, I didn’t know you rocking the Flows. I’ll definitely take them for a spin in the next rain since you haven’t had that problem. Might as well test it out myself. I’ll be interested to hear your comments on the Connects if you get them, I think the ladies version is way cuter than these, wish they were wider is all.
Thanks for your review on the Pure Flows. I’ve been waiting for a trust worthy and solid feedback. Now if I can get me a discount on them I’m all over them for my next purchase. OH and I’m all about the color, as you know…let’s to bright and flashee Yahoo! I’m in need of some basebuilding so appreciate seeing your miles and someone who appreciates the importance of longer easier miles. Too much fast will screw you up if you’re not careful. I know this, don’t go there. Toodles Ms Flo!
I love, love, love my Pure Connects. Hate the teal color, though. Ok, yes they are narrow – I get a little bit of a warm spot in my arch, but even on a many hour run it did not turn into a hot spot. Yay!
I had the chance to test the whole brooks serie and I am a huge fan of them all. So I am a fan of brooks running shoes for a long time (Glycerin) and like you I don´t have trouble changing to a lower heel drop. I also tested the Nike Free Run Shield version, which I also liked. For all of the guys who can´t run in Brooks, the Nike´s are an alternative, but also the Asics 33 serie gets a lot of good reviews. I could recommend all three series, but as a long time brooks runner I stick to the brooks pure line