I was pushing 350 miles at the Peak 500 when Nate Sanel of bikernate.com arrived to run the 200. He looked at the shoes I was wearing and I believe said,"What the fuck are those?" Nate, a wear-tester, first hooked me up with Skechers Go Runs a few years ago, before Meb had made them famous. I wrote a review on these new shoes on a blog that would later receive thousands of hits. On my way to the Peak 500, I had stopped by his house to snag 3 different types of Skechers that he'd kindly left for me on his porch...hence his surprise when he saw that I was not wearing them. I explained to him that I'd ditched all of my Skechers about 170 miles ago...not because I didn't like them. They simply no longer fit my swollen feet. I began the 500 with Skechers Go Runs and cycled through 3 pairs of those during the rain and nastiness. These are my go-to shoes for everything from road runs to ultra-hikes. I then tried Nate's Go Bionics, which I enjoyed for their large toe box, but overall hated because it felt like my heel was inches below my forefoot. Before making the switch to my Starters, I ended with the Skechers Go Run Ultras, which before the race I found to be too cushy, but 150 miles in, felt amazing. But Skechers is not the reason we're here. Let us discuss department store shoes in a serious test- The Starter MNST040002 at Peak 500. The Peak 500 course involved single-track running, rocky, steep ascents and descents, lots of mud, and running through the middle of the woods following only flagging. Let's start with this. Starters are sold in a setting where everything is big and bulky, from the deals to the product...to the customers. I started wearing the size 12s at mile 170 and immediately appreciated their wide toe box. They were surprisingly lightweight on my feet, but maybe that's because I'd been wearing waterlogged shoes for days. A couple miles later, our "trail" went up a small stream, and I loved the fact that these shoes were not breathable enough to let water in, even if I submerged them almost up to the top laces. The first pair carried me about 50 miles to mile 220, until my feet became too large for them. The real test would be on the final pair..size 13s for 280 miles. STABILITY- None really to speak of. This shoe has nothing in the midsole but EVA foam. You don't feel anything in there guiding your foot roll, but the torsional rigidity of the shoe is significant. Perhaps it is the super-stiff upper that prevents the shoe from twisting. Or maybe it is Walmart Mystery Magic. H20 Proof- Let's call it water resistant. Not by design. Cheap materials used. I wouldn't spend any more than 10-15 seconds submerged, though. DROP- Eyeballing it...looks like 4mm drop from heel to toe. UPPER- As I mentioned before, it is very stiff. They have made no attempt to seal the seam where the tongue attaches just over your metatarsals. Consider using a thick or wool sock. TRACTION- A little slippery in mud, but better than some shoes I have encountered! Strangely, the soft ply of rubber/EVA on the bottom makes for good traction on rock surfaces. Not surprisingly, the downfall of this is lack of durability. After 280 miles of mud and rock and unstable footing, the only signs of wear were peeling of the sole at the front of the shoe (left side only), and a little wear on the back of the shoe (left side only). The "industry standard"....or, what the shoe companies want you to believe, is that every pair of shoes should be swapped out every 300-500 miles. The Starter Model MNST0400002 will give you that and more, at about 1/10th the price.
RUN IN THEM IF YOU: -are mechanically sound with a wider foot -have good running form -want a good deal on a lightweight shoe -are constantly annoyed on your morning runs by the dew on grass making your feet wet. The problem is solved with MNST040002 DON'T RUN IN THEM IF YOU: -analyze everything. One side might wear quicker than the other because, let's face it, quality control is just not there. You might not be able to deal with this. -need a stability shoe with what feels like a baseball under your arch. -are going to run less than a half marathon. They just don't feel like a speed shoe. OVERALL GRADE: B+ I enjoy a more minimal shoe for anything less than 24 hours on my feet, but for multi-day running, this could be the "in" shoe. Watch out, Hokey 911s! kp
1 Comment
Heather Fullen
6/16/2014 09:38:24 am
I am reminded yet again of my no-name military-issue sneakers from basic training. They were cheap as hell in quality but never once did my feet suffer. I pay $100+ for good stuff now and still have fleeting thoughts of "I wonder what those were and would they serve me as well now..."Things that make you go Hmmmmm...
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
September 2022
Categories |