Disclaimer: Generally when I review a pair of shoes, I try to wear them for at least a week in some type of varying conditions before I post the review. However, I got the chance to demo these shoes (run in them one-time at a local running store), so this review is a first impression only!
So I got to try these out from a local running store (Running Lab in Brighton, MI, definitely check them out!) last week during one of their weekly hosted group runs. I had seen these shoes around for a little while now and have been wanting to try them out, so I finally got my chance. At first glance, you can see what’s different about them–the bottom treads of the shoe have “lugs” (“clouds”) that are the main idea for the cushioning. On calls it the Cloudtec system.
Now they surely looked different at first glace, and they felt a little different just standing and walking around (a little wobbly, perhaps? Maybe it was in my head…). However, they felt pleasantly natural once my run began and felt definitely good for right out of the box. They didn’t appear to be previously ran in, and didn’t feel too stiff or clunky out of the box, as many standard trainers tend to do.
Overall I took them for a seven mile run with as much variability in terrain as I could manage for the day: paved sidewalk, paved road, gravel road, and dirt shoulder (beside paved road). Not too bad, and they all felt pretty good for a first impression. As I mentioned before, the ride seemed smooth and natural (couldn’t notice the different type of bottom cushioning surface). They breathed well and I never got any gravel or rocks stuck in the lugs (clouds), which is always a possible concern. Overall they seemed pretty responsive. Another big positive is that my feet were no worse for the wear post-run, meaning I had no hot spots or worse from running in a completely different pair of shoes than normal. And my feet and legs didn’t feel extra beat up the next day either, which I took as a good sign.
I was told they run a little big, so I went with a half size smaller than I wear in other brands and they seemed to fit really well.
They are classified as a neutral shoe, have a 7mm heel-to-toe drop, and a mens size 8.5 weighs 9.1 ounces.
Overall I had a nice run in these shoes and I would be interested in training in them further in a few other conditions (more trails and non-paved environments) and also try some of their other models. I am glad for the opportunity to try them.
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