Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Shoe Reports -- NB 890v4

Okay, following Max's lead, I tried a new pair of shoes this morning.  The NB 890v4s I got for free in the swag bag for leading a training run a few weeks back.  Normally I'm dubious about free shoes, but these fit the basic profile for me -- neutral, light, but not full on minimal.  I won't give the full history, but when I tried them on they reminded me of a light version of an old favorite New Balance line (can't remember the numbers).  The key element in those shoes, and in these, was a wide forefoot with a lot of padding to the outside.  The effect was to roll the foot in toward the ball of the foot on toe off.  This is a big help for me, as I have a tendency to roll out.  I've been running in Mizuno Wave Riders, which I've liked, but with the orthotics, the heel drop was a bit excessive, and the forefoot a bit narrow.  The 890s report an 8mm heel drop, again, not minimal, but not the 12 or 13 that is standard with a traditional trianer.

Short version.  I really loved them.  I took them out for a seven mile run, and my stride felt natural for the first time in months.  They accepted the orthotics easily, and I did not feel pulling in my heel, even when I opened up my stride.  I think I'll stick with these for a while, and report back after a few more miles.

4 comments:

  1. So, uh, how do I get one of those run-leader gigs? Glad you like the new shoes!

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  2. Join a running club in Brooklyn that gets asked my NYRR to organize a training run for the Brooklyn Half. . . Then volunteer to lead the pace group that nobody wants to lead (the 11 minute group). Mostly, it was pretty random. :-)

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  3. I guess I am old school compared to brand switchers. Still rocking the Saucony Kinvaras at least until they do something stupid and change the basic design.

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  4. Brand loyalty and lock-in effects. Somebody ought to write a book about that.

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