Monday, April 1, 2013

Optima's "Spirit of Sprint" Shoe Review



Even though I’m brand new to the NERC club, my own running blog has enabled me to be a product tester for over 8 years so I thought I would chime in with a post on your site as a way to introduce myself.
I have tested and reviewed hundreds of running related products and nothing comes close to revolutionizing or threatening the sport of running like Optima’s newest high end running shoes the Spirit of Sprint which will be referred to for the rest of this article by its nickname the S.O.S.  The S.O.S are the first ever running shoes to have completely free moving parts within the shoe. These shoes are also in direct defiance of the minimalist movement. They have thick nonflexible soles with small chambers inside that run the length of the entire shoe. Within these enclosed chambers are weighted ball bearings that move freely forwards and backwards depending on the angle of the shoe and the momentum of your stride. The key concept is Newton’s third law of motion – every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This concept is demonstrated in the item found on many office desks where a row of ball bearings swing back and forth.
There is a definite learning curve to these shoes and for the first few runs it felt like the shoes had a life of their own and were actively fighting against me. It was when I was putting them in the box to send back along with a very negative review that I saw the “how to use” instruction guide. I have never worn any shoes that came with instructions so I never even thought to look for them. After reading the sheet and carefully studying the diagrams, I gave the S.O.S. another chance. After about a mile I began to find my stride getting easier and quicker. The key is having a steady rhythm and making incremental instead of drastic changes in speed. I found myself coming back after my 3 mile loop and running right past my house because I was having too much fun. It felt like the shoes were doing all the work and I was just along for the ride.
At $483 these shoes are not for everyone but they are for anyone who wants to PR in speed or distance on roads. There are currently no plans for a trail version. My advice is to “run” out and buy a pair as soon as they are available in mid-summer because these shoes are so good they may truly become illegal…in races.  Sorry I don’t have a photo, Optima asked that I not show any pictures until they complete their advertising campaign. 
Shoe review courtesy of new NERC member   -  April B. Luff
For more information check out April’s blog here

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