The VIBRAM 5 Fingers range has been a headline grabber for a few years now. Shoes that look like feet have turned out to be anything but a gimmick. Certainly, the sports science and in field ( and in water and on trail ) experiences support the claims of VIBRAM. This is a product that demands attention and delivers comfort, performance and good leg health.

VIBRAM chose to mimic or enable a protected barefoot experience for a number of reasons:

It is more efficient as the neuro-musculature in your feet receive the necessary sensory feedback at impact, without obfuscation.

Improved local blood circulation results from the changed foot-strike pattern and its need to engage a greater number of muscles.

Barefoot runners land mid-foot, increasing the work of the foot’s soft tissue support structures, increasing foot strength and possibly reducing the risk of injuries such as shin splints and ITB strains.

Enhance proprioception - your feet are able to sense and relay data back to the brain as they are meant to, without impedence. This is of particular relevance to trail runners where agility across randomly changing terrain is the norm and balance is essential to safety.

Stronger foot muscles - if you don’t use it you lose it. Wearing FiveFingers engages and strengthens foot muscles.

An excellent article on the fundamentals biomechanics of gait and the damage wrought by decades of motion control propoganda can be found HERE

So much for the biomechanics and science; how are they on?

In short they are amzingly comfortable and naturally glove-like. Having used INOV-8 shoes for some time now, the change over has not been mind blowing in the least. INOV-8 in their own way do what they can to have the feet work for themselves in their products. VIBRAM just happen to do it more effectively particularly for parcours, road running (not an INOV-8 focus) trail running and wet surface sports. Seriously, I can’t imagine a valid technical reason for free runners not to be racing across the urban jungle in 5 fingers.

The model I am using, the TREK is a purpose-built off-road product that weigh a fraction ( on avg 50% less ) of the usual conventional equivalents.

The soft, supple kangaroo-leather upper moulds to your feet allowing them to breathe naturally and offer reasonable protection below ankle. This upper is very strong and is highly water vapour permeable; allowing sweat out.  It is also machine (cold water cycle) washable. After some serious late winter hit-outs in boggy conditions - I’d love to see the suppleness and style of the kangaroo leather with the insulative and complete water proofness of the VIBRAM FLOW upper.  NB Since writing this FF have informed me they are shipping exactly this hybrid product early 2011.

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Geez a base-layer to review - no need for the valerian pills. I’ve worn Thermatech polypros and overpriced underwhelming Icebreaker as my next to skin layer on and off for many years. Sorry, but my experience with this type of garment has been so-so to date and being told to write about it - not thrilling to say the least.

i-RULE is THE site sponsor and to be fair 90% of what we test and review of theirs is bang on the money; their gear shows a fantastic eye for detail and understanding of the athlete and how and where the garment is to be used. Sometimes they get it wrong and when they do they listen to the feedback and get onto improving things.

With this background of base layer boredom and a determination for dispassionate discourse that I opened my new tote bag ( I bought a new pair of WHISTLERS so these days when you buy 2 or more products they package it in a very handy tote bag to help packing for races; nice touch ) and grabbed the EXXO base layer top.

Well, true to description the EXXO weighs next to nothing; similar to the latest silk tops and has a soft, almost luxurious handle.

It’s made of a “lite” version of i-RULE’s merino-nylon fabric Turbo Merino so it gives the expected merino performance benefits but with an improved ability to retain shape over repeated usage and the added bonus of quicker drying. It also has terrific elasticity to cater for ease of movement running, riding, paddling, climbing and bar hopping.

How is it on? It’s an anatomic cut and gives a similar feel to compression tops but without the clammy, cold-wet as you sweat down side of synthetic compression counterparts.

This product is just totally unobtrusive, feels like silk on and moves with you beneath a heavier technical top which in my instance for testing was the iRULE BLIZZARD and the immaculate PRIMO MTB top. I also just ran trails with it and a legendary inVEST only over the top and that was a really effective combination.

The EXXO  is versatile, simple,warm, breathable, quick drying and lightweight enough to be worth its place in your pack just about all year round. Worth trying on.

Mizuno enjoy a stellar performance reputation with the tar brigade with an excellent range of road running shoes. The Wave Ascend 4 is one of a number of trail running models Mizuno promote to this growing sector of the running market.

Compared to the La Fuma which are now my day to day off road shoe, the Wave Ascend is of gossamer weight.Despite the lightweight, the Wave Ascend enjoy the same attention to construction detail that has made Mizuno famous.

The upper mesh makes for an optimal airflow to ensure your feet can breathe. I’m not convinced of the longevity of this or most of the other synthetic uppers used in trail running shoes; they all seemed destined to fray and shred under high off road mileage. That said, they are no significantly better or worse than anything else I have run in.

The token toe box protective area is adequate but will do little to minimise damage if you give any decent sized stone a solid kick.

The feature I have found particularly useful and reliable is the Wet Traction™ Bi-Directional rubber soles which are decidedly above average. Like all Mizuno shoes, these are a wonderful fit but certainly in use it is best suited to mild pronators.

Sole and mid-sole structures provide for sufficient cushioning for a 75 to 85 kg+ athlete but if you are heavier than that it may not be enough. The forefoot is not overly stiff even though is built around the classic Mizuno Wave plate. The result is a feel for the trail that is exceptional.
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I have tried all sorts of shoes for multisports racing and training, be it a specific trail shoe for the coast to coast or a general road shoe for laps round the park. Most of these race shoes last a couple of hard mountain runs while the more durable lack the feel for technical running and white road shoes say “I’m a triathlete” a little much for style points in the off-road scene. The Salomon XT Wings seem to fit the bill, they are durable, perform well in technical situations and look uber cool with some jeans for your après MTB at the local.

After extensive testing in the Port Hills, the streets of Sao Paolo and numerous jungle trails in Brazil my verdict is on the Wings; piece by piece:

Uppers

Quick drying mesh and sensibly integrated textile parts. Practically, there is nothing more annoying than the uppers of a new shoe shredding quickly because the mesh is as weak as tissue paper and lets out water while letting in gravel. The XT Wings upper design obviates this.

Protection

The rubber belt offers an ideal blend of flexibility and protection. Shoes with super tough protection plates sound great but typically render the shoe hopeless for technical trails, further more they restrict the foots natural movement. When you lack feel for the trail, efficiency of movement is compromised.

The rubber toe cap provides enough protection for all but the biggest hits without adding excessive weight. (more…)

As much as I have enjoyed my INOV-8 305s, the uppers are all but fully shredded after 16 months and it’s time to try my new LA FUMA SKY RACE, a true mid to high mileage trail running shoe.

First impressions are positive; they are a smart looking shoe in a green and graphite combination and surprisingly, for the amount of support they provide, quite lightweight coming in at around 428g for a UK 8.0.

In terms of features provided the SKY RACE offers:

Uppers

A 3D mesh upper with a robust front TPU-based stone guard. The tongue has a semi-gusset. The lining is a lightweight breathable synthetic 3D mesh.

Footbed

This is built with a removable PES/EVA atop a formidable VIBRAM® XRUN rubber sole and fully supportive  Phylon tri-density midsole.

Patented Twin Lace System

This is a bi-sectioned - cantilevered toggle system for securing and stabilising the lower and upper foot separately.

Out of the box, they were a perfect fit first time which helps with the initial impressions. That said, they could do with a loop at the heel to make it easier to get in and out of the shoes.

Getting to the grips with the patented Twin Lace system was no problem at all and they worked well but can tend to work themselves loose with high mileage. As well, they could benefit from a housing or stowage facility (perhaps as part of a gusset structure) so they do not get caught up in vines and sticks in hard out bush track conditions.

The gusset is smart and effective, not quite the seamless full length elegance and rubbish warding ability of say the La Sportiva Racelite stoneguard but a well worked feature nonetheless.

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Most of us I think settle for a long sleeve polypro when we are paddling leaving wet suit style outfits to cold weather and major sea miles. Am I right?

What would make me re-think this and drop the habit of a decade? It’s my experience that unless I’m racing a multi-sport event  my shirt does not need a battery of rear pockets I can’t get to anyway. This rules out multi-sport style shirts. That said, I’ve always wanted to be able to get at a food bar or gel on my upper body when the energy levels are declining.

I also need good back ventilation, long front zip and shirt shape that’s longer at the back as the old tops always seem to creep up your back.

A shirt that breathes, sheds moisture and gives A1 sun protection goes without saying but that shield against UV can’t be emphasized enough.

So does the i-RULE SURGE measure up?

Well for a start it is a lot brighter than anything else that has come out of our sponsor’s multi-sport wardrobe that I can remember. The vivid gold-yellow is reasonably visible and made more so by some stylish and subtle reflective highlights.

Fit wise it is a little roomier than say the TORO multi-sport top and the new PRIMO MTB enduro top which is intended to accommodate the thicker upper torso of the hard core paddler. They have listened and made sure there is a whale tail at the back.
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It’s been a while since I have reviewed a shirt that as soon as I slipped it on had me a bit lost for words. i-RULE’s new PRIMO is DIFFERENT in that way. I did not know what to make of a shirt made of merino, recycled wood pulp and coconut fibre; it seemed more like a mix of natural product best used to make hippy dwellings. Once I put it on and the speechlessness set in I started to understand this natural fibre cocktail was tailor made for rednecked mountain bikers and hippies. Simply put the shirt feels like silk on and performs incredibly well in variable weather conditions hour after hour on the trail and at altitude.

The fabric itself provides that energy conserving thermo-regulation we all associate with merino but dries a hell of a lot quicker; it doesn’t smell after extended use and the coconut fibre panels not only wick like a synthetic but also provide better than UPF 50+ sun protection.

The smarts in this shirt don’t end with the new age fabric, the i-RULE design elements really come out to play here for the long distance rider with the DELTZ pockets a godsend for gels and bars; the trademark Quadstowe 4 pocket rear storage system with sloping side pockets holds enough stash with the centre zipped a useful adjunct for valuables and battery packs. The T vent system does a great job underneath your pack wicking moisture away and sans pack maximises airflow and sun protection.

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