Hump Day! I’m halfway thru my stint of single parenting one child as the Caveman is off on business and Thing 1 is away with her grandparents. Not getting outside to run/bike or to the gym hasn’t been the greatest but, truth be told, it’s pretty steamy here this week and the mill is a welcome respite.
It’s been fun hanging with Thing 2.
We’ve enjoyed tons of pool time, baking, Frisbee, playground, oh and make believe with her stuffed animals. Plenty of that. Gotta love the imagination of an 8 year old!
For the past month or so I’ve been testing an interesting new shoe that came to me all the way from Sweden: Airia One running shoes. Beware, these shoes came with a warning: Since Airia One alters your biomechanical running pattern, you may not be used to exercising the muscles that come into play when running in these shoes.
So I was careful. At first glance, I could tell these were a forefoot striker’s shoe (Yay that’s me!). See how the toe area curls up? Yeah, when running, it puts you up on that sweet spot. Since I’ve been wearing Newtons for speedwork and races up to 10k for six years, I felt like I was familiar enough with Chi Running and the forefoot running posture Airia One was designed for. I took them out for a short jaunt: 1.6 miles to be exact. They felt airy, light and yes, fast.
The bottom is undulating and uneven, forcing my weight to the front and inward toward the ball of my foot. Personally, and because I’m a bit of a supinator, it felt like a bit too inward for me. I found myself wanting to fight the shoe.
The next day, there was a smidge of tightness in my inner calves. I guess the Newtons aren’t similar enough. Over time, I’ve gradually increased my mileage in the Airia One up to 5 miles with no calf tightness. I still feel like the design pushes me too far in toward the ball of my foot though.
The verdict? This is an interesting shoe that definitely takes some getting used to and is not for everyone. I think it is best suited for speed work on the track. IF it works for you, I agree with the designer: Light and fast. Airia One are due out this month and can be pre-ordered here at a $20 savings of $170. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee.
I love the looks and sounds of these. I am definitely a mid foot striker–my problem is actually not getting the heel down at all, so I wonder if these might not be a good fit for me?
Amanda if you never put your heel down, these are PERFECT for you! When I fatigue my form goes to hell and heel striking happens. 🙁
Heel striker here. And after all I’ve been through with my feet this year, I’m not changing a thing. Except taking my orthotics out of my shoes. Feels great to run “naked”!
these look really interesting! Would love to try them. I’m all about lighter shoes for the summer.
They sound interesting! I do wear lighter shoes in general, but I would have to ease into it too.
Enjoy your time with Thing 2!
Having twins, I rarely get to spend time with one child alone. It’s such a nice treat when it happens, though, isn’t it?
Those shoes are interesting – a warning with shoes is always a biggie! Glad that you and your youngest are having a good week! I know you will be happy to have your entire family together again soon!
Those shoe are pretty snazzy, but sound kind of nuts.
We were sent similar shoes for ZOOMA, and I usually just use them for walking with Layla. Any type of minimalist shoe makes me nervous due to past injuries!
I do like the look of these, though! What a fun product to test!
I use these for races (2miles to 10k) and some speed/interval training mainly. I think they feel great, my times have improved by over 1% as suggested in their marketing. Size wise do not buy a size or half a size too big, they fit to normal trainer size (unlike adidas)…
Yes it was steamy the first 1/2 of the week– last night I was in a hoodie and sweats! Where’s the heat… so typical of Chicago!!! 🙂
I’ve been missing some outdoor run time too with the little one home but it sure is great to have an excuse to just play all day 🙂
It’s interesting those shoes force you to land on the inside. A big issue I see with so many people is that they walk duck-footed and with a lot of strain on the lateral gastrocs. I am constantly telling some clients to keep their instep connected to the ground and they just can’t! The body is so fickle when it comes to the way it adapts.
I had some swim time this weekend with the girls. Love it!
I’m not sure how I’d feel about the shoe. Of course, I have no idea how I run.