Changes

=Shoe Dissection =I've cut many of my shoes in half to reveal their construction.{| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:ShoeHalfsHokaSlice.JPG|none|thumb|500pxx300px|A comparison of various shoes cut in half to reveal their sole. The Hoka is the original Minimax shoe, the Bondi. ]]|[[File:OlympusSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Altra Olympus.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:GTSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Asics is a traditional shoe, the GT]]|[[File:FreeSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Nike Free and ]]|- valign="top"|[[File:PureSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Brooks Pure are transitional shoes and the ]]|[[File:HattoriSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Saucony Hattori is minimalist. You can see the radical difference in sole thickness between the shoes]]|- valign="top"|[[File:GoRunSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Skechers GO Run Ultra]] |}

| style="background-color: #CCFFFF;" |2726/41mm 40mm (2524/35mm 34mm without insole)

[[File:AltraOlympusOlympusSlice.jpegJPG|none|thumb|200pxx300px|The Altra Olympusdissected.]]

[[File:HokaHalfs.JPG|rightnone|thumb|300px|The Hoka Bondi cut in half, showing the outside and inside views. You can see that the midsole foam is a lot higher on the outside than the inside.]]

{| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:GoRunSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|A slice through the GOrun ultras.]]|[[File:SkechersGoRunUltraGoRunPressure.jpgJPG|none|thumb|200pxx300px|Here's a close up with my foot in the slice. The Skechers GOrun Ultraarrows give an idea of where the pressure points are under the ball and heel of the foot. Here you can see the sole thickening in front of the heel, creating a 'medial post'.]]|- valign="top"|[[File:GORunAnkle.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|A close up of the ankle, where you can see the foam that holds the shoe against the back of the ankle.]]|[[File:GORunAnkle2.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Here's the closeup with my ankle, and the blue arrow points to where the shoe presses on the heel bone (calcaneus) and the calcanean bursa. The red arrow points to the Achilles' tendon, which is where most shoes press. ]]|- valign="top"|[[File:GORunSole.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|A close up of the sole, showing the wear that occurred after just 130 miles.]]|}Is this a Hoka for only $80? Sadly not, but it's closer than you might expect, though the cost per mile probably works out more than the longer lasting Hokas.* '''Cushioning'''. The GOrun Ultra is massively cushioned in the heel; it's as thick as the thicker Hokas, but softer. However, the forefoot is not as thickfar thinner. * '''Protection'''. The GOrun offers little protection compared with other Minimax shoes. This is partly because the forefoot is relatively thin and partly because of the large foam lugs. If you hit a stone between the lugs the forefoot is only 22mm (with insole). If the stone hits on the gap in the red foam, which makes you'd only have about 17mm of remarkably soft foam. Ouch. * '''Drop'''. The drop with the drop insole is 14mm, making it worse than a traditional running shoe. If you take the insole out, the drop is reduced to 10mm, which is not quite as bad, though slightly more than a traditional shoe. However, if you look at the picture above, you'll notice the cut outs in the red foam around the forefoot, which makes the drop seem worse as the forefoot is softer and more compressible. ** Note that the measurements published by Skechers indicate the drop is 8mm with the insole and 4mm without the insole. I've also seen the measurements of 23/27mm sole height quoted by third parties. However, an independent measurement is 27/41mm with the insole, 25/35mm without, which close to my measurement. I took my measurement from under the ball and heel of the foot using the slice seen above. * '''Medial post'''. The construction of the sole is a little odd, becoming thicker just in front and to the inside of your heel. This creates what is sometimes called a medial post, which is intended to resist the natural roll of your foot as it lands. * '''Feel'''. I found the combination of the medial post and the large drop rather disconcerting, and while the heel is nicely cushioned, the forefoot feels rather poor. I've run a few miles with a GOrun Ultra on one foot and a Hoka Bondi on the other (don't do that at home), and the shoes feel remarkably superficially similar. * '''Heel counter'''. The forefoot heel counter on this shoe is rather different to other shoes, putting almost no pressure on the Achilles' tendon. Instead the heel counter presses on the back of the GOrun is noticeably thinner heel bone, which feels rather odd initially, and offers far less protection from stones than when running faster it felt like the BondiGORun Ultras would come off. However, it's possible that this shoe may work better if you are having Achilles' Tendon issues. * '''Wear'''. Shoes that lack the hard rubber outsole layer always wear more quickly, but the GORun Ultra's have lugs that wear even quicker than others. If found noticeable wear after only 130 miles. * '''Injury. '''I found that I started to develop knee pain during the time I was trying out these shoes, even though I was only running short distances in them. The knee pain disappeared after I ceased using the GORun ultras. This could be coincidence of course, but it does concern me. The GOrun has most of the softness and comfort of the Hoka, so overall this is not at a bad shoe given the far lower purchase price. However, and well worth considering. (Note that the measurements published by Skechers indicate the sole is an 8mm I have some concerns with amount of drop with the insole and 4mm without the insole. I've also seen rapid wear that undermines the measurements of 23/27mm sole height quoted by third partiescost advantage. However, an independent measurement is 27/41mm with the insole, 25/35mm without, which matches up with my informal measurement.)

[[File:adidas-energy-boost.jpg|none|thumb|200px|The [http://www.runningwarehouse.com/adidas_Energy_Boost/descpageMRS-AENBM1.htmlhttp:/www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/ADI1674ADI1702/mens-adidas-energy-boost-2/brproductcrosssell/ Adidas Energy Boost].]]The [http://www.runningwarehouse.com/adidas_Energy_Boost/descpageMRS-AENBM1.htmlhttp:/www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/ADI1674ADI1702/mens-adidas-energy-boost-2/brproductcrosssell/ Adidas Energy Boost] has a new material in the midsole (see 'Adidas Boost Foam' below) which changes how this shoe feels. The Boost does not really count as a minimalist shoe or a Minimax shoe, as it has a mainstream design, with the typical raised heel and cushioning that is no thicker than normal. However, because the boost foam works so well, it works far better than you'd expect.

The [http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/MIZ752/ Cursoris] is a light shoe with a soft sole, almost as soft as the Hokas, but only half the thickness so overall the cushioning is less. The Cursoris is clearly a road shoe, with little protection from stones, and no outsole grip. The toe box is the biggest and best designed of any shoe I've tried, even better than the Altra's. The upper is soft, which some people find strange and can result in them being over tightened. Once you get used to the feeling that they're barely there, they stay in place well. However, they wear as quickly as you might expect, so the cost per mile is quite high. <br style="clear: both" />

{| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:Free30v4.jpg|none|thumb|200pxx200px|The (unmodified) Nike Free 3.0 Flynit.]]|[[File:FreeSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x200px|Nike Free]]|}