It’s not every day you get to run a 5k in 68 degrees in December in Kansas City. That’s just what I did with 1100 of my closest friends in Kansas City for the 2011 Jingle Bell Run 5k . It’s for the Arthritis Foundation and a great cause!
Why should you care about my brilliant 5k PR at the JBR last Sunday? Because, I ran it with my new trusty Puma Bolt Faas 400 shoes.
Through my trials and tribulations as a runner, athletic type person and now triathlete, I had never tried out Puma. That’s all changed. I reached out to Puma to see what they had and I was actually pretty surprised. They have a solid lineup of running shoes and names like Usain Bolt backing them. And I just thought they were trendy and just for looks.
Upon first inspection, they looked lacking. By that, I mean they were pretty simple appearing in construction and made me wonder about durability. I’ve seen and heard plenty of horror stories about light weight running shoes that didn’t offer enough support to an 180 pound athlete like myself and caused all sorts of support issues. Not the case with these.
I’ve taken them outside in 30 degree temps for 13 miles and ran the caves at 68 degrees for a 5k. I’ve worn them for the daily errand run and trying to keep up with our kids. They have served all of my needs and let me just say, my feet are picky.
Aside from the nastiest toenails in the Midwest, I have Achilles tendentious issues and fallen arches that cause severe pain if not supported correctly. I was hesitant to change shoes, but being the off-season, I figured the damage would be temporary and I could switch back if I needed to before real training begins. No need. They fit and wear great. The best way to describe them is like wearing a comfortable sock with a little bit of cushion since they have molded sockliner for better fit. They are so light weighing in at 7.8 ounces, you can’t tell if you are wearing a real shoe, which was the crux of my concerns. Were they slip-ons for puttering around the house or meant to pound the pavement.
I’ve had them for over a month and put around 75 miles on them (I train with multiple shoes). So far they have held up without stitching coming loose or the soul losing resiliency and look good to boot! I’m interested to see how they fair over 6 months, the usual life cycle of my shoes. Sometimes runners equate light weight with durability issues. It also doesn’t help that I weigh in at 180 pounds (I’m not fat, I swear!).
At $90 on Puma’s site, they aren’t exactly cheap, but I have seen shoes with less thought put into them for well over $100.
The sole could also possibly offer a problem in that they are not deep treads. If it’s raining, snowing or slick in general where you’re making your tracks, you might be on your rear if you aren’t careful with this shoe. I’ve had no issues with them, but I’ve been out in dry weather on concrete and asphalt.
Overall they have surprised me. I’ve had no arch issues and my feet feel fresh after 13 miles. I’m curious to know if any of you out there use Puma as well and what you think about them? Hit us back with a comment!
Fine print: Puma has in no way hassled me for a positive review of these shoes that they provided at no cost to me.
Ryan Falkenrath writes the blog falkeetriathlon.blogspot.com, married father of two young kids, owner of two dogs and trying to balance life, work and multisport. Ryan has participated in multisport events since 2001 from 5k's to Half Ironmans. Ryan is also the Kansas City Endurance Sports Examiner and you can read more of his triathlon thoughts HERE and he collects race reviews at www.Triathlon-Reviews.blogspot.com. Contact Ryan at: falkeetriathlon@hotmail.com or follow him on @TriJayhawkRyan.
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