Everyone has a different opinion on what makes a good running shoe and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Everyone's feet and needs are unique so that's why when some one says "These are the best shoes ever" or "These are SO comfortable" you really need to take that with a grain of salt so to speak.
I am not here to tell you that these are the best shoes or that you should run right out and buy these, but I am going to tell you what I've learned about them to see if they might be the shoes ( or type of shoe) that would work for you or that you know not to waste your time trying them.
So here goes!
These are the Altra Olympus.
First thing I noticed is the Purple color. I love it and it immediately made me think of Grape Soda!
The Olympus was made as a trail shoe ( hence the rugged bottom) but can be used for road running too.
These are Max cushioning shoe AND they are the zero drop as well. That means the same amount of cushioning that is in the heel of the shoe is also in the forefront of the shoe. This results in the "stacked heel" look that you may not be use to. I know I wasn't use to it.
These are considered a "neutral" shoe and has a contoured foot bed. My Altra Intuitions 1.5 that I talked about earlier are also neutral but have "moderate" cushioning.
Since I have been having major knee and hip pain ( yup it still hasn't gone away even though I am continuing to go to PT) I have really been picky with any new shoe I put on because I don't want something that is going to have a reverse effect on whatever progress I am making and I always fear that I am in the "wrong shoe". So of course I do lots of research and ask lots of questions.
My main concern was with all this cushioning and did I really need it. This is what I found out.
*Cushioning eases stress on your feet, but it can disrupt proper technique and increase joint impact.
* Get a more cushioned shoe if you tend to have foot pain.
* Get a less cushioned shoe if you have strong feet but tend to suffer from joint pain.
Weight can also play a role in how much cushioning one may need. The heavier the runner, the more cushion they may want.
* ( This information came from Altra material)
Because I have never had foot pain ( knock on wood) but I have had joint pain, I am rethinking whether or not these shoes are a good fit for me.
I really do like these shoes because they are comfy and lets face it they are cute. But I know that sometimes that's just not enough.
I 'm participating in a Running Shoe link up with our friends April and Patty. Go check out their posts to see what they have to say about their running shoes too!
Is there anything else that I should be considering when choosing a pair of shoes?
Tell me what your best shoe tip is? ~M
I received these Altras in exchange for a promotion I was a part of through our blog. I was not asked to write a review of them but I thought maybe other runners might have these same concerns so I wanted to put them out here.