Friday, October 23, 2009

END 8.5oz trail racing shoe for $38.00

Has anyone tried these? $38.00




END Men's STUMPTOWN 8.5 oz Trail Running Shoe

Ideal for race days or when just planning to go fast & light, the Stumptown 8.5oz is designed with SeamSmart synthetic and mesh upper, resulting in a breathable, glove-like fit and a trail radius outsole for all-terrain traction. Pushing the limits on lightweight running performance, the Stumptown 8.5oz will not disappoint.

  • SeamSmart synthetic and mesh upper
  • END evo BioSmart midsole
  • Co-molded underfoot protection plate
  • Trail radius outsole
  • Synergy heel system
  • Ultralight trail running shoe ideal for race day
  • Weight: 8.5oz

10 comments:

skatona said...

Found a few customer reviews (2 good, 1 bad) if that helps. I highly doubt the reviewers ran as long as you, though, so even the good might turn questionable after 20 miles.

http://www.rei.com/product/774921

http://www.backcountry.com/store/review/200011822/Great-Company-not-so-trail-savey.html

http://www.lunch.com/reviews/UserReview-Stumptown_8_5oz_by_END_Footwear-1394153-11098-_Environmentally_Neutral_minimal_light_weight.html

Was that wolf banner pic taken by you? It looks like it belongs in a National Geographic.

Take care.

Lucho said...

Skatona- I like the light, no frills shoes and these look pretty good for the price. I saw a few reviews too but thanks for the links!
I wish I had taken the header pic! That's a random pic of Timber Wolf. Since the wolf hybrids were killed up here I looked a bit on the wolf species and have been reading about the wolf conservation being done up North. It's funny (not HAHA funny, but sad funny) to me when ranchers start crying that their livestock are getting killed when they chose to place them in the wilderness. Humans move in to the animals territory then get panicked when they see the animals or get pissed that the predators are doing what they do. That's a whole nother debate... cool pic and cool animals though.

GetBackJoJo said...

No, I haven't tried them. But is that a wolf on your header? I didn't know they were ever black... He is very Halloweenish. I love your headers, btw.

Lucho said...

Ya- Timber Wolf.

Matt said...

I like their approach, the eco shoe. Review them for us :-)

but I wonder about those heels?
And you're kind of a minimalist.

Great to see you getting ready for this shit. I'm battling back from some down time, so i'm out of shape. Frustration? your last post set me straight: "Use the volume as the stimulation for fitness, not intensity. If a run is too easy then I'll go longer. I'm looking forward to this. Very much."

Running and beer? I like it!

GetBackJoJo said...

Another gorgeous wolf shot.
Thanks for the injury info. Yes, my calves are a mess-always very tight--likely b/c I strike on my forefoot/ball of foot. I haven't found a specific ball of pain, as it were, but the whole calf is very sore from the marathon. Interestingly, my left calf (the side with the injured foot)hurts much more than the right. I must be doing something funky when I'm running...
I will follow the protocol you suggested. Thanks.
One more thing. I wear clogs or Uggs (I know, don't cringe) during the day. Any thought on whether these are okay? What should I be wearing ideally?

Lucho said...

Matt- At 8oz though, they would pack out and firm up. As they wore out they would get better and better. The seems similar to the 1st gen. Lunar Trainer to me. But the price is closer to what they're worth.
Ya- I read your blog. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, goes through hard times with their training. Patience is tough to have when you have build back. But I've always loved this challenge. I "ran" this morning and had to walk nearly every hill to keep my HR below 150. This motivates me and spurs me on and I love the challenge of rebuilding. I also know that my patience right now is what will shape my future races, so this stage in training is absolutely the most critical. Keep the faith brother and fight the good fight.

Lucho said...

IMmatron- We all do something funky with our biomechanics. Your foot strike is most likely determined by something in your hips or pelvis. The forward motion of your leg is done with the psoas which attaches to your spine. Your core and hip flexor muscle group are responsible femur rotation which then determines lower leg alignment (generally). A good core routine that involves work on your lower back, piriformis, glutes, psoas and hips could help you a lot. A tight lower back can cause many "injuries" in your legs. If you train in aerobars a lot then for sure this could be an issue (the psoas shortens and gets tight when your bent over in the aero position which is mostly why you feel weird running off the bike).
If your calves are wrecked then this is almost for sure the cause of the fascia pain. You want to massage very regularly, like 5-6 times a week. If it's cold out then make sure to keep your calves warm too. Muscle elasticity is affected by temperature. As for the shoes... I can imagine the Uggs are good and it would depend on the type of clog. A birkenstock or something with an arch would be a little better for support of the arch, but too much support creates dependency and weakens your foot. If you can get healed and resolve the fascia problem then I personally think you want to strengthen your feet with less support. This is tough, but if you can make all the tendons and ligaments in your feet more durable then you'll be less likely to have problems. Start with the massage and getting the muscles consistently supple and loose first and I'll bet the problem goes away with out changing shoes.

The other brother said...

I have this shoe and had a pair of their road models (the OTG). The sizing of the trail flat (this one) seems a little big for me, but the road one was true to size. If I were to order again while they're cheap, I'd get a half size smaller. Not sure if that's true for you or if I just have weird feet.

The trail shoe has been great on nice trails, but since they don't have much going on, I've definitely been jabbed by some cactus on the less groomed trails here in west Texas. I plan to race in them for our local trail series. There really is nothing to them though -- I need a little more support for anything over 10k, but it might be because they're a little big for me and slip around a bit.

The road shoe on the other hand... sure looked cool and felt different, but I wore through the cushioning and treads in less than 300 miles -- most of which were walking during the time I was recovering from injury.

So, trail shoe = recommend. Road shoe = don't bother.

-Nick

Lucho said...

Much appreciated Nick! Hope you liked Estes. I'm just down the road from there.