Do you feel it? That slight hint of crispiness in the air? After a long, hot summer, Fall is just around the corner as we fly into September and marathon season. By this point, many runners have either just started or knee deep into marathon training season as they prepare for Chicago, Berlin, New York, and many more races ahead. Before we get too deep into the Fall, let's take a look back at the busy month that was August. From podcasts to reviews, we had another business, record-breaking month at DOR!
Deckers x Lab Recovery Footwear Review
Assessing the Benefits of Recovery Footwear
Deckers X Lab is bringing the heat with big aims for the X-SCAPE and KO-Z collections. The aim of the Deckers X Lab is to bridge recovery footwear and either active lifestyle or relaxation. The X-SCAPE line is for those that are going to be on their feet and on the move even after logging a lot of training beforehand. The KO-Z Collection is aimed more for lounging and daily type wear. Both collections have unique features to them that give them character and some components that subjectively (David) do seem to help with recovery. In this review we will outline a little bit about each of the models and dive into some of the literature around recovery footwear and what this means.
Welcome to our second Doctors of Running Q&A! We rounded up some of our favorite user submitted questions from our Instagram to tackle in today's edition. Make sure to follow us on Instagram to catch future opportunities to send questions in, or email us your questions to doctorsofrunning@gmail.com!
DOR Podcast #102: Is Running Bad for Your Knees?
Reebok Floatride Energy 4 Adventure Review: Outdoor Amusement
By Chief Editor/Founder Matthew Klein and Senior Contributor David Salas
With the increase in plates, super foams and maximal stack heights, finding a traditional, simple and flexible shoe can be challenging. This is especially true on trail, where it is far more normal to have stiff rides, plated midsoles (usually rock plates) and/or high stack heights. The Reebok Floatride Energy Adventure continues to bring that unique ride to both the road and trail as a hybrid lightweight trainer. Featuring a more traditional drop/stack height, great cushioning and flexible forefoot, it fills a niche that is becoming more rare these days.
XTEP 300X 2.0 Review: Everything, All At Once
By Senior Contributor David Salas
XTEP has released a new line of running shoes aimed at tuning paces and catering to certain marathon times. The 300X is a bit of hybrid between the super shoe scene and the training scene. Per XTEP, the shoe is meant to be for those running in between 4 and 6 hours, as well as for higher weight individuals. The shoe has a little more structure to it compared to the the 160X 3.0 and 160X Pro and rides a little more trainer like as well. The shoe has worked well for very well controlled easy efforts during the testing phase. Main features of the shoe include a PEBA-based midsole as well as a carbon fiber plate configuration with a mild to moderate stability package.
DOR Podcast #101: Beginner's Guide to Recovery
How Much Does Doctors of Running Make? | Report #3
By Social Media Wizard Bach Pham
In 2021 we decided as we were growing that transparency would be
important to the work we do. This is the third report in our series. You can find our last one here. In our third report, our Content Manager Bach Pham will be going to go through our monthly profits for January through the end of June 2022 and talk about our growth during this time period and where we plan to go next.
Brooks Glycerin 20 Review: Lofty Expectations
By Chief Editor/Founder Matthew Klein
There are a few shoes that quickly come to mind when talking about premium daily trainers. The Saucony Triumph, Asics Nimbus and the Brooks Glycerin continue to be standouts. All three have or are about to enter into their 20th iteration, which is a major milestone with how quickly shoes seem to come and go now. Central to many shoes these days, even these premium trainers are seeing the additions of new foams, redesigns and lighter weights. The Brooks Glycerin 20 is no exception with the introduction of the new DNA Loft v3 foam and four total versions with a variety of uppers or stability levels (we also reviewed the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20, the stability version HERE). As the lightest Glycerin to date, version 20 maintains its function as a highly cushioned, premium shoe for daily miles. How soft it actually is compared to how it is advertised is another discussion.
Unpause Atlas: Full Length PEBA at a Value
By Chief Editor/Founder Matthew Klein
An increasing number of brands have begun experimenting with new midsole materials, slowly moving away from EVA based foams and using PEBA, PEBAX, nylon-based foams and more. However, with these new materials, many of these shoes are quite expensive. The Unpause Atlas challenges this with a ~$90 dollar shoe featuring a full length PEBA midsole and a midfoot carbon fiber shank. One of the rare shoes with this new midsole foam to feature a somewhat flexible forefoot due to only a partial length plate, the Unpause Atlas has entered a unique shoe into the market that is worth some attention.
DOR Podcast #100: The Best Super Shoes of 2022 So Far
Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next%2 Review: Steady as She Goes
By Senior Contributor David Salas
The Nike Alphafly Next% 2 is a new generation racing shoe and a continuation of the somewhat polarizing first version. The Alphafly was a racing shoe that was loved by many, and also avoided by many. The shoe was a little bit on the heavier end, but provided good responsiveness with ZoomX, a carbon plate, and the Zoom Air pods in the forefoot. The shoe gets a tiny bit heavier, but integrates some improved sidewalls and wider, more continuous forefoot to create a more stable ride throughout.
Vuori Apparel Review
By Founder/Chief Editor Matt Klein, Contributor Andrea Myers, and Content Manager Bach Pham
Vuori has been making a consistent and calculated push over the last several years into the sector of high-performance activewear. Starting in the California coastal city of Encinitas, it was originally born to fill a gap that founder Joe Kudla noted. During a period of time when women's activewear was taking off, the same high-quality clothing that could double as active and formal casual wear was limited for men. While their origins started there, they have expanded into a 50/50 equal focus on both men and women. Our team had the opportunity to test some of their pieces and found them to be some of the softest and most comfortable apparel items we have tried. The use of each varied quite a bit, but much of the Vuori apparel will continue to have a place on our torsos and legs in the future.
Brooks Glycerin GTS 20 Review: Softer Stability
By Chief Editor/Founder Matthew Klein
The Brooks Glycerin series has been a staple premium cushioned series for a long time. Past runners may know of the Glycerin GTS as the Transcend, before Brooks renamed their line to help simplify things. The Brooks Glycerin GTS is an expansion of the successful Glycerin series that allows for a single shoe to possess a variety of options depending on the individual's needs. Whether it be neutral, guidance/stability, or a thicker or lighter upper (Stealthfit). A true example of Brooks trying to apply their "Run Signature" program to their footwear, the GTS version allows for those with stability needs to experience the Glycerin without making an entirely new and complicated shoe.
DOR Podcast #99: The Running Retail Episode: Best Practice, Choosing the Right Shoe, and Advice for Retail Workers
