Superfeet Insoles Guide for Triathletes

If you’re a triathlete and you don’t already wear insoles you’ve probably thought about using them at one point or another. Here’s a high level guide put together buy One Tri that gives you a rough idea of what insoles to get if you are considering purchasing a set from Superfeet.

Why Superfeet for triathletes:

• An efficient stride can improve your time and reduce fatigue
• Lightweight design provides support without weighing your feet down
• Insoles that are specific to your shoe, specific to your activity, and specific to your feet
• Truly an athletic insole with anti-microbial, moisture wicking, and air circulating features
• Superfeet provides top quality foot support and optimum comfort.

* This content is pulled from the One Tri website and newsletters with permission. I wanted to share it on this site to have a consolidated resource. Just wanted to give credit where credit is due.

What is your running foot type?

So you’re a runner. Either you’ve been running for quite awhile or you’re savvy enough to research the sport before you dive in feet first, but the fact remains you’ve been inquisitive enough to find out that there are different running strokes (Gary Coleman not being an option here) and you’re fuzzy on how you fit into these categories. There is a simple test outside of inquiring with your local running shoe / triathlon shoe shop.

Neutral Pronation:

Neutral pronation may be described as an ideal running strike where the foot pronates with proper timing so that your feet utilize their natural cushioning effectively. This timing combines an ideal blend of your foot’s natural cushioning and stability and is in fact, a rare phenomenon among runners.

• Ideal running strike
• Running shoes don’t need to have extra cushioning or stability

Pronator: Motion Control / Stability Runner

Overpronation is marked by excessive motion in the foot resulting in an outer foot strike with an aggressive inward roll. Basically this means that the foot is cushioning too much and the runner suffers from a lack of stability.

• Noticeable wear along the outside of your running shoes
• A flat foot / lower arch for your feet
• Referred to as the open pack position
• Runners need greater support and rigidity in the heel and instep of the shoe, not cushioning

Supinator

This running strike results in a tight inward foot roll so that the foot isn’t able to take advantage of its natural cushioning abilities, resulting in a rigid joint. A runner who is a supinator doesn’t need extra stability in their shoe and should seek a shoe with extra cushioning to help the supinator to run efficiently and prevent injuries over time.

• Noticeable wear on the heel and instep of your running shoes
• High arch
• Referred to as the close pack position
• Runners need a shoe with maximum cushioning in the heel and instep of their shoes

Zoot Ultra Speed Shoe

So I’ll admit, I’ve been rather partial to my Ultra Tempo 4.0 over the past year and it’s become my little race baby. The kind of shoe that I take out once a week for a PR attempt and save for race day occasions. I loved that shoe.

Too bad.

I’ve just spent the last week with the Zoot Ultra Speed and to be truthful I’ve seen it (the Ultra Speed) before. It was that one shoe sitting on the sales wall looking like a g*d*mn electric smurf with its blue and yellow (hear them haters talk, but there’s nothing you can tell ’em….sorry wrong color/song) lace-less smug face forcing me to pass it off as a, “sure it looks fast, but that’s what they want you to think” shoe.

My opinion after a week:

Basically I was slapped in the face by how light it is (yes, I’ve said that many times and I’ll say it once more just to piss off redundancy grammar nerds.) It’s seriously 1337 sauce on your feet. You can’t even tell that they’re there. Whiiiiiiiich can be a problem if you want to treat these a daily trainer.

Don’t.

These shoes are race specific. Meaning they’re cutting all the corners in a shoe to give you the absolute fastest, best performing and overall biggest advantage that your feet can fathom come race day. Think of them as track spikes. Elite track runners don’t train in their spikes and neither should you.

This is literally the first shoe that I’ve felt that I should save for race day. Which makes me super giddy and happy to race knowing that they’re actually angled with a 10mm drop to give you a more aggressive platform for a mid-foot / forefoot running strike. Basically, long distances need not apply but you sprints / olympics / 70.3’s you’ll be in the clear with regard in having the lightest and fastest shoe.

I can’t wait to test these in Orangeman!

K Swiss Kwicky Blade Light

This is a the K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light.   It’s a lightweight, stability shoe with some awesome features to make it worth every penny.  Composed of gore-tex material, the upper is waterproof, and will block out all the unwanted moisture and water from those aid station stops.  As with many triathlon running shoes, the Kwicky-Blade Light also has drainage holes as well.

Features:

• Guideglide dual-density construction featuring Blade-Light cushioning and side drainage.

• Superfoam heel crash pad and footbed.

• Aosta II heel outsole and Duraplush forefoot outsole.
• Dynamic TPU arch support and 3D medial posting for enhanced stability.
• Seamfree technology heat welded seamless upper for total comfort.
• Ion Mask hydro-phobic technology for state of the art water resistance.

K-Swiss K-Ona S Review

Fault me for thinking much about anything material, but man, I love my K-Swiss!

These came into the shop for me today, and since I first saw these shoes at Ironman events and around the web, I’ve fancied a pair for myself. Can you imagine my satisfaction when the first shipment of the year arrived to the warehouse?

You can call this my K-Swiss K-Ona review.

Upon coming home from happy hour drinks with a friend of mine, I changed into my running gear and went out the door with these shoes on. 4 miles later, and not without some burping, I returned.

The fit. These shoes were true to size. I’ve worn many athletic shoes, and for the major brands, I’ve always been a 12. For K-Swiss, I’m a 12. Score! As shoe makers since 1966, these guys have experience on their side.

The upper. Breathable and light, the upper had just enough material to where I felt my feet were hugged without being at risk for exposure to the elements. I don’t plan on trail running with these shoes, but I actually like to have my feet protected.

The sole. I’m a mid-foot/fore-foot striker. Wearing these weren’t a problem with my running style at all. The type of adjustment I had to make from the Zoot Kalani was somewhat nominal, but there was a slight difference – a 2mm differential. The Zoot Kalani’s heel to toe differential is 12mm, whereas the K-Swiss K-Ona is 10mm. This profile encourages mid-foot strikes, representing a more efficient running style. All of the Zoot triathlon shoes with the exception of the Kalani has this 10mm difference between the heel and toe. This differential is great when coming right off the bike.

The support on this shoe is designed for mild to over-pronation.

The feel. Comfortable, supportive, and light. With the weight of the shoe being just a mere 9 oz., I can see myself running races – in all sorts of distances.

Special Features. Drainage holes. This is a unique feature to triathlon shoes. You’ll learn to appreciate this at the aid stations.

I like these shoes, and I’m looking forward to trying out some more K-Swiss run shoes.

See more pictures by clicking on the image below.

Triathlon shoes vs. Regular shoes (running)

Have you ever asked “What is the difference between regular running shoes and triathlon running shoes?”

This is an interesting topic, as it should be. At any triathlon, the majority of participants sport running shoes that are recognizable to most of the general public. These shoes have their own 2 minute television ad that’s often not about the shoe, and about something else simply because the brand has so much brand recognition. They’re nothing too fancy, and we’ve all owned one.

But what about those triathlon specific running shoes? What makes them special?

In a short, its the construction for the transition off the bike and into the run.

In any triathlon, particularly in those that are shorter in distance than a half, a transition can easily mean a few places in position when it comes to the final results. This is most apparent in the top group of finishers as the difference between their times often come down to seconds if not minutes.

Triathlon specific running shoes are constructed for easy in and easy out/shifting your effort from biking to running. Zoot Running shoes are the ideal example when it comes to shoes designed specifically for triathlon and transitions. The notable features of a Zoot triathlon shoe are that they:

• Are Extremely light
• Have a liner in the shoe that allows for sock -less wear.  The material in these shoes reduces/eliminates odors.
• Lack a traditional tongue.  This feature often allows for a quick lacing system, or no laces at all.
• Have a unique heel to toe differential.  The race specific triathlon shoes by Zoot have a 10mm heel to toe differential.  This thickness in the sole encourages a mid foot/forefoot strike that is an extremely efficient running form, particularly when right off the bike.
• Drainage holes.  Ever get grab hydration at long races?  Ever get soggy feet because you spill water all over the shoe?  You guessed it, blister city.   Water can easily add quite a bit of weight to your shoe when you make a mess at transition after taking off your wetsuit.  Having these drainage holes aides in drying out the moisture during your run.  Pretty brilliant if you ask me.

Here are two by Zoot I like:

Interested in picking one  up for your next tri sport event?  A little bird tells me OneTri.com carries Zoot shoes and more.

Zoot Ultra Speed 2011 Update

I love my 2010 Zoot Ultra Speed shoes because they are so light and comfortable. They are the easiest shoe’s I’ve ever owned to put on, which is especially helpful in a tri and when I’m in a rush to get out on a run. The 2010 are black and yellow. The new 2011 Zoot Ultra Speeds that just came out are a classic blue and yellow with a silver shiny accent. The color palette is much louder than the previous year.

You can find out more and purchase the 2011 Zoot Ultra Speed by Clicking Here

2011 Zoot Ultra Speed Pictures:

Outside side view (above)

Inside side view (above)

Top view (above)

Bottom view. It is hard to see in this picture but there is a carbon foot span on the arch. If you scroll down you can see the carbon piece in the diagram of the 2010 model. (above)

The Zoot Ultra Speed at the time of this writing are in stock at OneTri.com click the image above to be taken to OneTri.com. (above)

2010 Ultra Speed (pictures below):

Zoot Ultra Kalani and Kane Run Shoe 2010

I am a fan of Zoot Shoes. The Kalani is my 4th pair of Zoot shoes and I have to say that I love this shoe. Ideally this shoe should be used as a high mileage trainer. However for me it has been more pratical to wear them every day and run in them as well. There will be a lot of people who say that I’m killing my shoes, I agree. However I can’t help it because these are likely the most comfortable shoes I’ve had next to the Zoot Ultra Speeds. The upper on these shoes is so soft and comfortable, it’s like wearing a sock. The only reason I’m wearing these every day instead of the Zoot Ultra Speed is because the Speeds are racing flats and they will wear out much more quickly.  I’ve probably only done about 50-80 miles of running in these shoes so far and have to say that I love them. I’m pretty sure I’ve walked over 200 miles in them.

The only difference between the Kane (grey) and Kalani (blue) beside the color is the sole. The Kane is designed to be a stability high mileage trainer and the Kalani is designed to be a high mileage neutral trainer. To find out more just click on the following links to be taken to OneTri.com for the specs:

Kalani (click here) – There is another video of the Kalani on this link.

Kane (click here) – There is another video of the Kane on this link.

Here’s a 360 degree video of my Kalani on my feet. I think they’ve held up pretty well for what I’ve put them through.: