Nike Air Zoom Steens III

Hey All

Just bought these and have completed a few 3- 5km runs in them in primarily horrific conditions. Mid-February, in a Southwestern Ontario Snowbelt means -15c, dirty windchill, and lots of deep snow to contend with (almost wish I had grabbed the Gore-tex version).

Pros: Even with the nasty conditions and NO gore-tex these uppers shed the junk well and the Soles were as grippy on Snow, Slush and Ice as any un-modified shoe I've worn. I'm a stocky 5'9, 185lbs with pretty flat stumps but only mild pronation and these booties are the bomb for me. They are more stable than previous versions but feel like they are jacked up a little in the heel (I feel this is helping me on hills). This may be due to the low-riding hybrid trail shoes I was using previous. That said, these babies run pretty smooth on pavement too. I even ripped out 5k on the treadmill, breaking them in on a -25c day , without my legs feeling any heavier than my roadies.

The Cons - This shoe took a little more break-in than I wanted. No Blisters, but the more aggressive stability left my archs really sore after the first few runs. They are a little too stiff for my liking so the heelcup doesn't quite suck your heel into it as well as I would like.

Conclusion: This is a Trail Shoe with an ALL-BUSINESS mid-sole and grippy outsole and a junk-shedding lightweight upper.
This shoe doesn't suffer from lunker-foot (all the weight- below your feet). Likely, thanks to the heel air-sole and zoom air unit up front. For the larger, runner or the more dedicated trail afficionado this boot will make you smile.

If you are a smaller female or just a skinny little dude you might want something less stiff and beefy.

Listen to my footsteps.