Last weekend, The Runners Edge running club had a 'special' run...we were all able to test out the new Saucony Razor shoes on a trail run. Yes, you heard me right - a trail run in January in the suburbs of Chicago. Did this make us all crazy - some may think so, but we are after all a running club, so what else would expect us to do :-) The temperature wasn't bad at about 30 degrees. In any case, I was very excited to try out these new 'weather proof' trail shoes from Saucony.
Upon putting on the sleek looking black shoes, I immediately noticed they were not nearly as cushioned as I'm used to. Keep in mine I typically buy about the most cushioned shoes on the market, so this was no surprise. They were generally comfortable though, and looked much 'cooler' than most running shoes I've ever owned.
The group of about 12-15 of us hit the road for a 1/2 mile run to our normal summer trail - once entering the trail, the first 1/2 mile or so is paved. This stretch had was fairly clear of snow, but was very slick and icy in spots. I noticed that those of us wearing the razor had MUCH better grip then those who chose to go with their normal running shoes. Nothing nearly as good as my Yax Trax (basically rubber bands wrapped with metal that stretch over shoes and give unbelievable grip on ice), but much better than standard running shoes. Once we hit the non-paved portion of the trail, I realized why I avoid the trails in the winter - there had been enough walkers/skiers/park vehicles that the trail was basically a mess of small bumps and crevices that had frozen over. My ankles rolled all over the place as I struggled through about 2 miles of the trail. I was running an extremely slow pace for me, but after a month off and given the trail conditions, I was fine with just logging the miles and not worrying about the pace.
Overall, I really liked the Razors. They kept my feet warm and dry. They definitely live up to their billing of being wind and water proof. I think they would be ideal for Chicago in the late fall or early summer when trails are often muddy/flooded. I'm not 100% sure if I'll shell out the $130 to buy a pair of them, but something tells me if I don't, the next rainy day I run on I'll be missing them.
Get out there and run!
