My Running Shorts

Running isn’t rocket science.  Or is it?  I love running shoes the way Carrie Bradshaw loves her Manolo Blahniks.  Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had the opportunity to test drive the new Nike LunarGlide+.  Or, as like to call them, moon shoes.  I just discovered that way back in 1972 Nike unveiled a “Moon Shoe” with the trademark waffle sole.  I’m never an original.

The LunarGlide+ is an old idea with very new technology.  The innovative shoe aims to bridge the cushioning and stability category with a “Design Support System” that adjusts to each step, providing cushioning and/or support as needed.  This interests me because I have a neutral footstrike until I fatigue, at which point I am prone (ha) to moderate pronation.  I’m not the only one.  Foot needs tend to vary over the course of a run and the LunarGlide+ is designed to meet those ever changing needs.  The technology that allows this kind of adapting is, literally, rocket science.  Nike has been borrowing from space techs for a long time.  The LunarLite material was developed by the aerospace industry and modified by Nike with the goal of developing a soft foam that returned energy.  The light foam core sits in a firmer foam carriage.  The foam core will engage a stabilizing rear-foot wedge carved into the carriage if and when a runner over-pronates, otherwise the the wedge will not engage.  It’s on demand stability.  The foam also provides a cushioned landing with high energy return.  The result is an oxymoron: a responsive cushioning shoe.  My Nike Lunar Trainers have the same technology, but with less bounce.  The women’s model has extra foam, creating a softer shoe.  The shoe also features Flywire threads, like cables on a suspension bridge, that reduce shoe weight while still providing lots of support.  These threads are apparently stronger than steel.  A lightweight stability shoe is hard to find.  LunarLite and Flywire technology were both introduced in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics and were an immediate hit when Nike made elite athlete technology availability to the not-so-elite consumer.  The Natural Motion Engineering in the outsole encourages an unrestrained stride is coupled with Dynamic Fit Technology for an individualized fit in the heel, midfoot, and toebox.  Basically, the newest Nike runner aims to be a custom fit stability-cushioning hybrid, made possible though the use of out of this world technology.  Far out.
 
That’s the marketing promo, but what about the ride experience?  First, a disclaimer.  I am a very picky shoe wearer.  Every time a pair expires I spend hours trying on countless shoes, only to leave somewhat unsatisfied with a new purchase (often the update of an old standard).  I do, however, love to try on shoes and to experiment with different brands and models.  I have a motley assortment of kicks in my closest, with no loyalty to any one manufacturer or shoe category.  The first time I wore the LunarGlides+ I thought they were a bit stiff and unresponsive, but I now think my assessment was biased by the 50K I ran a few days before the test drive.  My impression changed as my feet rebounded.  As advertised, I really did feel that the shoe offered both stability and cushioning; more cushioning that I’m used to in fact.  I was positively bouncing like an astronaut on the moon.  I’m a midfoot striker, but I seemed to land a bit more on my forefoot in these sneakers, although I can’t pinpoint why.  I typically wear a moderate stability shoe with very little cushioning, so the pillowy feeling is a nice change.  I don’t think I’ve engaged the stability system yet, but Husband normally needs the control of the Nike Structure Triax and he was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support in the LunarGlides+.  The shoe is appreciably lightweight, not quite as light as the Free but lighter than a standard sneaker.  The shoe definitely fits wide, but most shoes are too wide for me.  They do adjust to a narrow foot better than most Nike runners, which is nice.  I’m not too keen on the colour selection.  The dark grey could get hot in summer and the solid white is a bit boring for someone used to sneaker flash.  But perhaps I could do with a little subtly.  I think I will stick to my Lunar Trainers for speed work, but I would definitely wear the LunarGlide+ on a steady run.  I haven’t yet attempted a tempo run in the shoe, but I will soon.  However, I need to log more miles in the shoe before I will wear them on a long run.  So far my evaluation is a very solid one and a half thumbs (or big toes) up.  The missing half a toe is primarily due to fit – despite the adjustments available the sizing is skewed toward a medium to wide foot.
  
Title Reference:   Elton John – Rocket Man.  From the album Honkey Chateau.  1972.