2012 Shoe Athletes’ Choice Awards | Second Wind Running Store
Power to the people! Runners’ and Triathletes’ have spoken! The winners below are all race proven and backed up by sales and most importantly by you, the athlete. You, who train to the point of exhaustion, you who push during training and push even harder during race day; you, the athlete in training have spoken.
It’s not a popularity contest. Let the product speak for itself!
Presenting the 2012 Shoe Athlete’s Choice Awards from our favorite running store and registration partner of the 2013 SBR.ph Tri Series, Second Wind Running Store!
BEST IN STABILITY (MILD)
The winning factor for this shoe was the price point. No other shoe company came close to providing a mild stability, in a great looking shoe, at an athlete-friendly price. LAST YEAR’S winner in this category was the Lunarglide.
BEST IN STABILITY
MEN chose the 1260, a true stability shoe that offered as much support as Kayano but for far less than the weight and price. It offered more room in the toe box, and their arch fell right at home soon as they slid their foot inside this very comfortable stability shoe by New Balance. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the Asics 2170.
WOMEN chose the Adrenaline GTS by Brooks for the feminine colors, and saying that the way it tapers off towards the forefoot area was just right for the woman’s foot. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the Asics 2170.
NEUTRAL
MEN chose the New Balance 890 for their neutral shoe mostly as it encourages midfoot running with its full ground contact on the lateral side. The 890 unlike in its class, offers the most cushion relative to its weight class of 9oz shoes, it offered the same cushion and support as the Cumulus, Keahou, Ghost, and Precision – really packs a feature for a 9oz shoe, in turn, this has been a racing favourite for most runners as well. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the NB 880.
WOMEN chose the PureFlow for its sleek design. Women mostly who wear test and fit this notice how light the shoe is, and it looks a lot less bulky in other neutral shoe in its class. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the Mizuno Wave Rider (2010 and 2011).
NEUTRAL (CUSHION)
MEN chose Mizuno Wave Rider primarily; it is almost lighter than its 2011 model. Gradually Mizuno kept on working on how to make their number one selling neutral / cushioning shoe lighter and still maintaining its great cushioned ride. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the Asics Nimbus.
WOMEN chose the Brooks Pure Cadence because it was able to provide the enough cushion for the long ride. Mizuno’s dynamic fit, and gender specific lasts (foot mold) paid off. Women runners enjoyed the cushion it gave them. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the NB 1080.
BEST IN TRAIL
MEN chose the New Balance MT00 for its “feel the ground more”. Most trail runners told us that they feel more secure with this shoe as they can literally feel the ground more, therefore giving them more grip on the ground or on the trails. With its minimalist upper design, this enabled them to do river crossings with confidence that their shoe will dry up fast. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the New Balance Minimus Trail 10
WOMEN chose Cascadia for its aggressive and sturdy looks. It provided a good and sturdy protection with its reinforced toe guard and heel counter. The Roll Bar technology of Brooks on the midsole also helped them traverse the difficult trails. LAST YEARS winner in this category was the New Balance Minimus Trail 10.
RACING / LIGHTWEIGHT
MEN really took in the improvements made in the Kruuz. Everyone loved the new upper design, it made the shoe marginally lighter, and for every race enthusiast or speed demon, most of the time they prefer K-Swiss racing shoes because of their drainage holes. LAST YEAR’S winner in this category was K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light
WOMEN (at least majority of them) transitioned to the Kwicky. The Kwicky’s logic is simple, no matter how superb a runner you are, off the bike, most athletes will eventually need arch support – which what the Kwicky exactly provides. For this particular model, they came out with 2 models that are limited edition, the QT2 (quick transition 2) and the Kwicky Blade Light N (which stands for neutral). LAST YEAR’S winner in this category was K-Swiss Blade Light Run
This review was brought to you by Secondwind running specialty stores
- 45 Malingap st, Teachers Village QC / tel # 238-4005
- Ortigas Home Depot, Julia Vargas, Ortigas, Pasig City / tel # 914-0283
- G-Strip, Greenhills Shopping center, San Juan / tel # 945-7856