Pearl Izumi is Cool

Pearl Izumi was kind enough to send me a new pair of shoes to try a few weeks ago. I had never tried a pair from their brand so I was really excited to give them a try. Love or hate their ads, they are at least a memorable brand for runners.

And their constant campaign of getting running shoes and other stuff into the hands of runners is not only commendable - it's really something they should get more accolades for doing. Runners don't buy stuff because they are sweet talked into it from fancy ads, catchy phrases or buff looking models. Runners buy stuff because they are convinced that it can help their running. Runners need to feel it, touch it, use it or at least hear other runners talking about it. That is what makes Pearl cool - they get it about runners. They like getting their stuff out there.

And for a runner, outside of a well earned race Tshirt is there any greater gift than coming home from a long day and finding a shiny new pair of FREE and COOL shoes waiting to be opened? I am not ashamed to tell you that I had everyone in my family smell them. Yep, had them look at them in their box, touch them, sniff them - it was quite the family affair to take in the whole experience.

I couldn't fit in a run for a couple days, but I still laced them up and walked everywhere in them. What I quickly determined was that my toes loved the roomy toebox - very comfortable. My heals loved the stable cushioning in the rearfoot. My arches....well they weren't as quite as in love with the way the arch support fit my foot.

So then I had the chance to take in a few runs with them. Overall, good shoe to run in. Because I have trouble with rubbing and chafing around the toes and sides - I liked this shoe because it didn't cause those issues. I wasn't quite as comfortable with the push off for my forefoot and my arches aren't designed to fit the support perfectly. I am accustomed to much more cushioning and support and didn't enjoy "the ride" as much.

After a few more runs, I have found a place for the Pearl's in my line up and love them for walking and short run distances. They look great and my toes enjoy the ride overall.