Friday, February 19, 2010

Lunar Trainer

I apologize for skipping this post and talking about the Vibrams, but I was just so excited that my runs in the went so well I just had to get it out.

Now onto the Nike Lunar Trainer. This shoe by far has been the best shoe I have ever run in. I wear a size 11 and it comes in just about 10oz which is pretty good for such a soft trainer. I feel comfortable going out for a short 3 mile run and have taken it out for a 15 miler and had no problems. I have about 200 miles on this pair and they still feel brand new. The shoe does look a little wide in the toe box, but there is a very short rise which stop any sloppy feel that one might expect. This shoe works great for neutral/efficient runners as well as those that slightly pronate. The Trainer does not have any posting, but the lunarlite sole is wide enough to provide a stabile ride.

A brief caveate: I am not a medical professional, just someone that has tried many shoes and I talked with many runners. This is what works for me, you should always find what works for you.

The only problem with the Lunar Trainer is that Nike is not going to be making it any more. There are several online retailers that still have them in stock and prices are actually pretty reasonable. The only thing that is keeping me from stocking up on a couple of pairs is that I am in the process of switching to the Vibram FiveFingers and would eventually like to do most of my running in them. However, the Lunar Trainers are my go to shoes when not running in the Vibrams.



As I had mentioned before, I was not sold on the Lunar Elite. In fact I ended up sending them back. The shoe was a good ounce heavier than the trainer, and the lunarlite midsole was significantly stiffer than the Lunar Trainer. Even the add rubber to the bottom could not account for the stiffness. The dynamic support was a little overboard even for me. I am a midfoot runner and this shoe pushed me to the outside of my foot and overall just hurt my feet and achilles. There are many other support shoes out there that will work so much better. I would try the Asics DS Trainer 15, New Balance 904/905 or the Mizuno Elixir.



Cheers and happy running.

3 comments:

  1. I think these shoes are awesome but I can't find a place to buy them. ( I have been looking for weeks ) in my size. :[
    Where did you buy yours?

    p.s. I also love my Vibrams. :)

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  2. Michael, This is a great shoe for training. It is built around Nike's Free technology, so it makes it a nice shoe to go to in between my Vibram runs.

    I am still able to get them at my local running store, but they only had one left in my size. In the Fredericksburg, VA area you can go to VA Runner and they still have some stock. Since Nike is no longer making the shoe, your best bet may be online.

    Thanks for the comment.

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  3. Oh my god!! I finally found a pair my size at VA Runner, thank you so much. You have no idea how long I have been looking for these shoes. haha I am surprised that nike would discontinue a shoe that literally got some of the best reviews ever? This shoe is so great, I'm glad I finally got a pair. thanks again :)

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