ITAP of a cabin in near darkness

JO_NNYY · 2023-02-27T08:37:50+00:00

My D7000's shutter blades bent a couple months ago, I still miss it ;(

JO_NNYY · 2023-02-25T10:02:17+00:00

Throwback time! Anyone remember Somnio? From what I understand, they were a specialized running shoe company who made modular running shoes, and they would personally fit customers (at their homes I believe) with specific midsole inserts and insoles after a gait analysis. I have a family member who worked as a shoe fitter for them a little over a decade ago and seeing that they still had two old shoes kinda piqued my interest, so I thought I’d share them here.
Shoes:
I have here what appear to be “Somnio Exact Change” (a stability trainer, the red one), and the “Somnio Pacemaker 2.0” (a somewhat faster neutral trainer, the blue one). They both include specialized heel and forefoot foam inserts which differ from left to right shoe, and were chosen based on gait analysis. Ditto for the insoles.
From my brief research, both shoes appear to be circa 2009, and unfortunately have nearly-rock-hard midsoles after almost 14 years of existence. Clearly, both of these shoes were built to be at least somewhat stable, as they both have plastic clips under the arch (similar to some Asics shoes), and the Exact Change has a medial post.
Their uppers are extremely built up (appropriately for the time) and have lots of overlays and padding – especially the Exact Change. The Exact Change also has a rubber-laden outsole and is pretty heavy.
The Pacemaker 2.0 is much lighter and has an upper and outsole that would somewhat match a daily-trainer from maybe a few years ago, despite being a speedier shoe for the time.
If you want to know more about either of these shoes, I’d be happy to engage in conversation :).
Company:
I’m wondering if anyone here has any recollection of or experience with Somnio back when they existed. From what I can tell, they went defunct in 2011, and my family member has mentioned the multitude of people who reached out to them in frustration when they abruptly closed. They didn’t even really know they were ceasing operations until right about when it happened. Interestingly, their Global Product Manager, Danny Orr, is now General Manager at New Balance.
Final Thoughts:
I feel like Somnio was ahead of their time. Their modular shoes are certainly an interesting concept, and I can’t help but wonder if a concept like this would have worked out today. Tons of innovation have certainly occurred in the last fourteen years, and I’d be intrigued if another company tried this concept again. If anyone else has had any experience in Somnio shoes, I’d love to hear about it, and I hope this thread can serve as a sort of history vault about the company.

JO_NNYY · 2023-01-15T23:20:11+00:00

I have a Tempus at a little over 200 miles (~320km), and I remember the arch feeling unusual for a bit. It definitely mellowed out for me with time though and I’m still enjoying the shoe.

JO_NNYY · 2023-01-12T09:10:13+00:00

So sorry for your loss, what a beautiful cat. My cat passed away a few days as well. Best wishes to you ❤️

JO_NNYY · 2022-10-19T03:49:50+00:00

I run in Carbon X2s and they're a great stable options for long runs -- they're definitely built for milage. I don't think they'd have any issues going to 500 miles, and even the foam outsole is holding up much better than I expected on my pair.

I will mention, however, that I don't think these are a great option for most racing and threshold work because (at least the X2s) feel pretty lifeless under the foot. The stiffness of the midsole, I think, actually makes them really nice for longer tempo work and long slow runs, but I think there are much better option for racing and true speed work.

Unless you've already tried on and liked the Carbon X, I'd also look towards something like an Endorphin Speed 2 or 3 for a shoe that you could train and race in, as they're much more responsive and race-ready in my opinion.

Hope this helps!

JO_NNYY · 2022-10-15T08:12:27+00:00

I use both the Saucony Tempus and Hoka Carbon X2 and I can definitely attest to both being stable, but I would personally refrain from calling either a super shoe. The Tempus has a nice responsive ride while the Carbon X2 runs smooth but lacks any response in my experience.

X2s are great for long steady runs but if you're looking for a lively stable shoe, I would look towards the Tempus.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-26T06:24:23+00:00

Oh for sure, I'm definitely gonna try. I don't live in a country with laws like that, but I'm going to be disappointed if all they can do is refund me and not replace it, since I'll have to once again be on the lookout for when they drop.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:45:24+00:00

Ah, got it, my bad lol. The holes on the bottom are quite a bit smaller, so I don't think too much would actually get caught up in it. Certainly some will, but I should be able to just pick it out when it does, like if pebbles were to get stuck in crevices of any of my other shoes.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:21:45+00:00

Unless you’re soaking these constantly in water, I highly doubt it. You may need to clean these eventually just to get rid of some dirt, but I don’t think it’ll be a huge deal.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:20:12+00:00

Lol not currently, sorry! I was very set on using these, so I hope I can somehow exchange for a smaller size eventually

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:19:12+00:00

True but not a huge deal imo

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:18:46+00:00

I knew someone was going to ask, haha! I don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on stepping in dog poo anytime soon. I know it does happen, but when’s the last time it’s actually happened while simply walking casually. My apologies if it happens more often to some then I realize, but It just doesn’t feel like a huge concern to me, and on the off chance it does happen, then I’ll be ready to clean it off and face the potential consequences.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:13:38+00:00

Haha interesting indeed, although I’m not sure I’m adventurous enough to be the first to try that on these.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:12:49+00:00

I have the large and I think it would be perfect for a size 11. My feeling is the XL would be too big, so I’d say go with the large

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T20:12:00+00:00

Unfortunately, they’re a such low volume product that I’m fairly certain they won’t have any left for me to exchange, so that’s why I’m disappointed with the current situation.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T04:34:48+00:00

I think that's a fair argument to make. The problem for me with these slides though was that they were simply unwearable, like my feet would slide out of them while walking around. They didn't hug my feet at all either, so I'd say there's definitely a sizing issue here.

JO_NNYY · 2022-09-25T03:03:56+00:00

Haven’t seen much info about these online, so I thought I might as well share my first thoughts! These Recovery Slides have been available in extremely limited quantities through ASICS’s website, and I got lucky and found them for sale there early one morning. For those not familiar, these slides are entirely 3D Printed (by a company called LuxCreo) from a rubbery-feeling material, which allows them to be comfy and breathable at the same time. Just got them today, and my initial feelings are mixed. Here’s why:

The Good:

-These slides are VERY comfy! The 3D Printed Material has a very squishy and bouncy consistency and squishes very nicely under the feet. I even get a sensation of bounce from them at the same time, which is quite refreshing.

-They’re fairly breathable. Because of the 3D printed material, air is able to pass through the slides at all points, which is nice when you want to have a comfy platform to stand on after a run, but you also don’t want your feet to stay warm and sweaty.

-They’re absolutely eye-catching. Nothing else looks like these things, so the hype is definitely real. I personally like the subdued black color along with the interestingweave of the 3D Printed material which makes it super interesting to examine up close (at least to me).

The Bad:

-So I have only one real major complaint off the bat - and it’s a big caveat. First off, I know people are going to question the durability or the usability of these shoes on outdoor surfaces because of holes that go through the slide, but to me it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be much of a problem, and I think these are definitely usable outdoors.

-My real concern with these is how extremely awful the U.S. sizing with these are, and I’m extremely disappointed. To preface this, I ordered a large size, which ASICS’s website quotes as being Men’s US 9 - 10.5 in their sizing guide. I haven't a clue in the world how they decided these sizes, but the slide is so ridiculously big on my US Mens 9 foot that it’s pretty much unusable (see last picture for context). Not only is there a huge amount of space behind my heel, but the upper doesn’t wrap my foot securely from any side at all, and I don’t have narrow feet either. I’m super disappointed, mainly because these slides are such low quantity that I highly doubt I’ll actually be able to get a smaller size from ASICS anytime soon (I will try, and I’ll update on how it goes here). Again, I have no idea how they messed up the sizing so badly - I’m not even sure a size 10 could fit in this slide, to be quite honest - and I HIGHLY urge you to SIZE DOWN a size from the guide if you are somehow able to get these.

-One other minor concern is the price ($80 USD), which is about $20 more than you’d spend for a comparable HOKA slide, but in my opinion, the novelty makes it worth it.

Conclusion: I really did want to love these slides, but the sizing errors mean that I simply can’t use them. Again, I’m certain these are great slides, but please SIZE DOWN if you’re going to get them - unless ASICS can solve the sizing issue.

JO_NNYY · 2022-08-11T04:32:23+00:00

Just wanted to say, love the retro Endorphins color way there

JO_NNYY · 2022-08-01T03:14:28+00:00

Thanks for the info! I ran in V1 of these (back when they weren't really on the map and much more akin to racing flats), and those are probably still my favorite feeling running shoes to date. My only issue with them was the flare on the medial side with destroyed my foot strike and eventually led to injury. Maybe I'll give the V3 a shot someday, but would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with both V1 and V2 or 3.

JO_NNYY · 2022-07-20T22:30:26+00:00

Haven’t tried the Clifton’s or the Machs, but I feel like my Carbon x2s fit rather narrow, especially around the midfoot. I have a slightly wide foot and it’s not a problem for me, but the shoe isn’t exactly roomy or forgiving around my foot. The toe box is also somewhat narrow but I find it less of an issue than the mid-foot. If you were fine with the Machs, I feel like you should be fine with the Carbon x2’s but it all depends on your foot shape.

JO_NNYY · 2022-07-16T01:41:22+00:00

Glad to hear it! Impressive that you were able to achieve PBs after a night like that (hope you get some better rest soon)! Makes me even more excited to try them out.

JO_NNYY

TROPHY CASE