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K-Swiss Ultra Natural Run shoe review

If you remember, right before my knee problems started, Elizabeth and I received pairs of the new K-Swiss Ultra Natural Run shoe from a friend of ours who does PR for the company. K-Swiss is trying to enter the running shoe market and is specifically targeting triathletes with the Ultra Natural Run. Supposedly top pro and K-Swiss sponsored triathlete Chris Lieto (6th at Kona last year, won at Columbia Triathlon (Olympic) a month ago in a record-breaking 1:51:13) had a hand in designing the shoe and he debuted them at Kona last fall. Their main competition in this niche right now is the Zoot Ultra line of shoes, which essentially market the same features to triathletes looking for an edge.

I didn’t want to try running in them until I felt my knee was OK – both because I didn’t want to mess things up worse by running in shoes that might not fit right and because I didn’t want my review to be colored by residual injuries or aches. Over the last few weeks, I’ve done five short runs in them (the first one on a treadmill and then four on the road) for a total of about 21 miles.

From checking them out and reading on-line, the primary features that they’re using to target triathletes are:

• light weight
• built-in elastic quick laces
• water management via drainage holes in the footbed and soles
• built-in sockliner so you can run without socks

First Impressions:
At first, I had very mixed feelings. First off, they’re not all that aesthetically pleasing. I don’t mind “flashy” shoes, but in my opinion the bright blue is a bit too bright to use as the primary shoe color. There are other color options, but none of them really impress me either. They also look a bit wide and bulky, especially in the forefoot area. I didn’t get a good picture of them from above so it might be hard to tell from these photos. They do feel very light, similar to a lightweight trainer (like the Asics DS Trainer), but I couldn’t find weight information on-line and don’t have a scale at home on which I could weigh them. However, even though they feel light, they don’t scream “light and fast,” they more mumble “light and cheap.” The foam in the soles doesn’t feel that supportive or durable. I felt around inside them to see if I could wear them sockless and for the most part, I couldn’t feel seams (obviously good), but the area around the tongue worried me. The tongue has a pretty big seam around its edge and it sits a little loose in the shoe so I was worried about it moving and rubbing. I like the idea of built-in speed laces – assuming they work. Here’s a close-up of the laces and tongue from the side:

I wear a size 11 in Asics, Mizuno and Brooks and the 11 in this shoe fits my foot well. I like the drainage hole idea a lot – during hot, humid runs or runs in the rain, normal running shoes get bogged down and heavy with water. Hopefully these holes would release that water weight.

Post-run:
I was happily surprised by the Ultra Run in a few areas. They definitely feel light on my feet. They also encourage a good mid-foot strike and didn’t seem to cause any pronation. They are comfortable and were snug enough around the heel and had enough room in the toe. The tongue actually flattens out and didn’t bother me at all or cause any blisters. The quick laces held tight. I ran with socks for the first two runs and it wasn’t until half-way through the third run that I was brave enough to try them without socks – I ran about 20 sweaty minutes and didn’t feel much rubbing or get any blisters. I didn’t notice any seams, not even the ones under the tongue. I did my fourth and fifth runs in them without socks for the entire run and they were comfortable and didn’t cause any problems.

I do have two complaints. First, getting them on isn’t as easy or quick as it should be. The whole point of quick laces is so you can slip right into the shoe without any struggle or effort. That’s how it works with my other shoes when I replace the laces with Yankz. On the Ultra Natural Run, you have to sorta jimmy your way into the shoe and then fiddle with the tongue a little bit to get your foot situated. I think this is a design issue having to do with the placement and shape of the tongue and the elasticity of the quick laces. Also, the Zoot Ultra shoes have a high “grabber” at both the tongue and heel to help get the shoe on quickly. The K-Swiss versions of both “grabbers” are considerably smaller and don’t lend themselves to much “grabbing.” Also, the insole isn’t connected to the shoe. Putting a socked foot in isn’t a problem, but a bare foot is stickier and pulls and sometimes pushes the insole around a little bit. (Fortunately, this is especially an issue when taking the shoe off – the insole came part way with my foot – and that wouldn’t be a big deal in most triathlons.) While getting the shoe on only takes a few seconds and isn’t a big deal for anyone not in a triathlon, those seconds and that effort and concentration are not what I want to deal with in a race. My second concern about them is that they don’t feel as stable and comfortable and easy as my other shoes. Just in the course of my five runs, they did get better and more comfortable, but compared to my other shoes, I didn’t feel as fast wearing the Ultra Natural Run. And feeling fast is what it’s all about, really.

I did not have a chance to test the water management/drainage holes, but the holes are prominent and I’ll believe they work.

Conclusion:
I like the shoes but don’t love them. They’re not as sleek looking or feeling as I’d like in a shoe. The color choices are pretty ugly and the shoe is boxy. I’m not counting them out, but I also don’t anticipate replacing the rest of my shoe rotation with more of these. I’ll keep this pair in my rotation and would definitely try them in a shorter (sprint or even Olympic distance) triathlon. I’d also try test them on some really hot, sweaty days and maybe in the rain to test out the water drainage holes. I am concerned about their durability. Again, I only have 21 miles on them, but they don’t feel like they’d stand up to the 200-300+ miles I’d expect from $80 shoes. As for getting them on quickly in a transition, maybe there’s a trick and I just need more practice, but I really feel something like this should be intuitive and simple from the get-go. On the other hand, if Chris Lieto is willing to trust his races (and his livelihood) in these shoes, then maybe I am missing something.

p.s. longest swim of the season this morning – 4,500 yards – approximately 2.55 miles, a little longer than race distance.

Run – June 16
Distance: 3.75 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 140
Course: Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park
Conditions: Hot, muggy, overcast

Bike – June 17
Distance: 33.8 miles
Time: 1:47
Average heart rate: 123
Course: West Side Highway to Central Park (4 loops)
Conditions: Beautiful, sunny, mid-60’s

Swim – June 18
Distance: 4,500 yards (longest of season)
Time: 1:20