I’ve been on a mad hunt for a new pair of running shoes. With my favorite Nike Lunar Glides upgraded to the Nike Lunar Glide 2 which my feet disagreed with, I was like an orphan jumping from home to home. I would test a new shoe almost every weekend and I would end up with blisters, dead toe nails (four to be exact), or worse, a minor injury. It was completely frustrating and tiring. Well, I am pleased to report that the search is over. Finally, I’ve found a pair that fits me to a tee. A bonus: it looks great, too.
KSWISS KWICKY BLADE LIGHT
The Kwicky Blade-Light is K-Swiss’ top-of-the-range super-light, super-cushioned, training shoe and, need I say, it’s one of my favorite shoes now! Yes, it’s super-light. Yes, it’s super-cushioned. And, yes, it’s a training shoe that feels as light as racing flats. How KSwiss managed to pull off a multi-tasking shoe as good as this one amazes me.
Since I received my Kwicky Blade-Light more than a month ago—shipped straight from KSwiss Singapore (thanks Steve!)—I haven’t used any other shoe for any of my runs. I’ve racked up close to 100km in them, plus a handful of oohs and aahs from running friends. Aack, I am in love—and it’s not even Valentine’s yet.
TBR REVIEW
The name alone says it all: It’s quick and super light. The men’s shoe weighs in at 9 oz. It actually reminded me of my Mizuno Wave Precision, Asics Gel Trainer, or New Balance 801 which I reserve for only short runs, but I took a risk with the Kwicky Blade-Light and used it for runs from 5k to 21k, including my recent Condura Skyway Half Marathon.
The shoe provides superb stability and ample cushioning. Remember that I’m a flat footed overpronator so my feet are very choosy with shoes. This shoe felt close to the ground while keeping my feet extremely comfortable. I can imagine some runners being unhappy with how soft it is, but this is exactly how soft I like my shoes.
The toe box fit perfectly: not too tight nor too lose. The heel tab hugged my foot comfortably even if I was wearing low-cut socks; I had none of those painful blisters that come from ill-fitting shoes.
On the first day of use, it was pure luck for me that it rained. I got to test the ion-mask technology that was applied to this shoe. KSwiss put an invisible protective polymer layer to make the shoe practically water proof and almost dirt proof. Yup, my socks sure didn’t get wet, but I did feel terrible about seeing my brand spankin’ new shoes littered with dark spots all over.
Two little features that I loved that simply cannot go unnoticed were the 1) slip-free laces and 2) the heel grip, tongue at the heel that you can tug on for easy wearing. (Robocop triathlete Javy said its for easy transitions for triathletes. Well, this runner didn’t figure that out!)
– Laces that don’t slip and slide –
– Heel grip is a nice little feature –
The bonus: I love the color! I never pick out shoes because of aesthetics, but when you do find a shoe that fits perfectly well and looks great too, it’s almost like meeting your soulmate! (I know, strike 2 for cheezy Valentine’s line. Forgive me.) For men, the shoe is predominantly in gray and yellow. See HERE.
SUMMARY
Pros
– super light
– very stable
– ample cushioning
– water proof
– extremely comfortable
– slip-free shoelaces
– attractive colors
Cons
– ion-mask technology didn’t guard against stains
Price: P6,995
Available in Manila by first week of March in KSwiss Glorietta, Planet Sports, Runnr & Secondwind
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