Gear Review: 361 Degrees Volitation
As I previously said, I discovered 361 Degrees at the WDW Marathon Expo in January 2017. I spent an unusual amount of time (for me) talking to the vendor. Typically, I do not talk to anyone at all. Ever. My wife knew something had sparked my interest when I spent almost 10 minutes talking to the rep. I bought these particular shoes from Go Run Miami through the Amazon Marketplace trying to find a less expensive version to try before committing to the brand. I noticed the 361 Degrees brand is a bit pricy at MSRP. Past experiences with gear taught me not to rush and buy the latest $500 gizmo lest I be disappointed or, worse, disappointed and broke.
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the shoe is that is feels cheap. It is not to say that the shoe isn't good but initially it felt like I was holding one of the bargin bin sneakers from Walmart. The exterior was very stiff and the padding felt rough and rigid. Perhaps it was how stiff they were that caused them to feel like cheap sneakers. Perhaps this model is made of less expensive materials. I could not really tell at first.
Once I put them on my feet, I immediately felt the size. They run very small. I had tried on a size 11 at the expo and these were 11.5 but felt much like a 10.5. The toebox is narrow and the midsection is constricting. The soles feel heavy and there is definitely a lift from the mid section to the heel. I am not sure if it is due to running in 4mm shoes for years or if it is the shoe, but it definitely feels weirder than any other shoe I have tried.
First Run
During the first run, I could feel the extra weight. They are not the heaviest shoes but they do carry some ounces on the feet. They are also mightily stiff. I could not feel much rebound in the shoe. It felt like I was slapping the ground with each step. I am a biomechanically efficient runner (at least I'm told that every time I do a fitting at any shop), so I should not feel constricted by the shoe.
The shoes definitely have cushion and thicker soles than what I am used to using. The company promotes the special foam inner of the sole that is supposed to be a soft ride but fast and springy. The mascot is a Sheepa (cross between a Sheep and a Cheetah - the comfort of a sheep with the speed of a cheetah).
It may have been a size or fit issue but the shoes did not feel like a Sheepa. I will give them a few more tries to hopefully loosen up the materials and get rid of some of the firmness. I will chalk it up to new shoes and manufacturing for now.
Ongoing Runs
I have done a few more runs since the first impressions and the shoes are breaking in...slowly. Due to the thicker padding and very narrow toe box, I have to wear very thin socks to be comfortable. I am not sure going up a half size would work since the mid-shoe and heel may be too big at that point. It really is the front end of the shoe that is continually narrow and stiff. The runs are getting better and I feel like they are a normal shoe. Still nothing special, but they will do for an everyday trainer.
After several months of trial, I decided to hang up the 361s. They just did not work as well as the other shoes that I had in my quiver. As I got closer to my half-Ironman, I gradually shifted to my tai-specific shoes but couldn't gravitate back to the 361. My wife loves her 361 Spires and wears them all the time. For me, just a bust.
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the shoe is that is feels cheap. It is not to say that the shoe isn't good but initially it felt like I was holding one of the bargin bin sneakers from Walmart. The exterior was very stiff and the padding felt rough and rigid. Perhaps it was how stiff they were that caused them to feel like cheap sneakers. Perhaps this model is made of less expensive materials. I could not really tell at first.
Once I put them on my feet, I immediately felt the size. They run very small. I had tried on a size 11 at the expo and these were 11.5 but felt much like a 10.5. The toebox is narrow and the midsection is constricting. The soles feel heavy and there is definitely a lift from the mid section to the heel. I am not sure if it is due to running in 4mm shoes for years or if it is the shoe, but it definitely feels weirder than any other shoe I have tried.
First Run
During the first run, I could feel the extra weight. They are not the heaviest shoes but they do carry some ounces on the feet. They are also mightily stiff. I could not feel much rebound in the shoe. It felt like I was slapping the ground with each step. I am a biomechanically efficient runner (at least I'm told that every time I do a fitting at any shop), so I should not feel constricted by the shoe.
The shoes definitely have cushion and thicker soles than what I am used to using. The company promotes the special foam inner of the sole that is supposed to be a soft ride but fast and springy. The mascot is a Sheepa (cross between a Sheep and a Cheetah - the comfort of a sheep with the speed of a cheetah).
It may have been a size or fit issue but the shoes did not feel like a Sheepa. I will give them a few more tries to hopefully loosen up the materials and get rid of some of the firmness. I will chalk it up to new shoes and manufacturing for now.
Ongoing Runs
I have done a few more runs since the first impressions and the shoes are breaking in...slowly. Due to the thicker padding and very narrow toe box, I have to wear very thin socks to be comfortable. I am not sure going up a half size would work since the mid-shoe and heel may be too big at that point. It really is the front end of the shoe that is continually narrow and stiff. The runs are getting better and I feel like they are a normal shoe. Still nothing special, but they will do for an everyday trainer.
After several months of trial, I decided to hang up the 361s. They just did not work as well as the other shoes that I had in my quiver. As I got closer to my half-Ironman, I gradually shifted to my tai-specific shoes but couldn't gravitate back to the 361. My wife loves her 361 Spires and wears them all the time. For me, just a bust.
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