by Chris MacLeod
Steady3
Note: This shoe is currently only available at Rogue’s downtown location.
After my mini love affair with the supportive Fast, I was downright excited to give the Steady a go. As a shoe that’s advertised as a supportive, stable shoe, I was a bit surprised Karhu got this one through the Rogue front doors.
The answer to that…well, like a Facebook relationship, it’s complicated. The Steady was quite simply nothing like I expected it to be.
First off, though I didn’t feel any of the Karhus could be said to run “true to size”, the Steady was by far the most egregious offender. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing when I pulled on my usual size 9:
And then I followed my coworkers around demanding, “Look! Look at my foot! Hehehe!”
Unfortunately, the general feeling of “too-bigness” wasn’t mitigated by dropping down a size. Not only did I face my all-too-common battle with a bunchy upper, but my foot actually slid around when I started running in this shoe.
I’ve never had a narrow enough foot to merit ordering narrow shoes (and Karhu doesn’t make them anyway), but I’m afraid this shoe was just too big for me to give a fair shake.
For the sake of completeness, I did still jog around a bit so I could report the other features:
This shoe is quite stiff, giving it a nice amount of reactivity with the ground.
It’s possible I’m a tad obsessed with taking this particular type of shoe shot.
Also, at 8.9(?) ounces, the Steady is noticeably lighter than other shoes in the stability category. Granted, you pay for this in less cushioning and less-noticeable support than a typical stability offering.
One other thing you sacrifice for less weight is the “new and shiny” feel of the upper. After just 20 minutes, the shoe looked like this:
Nobody tell Chuck, okay?
I’m pretty sure the creased decoration is purely that – decoration – and doesn’t represent an actual structural problem with the shoe. But, if you’re the type to try to keep your shoes pristine, consider this a heads up.
Steady3 Verdict
Pros: Very light for a stable shoe.
Cons: Sizing was pretty far off. Upper may be a tad too light to support its own decoration.
Overall verdict: I really don’t think the Steady fit me well enough to give it a fair shake. It’s not the shoe for me, but not because it’s lacking in technology or features. Not the most helpful shoe review, but for me, the shoe just don’t fit!
| Karhu Steady3 Specs* | |
| Weight | 8-10 oz. |
| Heel/Toe Drop | 12.6 mm (or 8 mm – we found conflicting reports) |
| Design Features
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Construction:
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| Available Sizes | M: 8-13
W: 6-11 |
| Available Widths | Standard |
| MSRP | $125 |
| * – We were unable to find Women’s specs for this shoe. | |
Missed Chris’ earlier reviews? Check out the Flow3 here and the Fluid3 and Fast4 here.
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Stop by to check out the Steady3 and talk with the experts at Rogue Running – two Austin-area locations!
The Rundown 