Do you Karhu? (Part III…the final part)

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	Construction: New “EV-icient” EVA foam midsole Assymetrical Karhu Fulcrum technology to help control overpronation High-abrasion rubber on outsole Reflective piping on upper
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.

—————

Stop by to check out the Steady3 and talk with the experts at Rogue Running – two Austin-area locations!

Do you Karhu? (Part II)

by Chris MacLeod

What was the first thought when I slipped on the Fluid3?

“Holy crap, this shoe is long!”

I dropped down a size and the shoe STILL fit like this.

Perhaps I should remember this the next time a customer is upset about how “big” their shoe is. Buying a Karhu is like shopping at Chico’s; everyone’s a size 2! (Gentlemen, don’t worry about understanding that last sentence.)

The next thing I noticed about the Fluid was how light it felt on my foot! This was quite odd, given that the Fluid is technically about half an ounce heavier than the Flow, but let’s just accept that if you want someone to estimate weight by hefting an object, I might not be your go-to person.

I think the reason this shoe felt “lighter” to me was its stiffer last, which gave the shoe a more responsive, “springy” feel than the Flow.

Not so flexy now, are we? (Ouch, I think I pulled something in my hand…)

The Fluid is still a tad heavier than I would choose for a 5K, but I could see using it for quality work. Full disclosure: My Flow fan friend (say that 3 times fast) calls it a “long run shoe”, so I perhaps I’ve just gone completely off the range on this one?

Drop-wise, the Fluid feels low, but not zeroed out, which I personally prefer. (The prodigal daughter writes shoe reviews, hehehehe!)

I might have to bite the bullet and admit I’m a cushion fan, because I also liked that I couldn’t feel the fulcrum as much in the Fluid, as compared to the Flow.

I’m starting to sound redundant with all the things I “liked”, so I’ll just say it flat out: I really LIKE the Fluid! I would never have pulled it off the wall for myself were I not expressly intending to review it, but I’ll take it as a life lesson that I shouldn’t be afraid to try new things.

The only real down side of the Fluid for me was that in addition to fitting long, it was also a bit wide on my narrow feet. Even cinching down the laces, I could just generally feel my foot moving around in this shoe.

Why do shoes always look like this on my foot?

Of the four Karhus, the Fluid3 and the Steady3 (review to come) fall noticeably in the “too big” camp. They also came out at the same time, leading me to wonder if there was a machine calibration change somewhere on the assembly line.

Fluid3 Verdict

Pros: Light, responsive ride with enough cushion to stay comfy over longer runs.

Cons: This shoe is huge! Who do you think I am? Bigfoot?

Overall Verdict: For most runners, the Fluid3 would likely make a solid everyday trainer or a good transition down from more structured shoes. It’s not a racer, but it’s no pillow either.

Karhu Fluid3 Specs
Weight	8.9 oz
Heel/Toe Drop	8
Design Features	Construction: New “EV-icient” EVA foam midsole Karhu Fulcrum technology (higher durometer EVA) High-abrasion rubber on outsole Open mesh upper
Available Sizes	M: 8-13W: 6-11
Available Widths	Standard
MSRP	$125
*-We were unable to find certain specs for this shoe

Fast4

Remember that history lesson at the beginning of all this? As you can tell, Karhu is a brand that fills me with nostalgia. The Fast4, in particular, takes me right back to 1989.

Which is not a knock on the shoe in any way! I’m going to go ahead and ruin the ending right here: I LOVE this shoe. I’m just not 100% sure my reasons are entirely objective.

Technologically speaking, the Fast has the same basic features as the Flow and the Fluid. The fulcrum, the cloth upper, the crazy colors…all present.

But, as the “most supportive” of Karhu’s neutral shoes, these modern features are accompanied by a distinctly old-fashioned amount of cushion and structure.

Also, they’re purple, and I totally had a pair of purple gym shoes when I was six!

As you can see from the picture, the Fast also has a more “old-fashioned” amount of heel lift, with a full 14 mm of drop from heel to toe. With the recent takeover of low- and no-drop shoes, this is a legitimate rarity in running specialty.

The other feature of the Fast that can be tough to find these days – Adidas Boost’ shoes aside – is cushion. This shoe is soft all over (except for a surprisingly noticeable – and reassuring, if you tend toward overpronation – amount of arch support).

The toe is downright squishy, but not so built up that you feel like you’ll trip over it, and the heel feels like it includes a pre-installed heel cup. Which, granted, was disconcerting at first, but I stopped noticing the slight “bump” after about 3 minutes in the shoe. I suspect it would settle with wear.

Of course, all this cushion and support do mean that the Fast isn’t exactly a lightweight model. At 11 oz., it rivals bigger support shoes like the Brooks Adrenaline in weight, which explains my gut feel that for me this would be a long run shoe. As much as I love this shoe, it just can’t match the Fluid or the Flow in terms of the responsiveness I would want for track work.

That said, if you told me to pick a shoe to go run 20 miles in, the Fast would be a contender. (It also passed the “stand around” test with flying colors…I could work in this shoe all day.)

Can’t you just see the cushiony comfort?

Fast4 Verdict

Pros: Pure cushioned comfort! Also, support. And purple!

Cons: A bit heavy with a large heel-toe drop that might feel a bit 1989 to you, too.

Overall Verdict: The Fast4 is a solid, grind out the miles shoe for those looking for a comfy ride. It does not feel “lightweight”, but if you yearn for the old days of solid stability, the Fast may be for you. Though advertised as a neutral shoe, I felt the Fast had adequate support for a severe over-pronator like myself.

Its sheer comfort could also make it a great option for those prone to impact soreness.

Proof that the men’s version is not purple.

Stay tuned – the Steady3 is up next!

—————

Stop by to check out the Fluid3 and Fast4 and talk with the experts at Rogue Running – two Austin-area locations!

Do You Karhu? (Part I)

By Chris MacLeod, Rogue Running Cedar Park

Here at Rogue, we have one surefire method for determining how much of a shoe geek someone is. It involves observing their reaction to this shoe:

Average runner: “Oh, that’s a different-looking shoe.”

Total shoe geek: “Oh wow, you guys carry Karhu???”

Karhu History

Karhu, Finnish for “bear”, is a Helsinki-based company that dates back to 1916. (Technically, the company name is “Karhu Sports”, not to be confused with Karhu beer, reportedly Finland’s most popular lager.)

Long before the rise of runners from East Africa and the Caribbean, the world of track and field was dominated by the “Flying Finns”. Karhus graced the feet of such famous runners as Paavo Numi and the Finnish team that accepted Steve Prefontaine’s invitation to race at Hayward Field in 1975.

Yes yes, this is supposed to be a shoe review, not a shoe history report. Just ONE more fun fact: It was actually Karhu that created the famous 3-stripe logo that now graces Adidas products. Karhu sold the mark to the then-small German company in 1951 for the equivalent of 1,600 Euros and two bottles of whiskey (the latter being equivalent to…two bottles of whiskey.)

Technology Overview

Here at Rogue, we carry four of Karhu’s road shoe offerings:

Clockwise from top-left: Flow3, Fluid3, Fast3, Steady4

These shoes run the range from very light neutral trainer to decently-cushioned stability shoe, but all four are built around Karhu’s patented “fulcrum technology”.

Don’t you wish you’d thought to patent the fulcrum?? Genius!

In running shoe terms, this means that the midsole includes a triangular-shaped wedge of higher durometer (stiffer) foam that creates a pivot point for your foot as it rolls over the ground. Karhus basically have a pivot where traditional shoes might have some form of medial posting. Needless to say, this is one shoe I would like to cut in pieces to see all the layers! (If only performing surgery on quality running shoes didn’t make me tear up.)

According to Karhu, the fulcrum design not only fights over-pronation, it also reduces vertical oscillation. In short, the shoe makes your foot roll so efficiently over the ground that you bounce up and down less, thus conserving energy.

Image from karhu.com/technology. The green line is Karhu; the red is everybody else.

According to Karhu, by reducing oscillation, you reduce other common evils like over-striding, braking with your heels, etc. The end result is a more consistent stride.

I’m not quite as clear on how the fulcrum controls over-pronation, but Karhu does have a video of a guy running pretty darn neutral. I think the basic idea is more efficient stride = less time on the heel to over-pronate, which is in line with the idea of controlling injury-causing foot movements by running on the mid- to forefoot.

If you read my previous review of the ASICS Super J33, you know I’ll be giving these shoes’ pronation control abilities quite the workout!

Flow3

The lightest of the four Karhus at Rogue is the Flow3, which Karhu promotes as durable enough for an everyday trainer yet light enough for a racing flat. Even I, one of the more “stability-friendly” Rogues you’ll meet, find the “racing flat” claim a stretch. The Flow is by far the most flexible of our Karhus, and not too cushioned, but it’s no Adios Boost.

Well hello, Flexy.

As the pic illustrates, there’s not a whole lot of cushion/stiffness/etc. in the front half of this shoe. This can be great if you like a lot of flexibility and ground feel, but for me it caused that pesky metatarsal joint on my left foot started whining a bit.

Note: Metatarsal pain is a problem for me in most lightweight shoes – or any that are particularly low on the cush-factor – but if you are prone to it yourself, you may want to watch out for it in the Flow.

Another element of the Flow that I decided to attribute to the lack of cushion (and this was definitely the standout factor for me) was that I could feel the fulcrum almost as much as the posting in a support shoe. Weird, right?!?

I won’t say there was a lot of pronation control per se (nor would I expect it in a lightweight trainer), but I could definitely feel something under my arch. Very odd. Perhaps this gets less noticeable as you adapt to the fulcrum?

On the run, the Flow definitely rides like a low-drop shoe. Granted, at 5mm, this is far from the lowest shoe on the floor, but I was legitimately afraid to land on my heel. I’m not sure if that was due to forward propulsion from the fulcrum or just not wanting to land on the stiff heel, but either way, for me, the Flow did encourage a forefoot strike!

One last noticeable element of the Flow was the “heel collar” on the insole, between the heel and the ankle. I noticed no such feature in the other three Karhus, which was a shame, because it fit perfectly! The little padded nobs clinched the shoe in place: I couldn’t have made the Flow slip if I tried! (And I did.)

Heel collar on the Flow.

Flow3 Verdict

Pros: NO heel slippage, low drop, encouraged a forefoot strike.

Cons: Felt “piece-y”. I could literally feel each separate piece of the shoe. I also expected a lighter feel given the lack of cushioning.

Overall Verdict: If anything, this would be a quality workout shoe for me. While I don’t think I’ll be adding the Flow to my regular rotation, another Rogue termed it “One of [his] favorites. The only Karhu [he] likes to run in.” Consider this a good reminder that every foot is different, so you should always take your shoe reviews with a grain of salt! (Or silica pellet.)

Karhu Flow3 Specs
Weight	M: 8.6 ozW: 7.3 oz
Heel/Toe Drop	M: 5.1 mm (23.3 mm/18.2 mm)W: 5 mm (18 mm/13 mm)
Design Features	Construction: Compression molded EVA foam midsole Karhu Fulcrum technology (higher durometer EVA) High-abrasion rubber on outsole Open mesh upper
Available Sizes	M: 8-13W: 6-11
Available Widths	Standard
MSRP	$115

Stay tuned – the Fluid3 is up next!

—————

Stop by to check out the Flow3 and talk with the experts at Rogue Running – two Austin-area locations!