I got a pair of Zoot ULTRA Tempo+ shoes as my “free pair” from Road Runner Sports as a member of their V.I.P. Runner’s Club so I thought I’d give these a try.
I’m 161 pounds, 5’9" and have had some recent and recurring issues with heel pain. My weekly running mileage is between 25 and 38 miles per week, depending on the week and I just finished Dev Paul’s 100 run challenge with 102 runs in 100 days. I’m running about a 7:30 pace consistently on moderate training runs and down around 8:30 when I am just cruising- most of what I’ve run lately is at the slower pace. A max effort for me right now over four miles is about 6:40 pace.
I’ve tried the Newtons and felt I was faster in them but did seem to have a bit of difficulty getting accustomed to them initially partially owing to my own fault: I got the wrong shoe initially (cushion instead of motion control) and in the wrong size (9 instead of 9.5).
The Zoot ULTRA Tempo+ uses Zoot’s unique Barefoot technology which incorporates a seam-free liner withint the shoe. There is no seam from a tongue or any stitching. The shoe is specifically design for triathlon race day without socks. An innovative sole system used in military boots for amphibious operations (OTB Boots- Google it) also features a series of drainage hole in the insole and sole of the shoe. These holes prevent a shoe from getting water logged when athlete pour cups over their head in a hot race while running through aid stations. Additionally, the Zoot ULTRA Tempo+ uses an integrated stretch lace closure system to facilitate quick donning of the shoes in transition. Stability is accomplished partially through the use of a “roll cage” carbon fiber insert in the mid sole call the “Carbon Span” along with a conventional dual density, multi durometer midsole that uses varying hardness of shock-absorptive materials to provide a balance of cushioning and roll and lateral stability. The geometry of the shoe (sole thickness and wedge) are designed with what Zoot calls the “Tri-O-Mechanics” that are said to promote a more forward-than-heel foot interaction with the ground.
I ran in the Zoot’s once, a 5.2 mile run done at a 7:37 pace on paved asphalt bike trails through the University of Michigan Dearborn campus next to our bike shop.
The shoes do feel a little “low riding” but nothing like Newtons. It is more a balance between a traditional stability trainer and the Newtons- somewhere in between. This is a nice mix, perhaps the best compromise of the two for me. I generally train in a stability shoe with an arch support insole. I did add the Road Runner Sports Arch + insole to the Zoots for added arch support. This negates the benefit of the flow-through drainage insole until I punch holes through the new (aftermarket) arch support insoles.
The shoes are fast because they are light. You are on and off them in an instant and the foot strike felt just perfect for me. There is enough cushioning even for Ironman distance runs. Donning the shoes isn;t quite as fast as you’d imagine at first since the opening in the shoe is smallish to get your foot in and there is an extended heel tab with a novel little “grip button” on it to help pull the shoes on. After you practice donning them a couple times it goes much faster- and I was doing it with socks and without any kind of a lubricant like Sports Slick, Body Glide or Hydropel which I would use on race day.
In general I love these shoes. For a big guy (161 lbs and 5’9") these are actually *real, functional *race shoes for race day- so now I can feel like one of the pros and have special running shoes that feel (and are) faster on race day- but I can actually run in these!
I’m definately using these racing- they are a fine feeling and fitting pair of shoes that run true to size (I generally take a 9 in Saucony, these are a 9) and fit quite trim to be used without sock on race day. They may have been a trifle snug with socks on (it was only 35 degrees here yesterday when I ran in them).
I give the Zoot ULTRA Tempo+ very high marks as a practical and realistic design for a specialty running shoe. This is the “specialty” shoe for the everyman, average MOP’er triathlete.
Note: WE do not sell Zoot shoes or any running shoe. I did a price search on these and came up with anywhere from $116.99 for the V.I.P. Club Price at Road Runner Sports to $129.99 most other places.
Below photos Googled from this link: http://masiguy.blogspot.com/2007/11/zoot-shoes.html
(at 6’0" 175)