My race budget is tight so I usually cash in my Discover $ for footlocker gift cards. I can get $25 for $20 and then they usually run specials for 25-30% off. Last time I checked Zoot shoes were not available there.
My question is: Has anyone ever tried drilling any holes in the front bottom of a shoe for extra drainage? I have not seen the Zoot shoe but from pics it looks like they actually have holes in the front sole. It would be nice to pour some cold water on yourself without it draining into your shoe. If you have tried it please let me know the results. How big of a hole can you make before it causes problems or if it is too small does the compression just squeze it shut?
If you know that it will completely ruin the integrity of a shoe that would be good to know as well.
Is water in your shoe that big a deal? I’m not a believer in the hype (yet). If you pour water over yourself eventually your shoes will get wet. The fabric in your shoes is going to get waterlogged regardless of the brand (even the fancy new Zoots). I think that wet and heavy fabric is more of a problem than a little bit of water sloshing around in your shoes, which eventually works its way out anyway.
Use you gift cards and by something comfortable (and affordable).
Well I’ll try to give this an answer. I work in the running shoe business and the company I work for (adidas) is famous for it’s Clima Cool shoes that have holes through the midsoles. If you look at the holes in the Zoot shoes or the adidas shoes you’ll see that the edges of the holes have a skin. That skin is there to keep the integrity of the shoes intact. This is done in the molding process. When you drill your own holes you risk the integrity of the midsole. In other words it has a better chance of tearing when the shoe flexes. So, if you are going to put holes in your shoes, stay out of the flex areas.
The other issue is the overall cushioning of the shoe. The more holes the less cushioning you will have. The better chance the foam has to bottom out.
It makes sense as the earlier post, test it out on a pair of older shoes first.
The current Clima Cool shoes are not stability oriented. There is a shoe you can still find if you do some searching on the web. Road Runner Sports still has it as I am sure a few others. It’s the Rotterdam. It is a Stability trainer/racer with Clima Cool Technology. I’m sure if you find it, it will meet your budget. It’s a few seasons old and would be selling at a discount.
If you pour water over yourself eventually your shoes will get wet.
As a former steeplechaser on the track I can tell you that this is absolutely true. Back when I was racing on the track they had special steeplechase spikes( both adidas and Nike had them) that had drainage holes in the sole and in the sides of the spikes, but it was the fabric of the shoe that would get wet and cause the weight gain and cause sloppiness in the fit.
In road shoes, the mid-sole( track spikes have minimal to know mid-soles) acts like a sponge and will soak up a fair amount of water.
I know nothing of the new Zoot shoes, but the two above problems are hard to beat. If they have beat them, then that is indeed a significant development.