Triathlon - Gear Review - Zoot Running Shoes

A good friend of mine gave me a pair of the Ultra TT as a gift today and I took them out for a four-miler this evening. Overall, I have to say that I like them with a reservation or two...one of them is that I had a bit of pain on the outside of my feet early on...it seemed to go away though.

I've been running in the Newton Motion for the last 400 miles or so and I like them quite a bit. I'll need to log a lot more miles to figure out which shoes I prefer but I thought I would do a quick comparison.

For starters, the Zoot shoes are a tad bit lighter...though I'm not sure any of us will really notice a difference of an ounce. I also like the design that 1) has an integrated tongue rather than one that can get out of position, 2) has a liner that enables you to comfortably wear the shoe without socks, and 3) has built-in speed laces...instead of having to go out and buy a pair of Yankz to go with the already super-expensive Newtons.

I thought that the Zoots might be a hair slower because of the Newton's whamby-jamby Actuator Lugs that are supposed to return more energy...if they are, it's not by much.

I'll report back once I've had a chance to log more miles.

Do the shoes seem to be true to size? What shoe and size are you wearing on the bike and what shoe size do you generally wear and finally what size of the zoots fit you? The reason I ask is that I would like to get a pair but don't have a local shop that carries them so I am forced to order them online. Thanks!

Very good questions...sorry, I should have addressed them originally. I wear size 10 1/2 in street shoes, size 45 in Shimano cycling shoes, and size 11 in the Zoots as well as the Newtons...the fit is very similar. I previously wore Brooks in size 11 1/2.

I hope that helps.

That's a tremendous help. Thanks again!

Does it feel predominantly like a speed/racing shoe, or does it seem sturdy enough to be a training shoe?

I wouldn't use it as a trainer too much.. it's very light and how should i put it... not much tread....
i like my ultra tt's but i haven't put too many miles on mine either. as for the sizing.. i've been running in nike air zoom elites size 9 and the zoot size 9 fits... if you are mail ordering maybe this helps you a little.
i used them in an olympic last weekend and they felt very comfortable... i think what i liked is that the shoe worked exactly as advertised... easy/fast to put on.. no socks.. speed laces worked great.. i did dump maybe 2 cups of water on my head and didn't notice that any water was making my feet feel wet.. maybe the drain holes ( looks like they are actually throughout the entire insole ) worked... oh the tongue and heel area have a kind of "sticky" rubber coating which made it easy to grab and pull the shoe on... not sure if they marketed that..

Their lightness doesn't bother me with respect to using them for training. Since I transitioned from being a heel-striker to more of a forefoot runner, I haven't needed as much "stability" from my shoes. I was thinking I would try the Vibram Five-Finger next.

I agree that the tread looks a little lacking but the shoe is marketed as a trainer. I guess I'll see how many miles I get out of them.

Dang nabbit man! I wish I saw this thread before I revived my old one about the newtons. I'm about to head uptown to buy some replacement newtons but I'm wondering if I should run and get some ultra tempo+ model of the new zoot shoes.
All I care about is the performance of the forefoot strike mechanisms. Which shoe does a better job of promoting forefoot strikes and protecting the forefoot.....newtons or zoots?

Well...having only logged four miles in them, it's probably a little too early to say. I suspect the Newtons are better in promoting forefoot strikes since you have the actuator thingys that seem to provide feedback as to whether you are doing it correctly. If you're already comfortable with your stride, I suspect that Zoot's technology takes advantage of it...at least that's how they market it.

Well lets say you don't need to be promoted to forefoot strike anymore. Is there anything in the zoot shoes to say its as good or even better than the newtons?
I'm about ready to run out of the office now to get either of the shoes. Is it possible the newtons has spoiled me and when I strike with my forefoot on the zoots I would feel uncomfortable?

I tried a pair of Zoot Ultra Racers - Yellow (http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-4646093457161_1998_78564335) this afternoon at my local multisport shop. Unfortunately, they didn't have my size and was told next shipment will not be until mid-June. Since I already know which size I'm looking for, anyone here know which websites that have these shoes in stock?

Best bet seems to be http://blbikes.com/itemdetails.cfm?id=1712

Otherwise...
http://www.trisports.com/zoot-mens-ultra-race.html - Availability on 5/31
http://www.triathletesports.com/2008-Zoot-Men-s-ULTRA-Race-Shoe-p/s8mrs01.htm Sizes 8 1/2 & 11 1/2
http://www.triplesportsonline.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ZT_S8MRS01&Category_Code=GR_RW_FOOT 9, 11 1/2, 12

Just called BL Bikes in Solana Beach, CA and they had one pair left in my size. Ground shipping with no tax, woohoo! :thumb:

Thanks again CJ!

Just rec'd my new Men's Ultra Race this afternoon and did a 7 miler. I ran the first 3 miles in bare foot and began to have blister on my right heel and another on in the arch area. Couldn't take the pain much longer and decided to put on a pair of socks for the rest of the way. Overall, the shoe feels very light and the run was effortless. Have the say the color is a bit on the flashy side. I'm very happy with the purchase and can't wait to use it for the race this Sunday.

Just rec'd my new Men's Ultra Race this afternoon and did a 7 miler. I ran the first 3 miles in bare foot and began to have blister on my right heel and another on in the arch area. Couldn't take the pain much longer and decided to put on a pair of socks for the rest of the way. Overall, the shoe feels very light and the run was effortless. Have the say the color is a bit on the flashy side. I'm very happy with the purchase and can't wait to use it for the race this Sunday.

Which one were those the red ones? Thats the pair I have. I did a 10 miler when I bought mine......without socks. Hey, they said that its made for sockless running right? After 10 miles I had to stop and walk the rest of the way home. It was either that or risk tearing off all the skin on the bottom of my left foot. :(
Sockless.....righhhhhhhhht!

Besides that though, as long as you wear socks the shoes are great. A BIG improvement over zoots first generation shoe. The fit is better now with more room up front for your toes and it just performs.
However, as for my apparently extremely finicky needs the mild midfoot striking support of the shoes weren't enough for me. I eventually bought the brand new (and annoyingly bright red) neutral newton men's running shoes for spring 09.

I wish newtonrunning would fire....no send in a spaceship to the moon the designer of the newton line. I HATE their psychedelic coloring!
The zoot shoes on the other hand, their red shoes, they look like weapons....very dangerous mean weapons! They make you want to put them on and go running which is exactly what I did. There is something to be said of style and the psychological edge.
But eventually I had to go with function over style. So despite the wimpy stupid way they used red for the spring neutral newton shoes.....I bought em anyway.

I need the lugs in the newton shoes to support my forefoot style of running.

Oh well.

Since I transitioned from being a heel-striker to more of a forefoot runner, I haven't needed as much "stability" from my shoes. I was thinking I would try the Vibram Five-Finger next.

for training, right?

i have a pair of five fingers. i love them for a lot of things, but i wouldn't race in them. firstly, if you have cycling shoes, it'll probably take too long to get into five fingers. even so, the thing about five fingers is that they really demand proper form. it will not take you long to identify all the ways in which your form is not ideal (and your calves are not as strong as they should be). right off the bike, when you can't really feel your legs, you can't really control your form, and you risk a lot of pain, from overusing your calves to protect your heels, to developing blisters because you can't feel and control your feet.

i still have clip pedals (my bike is a 1997, largely stock, and definitely entry level), so i tried to do a brick with the five fingers. i was running on sidewalks, and my legs were numb enough off the bike that i had calf issues in the first half mile. i had to stop and stretch, and my run time was still really slow.

now, if you are running on a treadmill or on any sort of ground softer than asphalt (even hard packed dirt), the five fingers are amazing. i have a practical limit of about 5 miles on sidewalks in them. but i love them most for every day wear.

all of this said, though, i have not had any sort of injury for over a year, and i think a lot of it has to do with training in my five fingers. you learn quickly wearing them. ;)

robb.