Big ups to my friend Sean, who has patiently and graciously worked to get me some new rockin’ Pearl Izumi kicks as well as some smashing good Fluid drink mix to start off this new tri season well-fueled and fantastically-footed. (Today must be a very fluffy adjective sort of day).
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| Women’s EM TRI N 1 in Scuba Blue/Screaming Yellow |
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| Post-Jaunt Evaluation…Shins need a good hose-down |
Pearl Izumi has just come out with a fresh footwear line, “Project E:Motion” (E is for Efficient, Motion stands for Motion), which includes men’s and women’s specific training and racing shoes in neutral, stability, trail, and triathlon categories. The line is designed “adapt to your body to support how you run” to “make your run smoother and more efficient”…I suggest that if you want to know how on earth these shoes can do this you ask an engineer. I think I will stick with my usual learning language– personal experience. And then I might ask my boyfriend (who happens to love mechanical engineering) to explain to me why my experience makes sense or completely defies the laws of physics and bio-mechanics.
Reviewed: Women’s EM TRI N 1
Immediate try-on reaction: Son of a Nutcracker, these are light! It also feels like there is a pressure-point “button” on the sole near the arch, which kind of massages the bottoms of my feet.
Favorite features (besides the lightness): pre-laced with bungees for super easy putting-on and taking-off (perfect for triathlons); super comfortable and glove-like feel without socks (perfect for triathlons); pretty color scheme (perfect for triathlons: distracts competitors).
Road test: things got a little muddy on the road, but my feet stayed dry. Not sure if the same would be true had I not worn socks, but racing triathlons is no security for dry feet. Post-run they didn’t smell like foot sweat thanks to excellent breathe-ability. *Note* As with any shoes, if you plan to wear these sans socks for a race, be sure to do a few progressively longer runs in them before hand (e.g. 2 miles, 4 miles, and 5+ miles before a 10k run race) in order to avoid blisters and painful chaffing during the race!!
Aesthetically: I love the colors. They match multiple workout costumes of mine. Not sure if I am a huge fan of the “screaming yellow” line patterns on the sides of the shoes. Maybe I’d eliminate a couple of the lines, change to a different pattern, or just skip them all together. Other than that, these shoes are pretty slick-looking, and they boast some vibrant colors which may help your visibility.
Fun Fact: The name Pearl Izumi is translated “fountain of pearls”. See this page for more PI history.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it.” -Matthew 13:45-46