Before one assumes the worn off heel on the worn off shoe (the black Endorphin Shift 2) is due to heel strike while running, I'll say yes to an extent but not entirely (and no not without any guilt too - heel strike is fine guys! More about that some other time I guess). The wearing off of the heel is more so as this shoe has seen quite a bit of walking workouts/adventures which sees the heel strike as the natural strike - trekking on the hills, walking in wetlands, trail walking, getting lost in a jungle and what not apart from lot of training running ofcourse.
1860 kms approx is the mileage clocked on this pair of Endorphin Shift 2, and to my surprise they are still going good. I was impressed with the super high 35mm+ stack height when I got them new and they still feel almost as comfortable. The 4mm minimal drop has done wonders in terms of stride length, running form and cadence to me. Something I don't see when I wear some other popular training shoes which have 8mm-10mm drops. I just wish we somehow get a 0mm drop shoe soon with good stack height.. Endorphin Shift 4 maybe? The only frown I get wearing the Shift 2 is when it's humid and the shoes just get heavier than they already are (295g approx) with all the sweat accumulating in them. And well that's a benefit of sorts in those super cold winter days anyways. I had thought I would retire these when I change my shoes but guess I won't now - these are now moving on to become my trekking shoes till the trekking madness hits me for real and I go for something else. These just don't feel like they can't walk over anything - rocks, pebbles, gravel, slush anything. Surprisingly grippy too. But yea the trick is the ankle - since they aren't trekking shoes there's no ankle support so one needs be careful to not twist it accidentally specially if one is not used to the high stack size this shoe has. If I was to rate this shoe on a scale of 10, I'd mark it easy 8.. just taking off 2 points due to the thick upper and hot humid feet it results in at times. And ah what I felt about them at the 300km mark? Here you go from archives - Endorphin Shift 2 @ 300 kms
Looking forward to the pair of Endorphin Shift 3 received today. Google says The Endorphin Shift 3 has a 2-millimeter thicker midsole platform than the Endorphin Shift 2 and the foam is softer and more pliable. Plus there's a new, more streamlined heel clip that hugs and supports the rear of the foot. The most dramatic difference is that the Shift 3 is more than an ounce (yes that's 28 grams!) lighter than the Shift 2 and is considerably less bulky than it was before. And yea the upper is thinner too as it's very evident.
Hmm, all this sounds exciting and something that may make me bunk an office meeting to try them out today afternoon on a run.
Cheers,
Anupam
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