You can't really judge a running shoe until you put it through hell. That is exactly what I did with my Adidas Kanadia TR4 running shoes. It has been one year since my half empty wallet allowed me to buy a discounted pair from Sports Authority in North Port. These shoes have been through a fair range of conditions and challenges, sometimes surprising me, sometimes falling short.
Let me set the scene. In the past year I have worn these shoes for every run and every race. That comes out to 195 miles of running including 2 trail races, 7 road races and 1 State Championship. It was a fulfilling schedule for my first year of running but it did have some drawbacks.
Right from the start I was pushing myself too hard. After I bought the shoes I only had time to do one practice run before my first 5K race. My feet were hurting bad after that run. I should have started with a shorter distance but it did give me the confidence to complete the race in full.
I started running once a week, always on trails and slowly got more comfortable with the sport and the shoes. Along with my increase in miles came an increase in foot comfort. I can't blame the shoes for early foot pain, they are snug and the traction knobs give great stability especially in dirt and mud. If only I could stay on the trails.
My next 8 races were on the road. Here is where the problems started. I kept putting off buying another pair of running shoes so I was doing miles on the concrete in shoes that weren't made for it. The hard bottom and inflexible sole turned longer races into high impact exercises. My feet were striking hard and paying the price with foot pain.
To prepare for the 10K State Championship I was doing long runs half on the street and half on trails. The problem here was that when I started getting tired on the trails and I stepped on a rock or root, the inflexible sole would cause my ankle to roll. This encouraged more injuries.
While the Adidas Kanadia TR4 is an older shoe, it is still being sold online and at some stores. It is a good pick for someone looking for a trail running shoe at a low price with a solid exterior and tough laces. We are talking about supreme durability. I ran in mud, rain, water up to six inches deep, on concrete, asphalt and loose dirt, yet these shoes still look brand new. They hardly have a scratch on them.
One last downside is the weight. At 340 grams, this is not an ideal race shoe. They can slow you down in a longer run and they do absorb water which makes them even heavier. All things considered, they were perfect for my needs at the time and they will remain my go to shoes for trail running. For more info on their trail running line of shoes check out the Adidas website.
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