Part 2: Running in the TevaSphere Trail eVent
Locations
Impressions
As I previously noted, for trail running, I prefer a shoe that is:
- Low to the ground for stability
- Aggressive lugs for traction
- Sticky rubber outsoles to grip in wet conditions
- Flexible (no rockplate in the forefoot)
- Minimal front toe bumper
- Light weight
- Mesh upper for fast drying
- Minimal heel to toe drop (prefer 6mm and less)
- Minimal to moderate cushion
My initial impression taking the shoe out of the box was that it was stiff. I thought that the design would change my mind but running in them actually confirmed my thoughts. Regardless of the conditions, but especially on technical surfaces, I found the stiffness to be a detriment of the shoe. While some people might be looking for a stiff shoe, but I prefer for my foot to roll over the rocks and roots and feel the terrain underfoot. The shoe does flex well from the toe box forward, but side to side there is little twist flexibility and the plastic rock plate in the forefoot takes the "feel" of the trail away, but for some people that is what they are looking for in a trail shoe.
On several occasions I ran in the shoes at the end of a longer road or trail run to see how the weight of the shoe would feel on tired legs. At 12.1 ounces, they are nearly a third heavier than the shoes that I would normally wear and I have to say that I did feel the extra weight. They really are not that heavy of a trail shoe compared to similar models in their category so this really is not a positive or a negative. I believe that the target customer for this shoe is not necessarily running ultra-distances with supremely tired legs, so for an average trail runner the weight would not pose a problem.
The spherical heel did seem to help some of the heel to toe transition by allowing the foot to roll through the stride well. This is a crazy looking design, but for a heel striker, it would really help propel the runner forward. This didn't seem to matter much on wet muddy trails, but on the harder packed surfaces it proved to function very well.
The support pod served the purpose of promoting stability on technical terrain. I actually practiced stepping on rocks and roots on a way that I would not normally, just so I could see how they would help with the side to side stability. Landing unevenly which can at times create an awkward foot motion seemed to be totally corrected with the support pod. I think that for the new trail runner, or an experienced trail runner who might not have the best form would benefit most from the rigid footbridge as it can almost correct a bad foot fall.
The grip of the tread was not overly tacky to the touch and proved as such when landing on wet, mossy rocks. There was some slippage on these types of surfaces, which most runners tend to avoid anyway. I was a little disappointed on a few technical climbs that the shoe would slip with small, loose rocks. This did not create much confidence when I turned around and ran down the same trail.
I did also test the shoes after heavy rain storms on a few trails that can be ankle deep with water and covered in thick mud in other places. The mesh upper on the top and sides seemed to allow water to seep in, but also allowed it to wick away pretty quickly. They did feel just a tad heavier when caked with mud, but this was too be expected.
Overall, I think that this shoe might be a good match for a heel striker who tends to run mostly on gravel roads or hard packed surfaces.
I do have to say that I really like the approach that Teva has taken with the development of this shoe. It might not have worked out for me, but the amount of scientific research and the number of prototypes they went through before delivering this model was tremendous. I think that with some positive user feedback, the next models will be that much better.
I was very happy to be asked to test out this shoe and I encourage you to live off the beaten path and "unfollow" with Teva shoes.