Anyone try Karhu running shoes?

yeah, i've got a pair of the fluid 3 fulcrums. only ran in them a couple times. nothing special, not bad.

The bears on the shoe are sure to intimidate your competition. Buy them.

I got a pair of the steady a couple weeks ago that I have been running in and I love them. Just a little bit of support under the arch (similar to DS trainer, Ravenna, 870) that fits a wide range of strides. 5mm is not too high, not too low. Combine that with the weight and I consider them an efficient training shoe. The upper is really comfortable/breathable, but you should probably order a half size down, especially because it has a wider toe box. The fulcrum is noticeable when you first put the shoe on, but after a few steps it becomes very natural and just gently pushes you forward from your toes. Way better than their old models which were a little too extreme.

nbskis wrote:

yeah, i've got a pair of the fluid 3 fulcrums. only ran in them a couple times. nothing special, not bad.

I just got a pair of fluid 3's. Wow! What a fantastic shoe.

If you like "plush", you won't like them. I don't like "plush".

They are firm cushioning, IMO, which I prefer.

Right amount of flexibilty and fit is perfect. The shoe doesn't get in the way like say the Hoka Bondi.

The good news is you can pick these up on closeout for cheap ($40)!.

The bad news is they are on closeout so won't be made anymore. I don't see a Fluid 4 at their website.

Ignore the reviews on the web about this shoe, especially the useless shoe hobby bloggers. One blogger said they made her calf hurt. They probably weren't used to a lower drop shoe and probably overstride.

I don't notice the fulcrum either. Does it help? I'm not sure, but it doesn't "not help". They feel a bit faster.

I'd like to try the Fast 5. Hope they didn't ruin them by making them too soft.

Yup, I paid 15 bucks apiece for six or seven pairs of colored Karhus stashed in a barn in Morrisville, Vermont, by Al Cantello, the great Javelin thrower who represented Karhu in the 1970s. I saw them as a stylistic statement--plain colors, brown, red, green and blue, and plain flats design. Ran in them for about a decade. It was an early version of Vibram.

GG

These are shoes for bears. It sucks, because they only sell them in boxes of 2, but what are you going to do? I found them good for marathons and ultras.