Shoe: ZR 01 Zen Running Club Asphalt and Zen Yellow
My weight: 240lbs
Height: 6-2
Shoe size: 13
Fit: True to size
Discussion: For a bigger guy, knit construction shoes are never that great to run in. They tend to be sloppy and they compress under each footfall. 240lbs is a lot of weight to move. I’m not a fan of traditional stability running shoes, so I find myself buying what’s available and that tends to be Nike. I’m a fan of React and ZoomX, but even with Carbon plates, my foot can make a shoe squishy on a run if I don’t use a forefoot strike. Which is why I tend to do intervals. In block to block, or 40-100 meter bursts I fall into my less ground contact running stride which is mid to forefoot strikes. When I jog, I’m heel to toe, or even flatfoot as you’ll see in the videos.
The ZR 01 is a knit shoe I can wear without socks right out of the box. When I initially put it on, it felt confining and snug. Mt first walk/run was in New York. The temp was mid 30s and I had to do intervals because of the sheer number of people, cars and block length. I ran from my hotel to the MoMA. I walked and viewed exhibits for about an hour before I had to run from the MoMA to the Red Eye Grill for a meeting. After walking around the MoMA and running to the next meeting, I walked to 5th Avenue to do retail dives. I wanted to get a look at the merchandising at flagship stores. The Christmas Tree lighting was the same night. This contributed to additional walking. The benefit of the cold weather, I wasn’t ridiculously sweaty, which was important because when I finished walking into the various retail locations, there was a final meeting at Zuma Restaurant. I then walked over to Radio City to show pictures of a small brand to the president of a retail chain and finally I finished the day walking back the long way through Times Square to my hotel.
Total miles: 10-15 for the day
By the end of the day, the shoe still felt like it was slipping and moving. I avoided tying the shoe too tight because with knit shoes I usually feel pain across my instep when they are too tight. When I took off the shoes that night, my toe had sliced through the right toe of the socks I picked up from Zen.
Note: The socks on the site are not workout socks and shouldn’t be listed as such. Paired with the t-shirt they are excellent to wear casually, but the socks would need to be reinforced. The biggest mistake every running shoe company makes is the assumption that we are all at our recommended weight. I don’t look overweight, but I am. I’m also fast and fit, so when I do intervals, that’s a lot of force. If the toebox isn’t reinforced, it has to go back to the drawing board. I love the slogan on the socks and tee and when wearing the shoe casually, it works. When I returned to Memphis, I did a day of walking, without socks and then I did a half mile jog (3:50) and interval training after I warmed up, which can be seen in the video below. Once again, the shoe can be worn without socks, and they feel fantastic. I don’t feel any seams on the interior, and I actually tied the shoe much tighter. The brand doesn’t tout this on the site, but they should: because of the lacing system which uses ropes attached the medial and lateral sides of the shoe (ala Flywire) for cinching and locking the foot down, the pressure across the instep is minimized. This is a huge benefit. Let’s jump into their description and my responses:
From Zen Running Club:
Fit Advice – Due to the knitted construction of the shoes a good fit should be snug at first and will then stretch slightly to match the shape of your foot during the first time of wearing.
My Answer – True. In the videos above, my first comment was, these joints are snug. I may not be able to wear them all day. They should really reinforce that the message around Fit Advice.
Weight: 286g / 10.09oz (US M 9 / UK 8 / EU 42)
My response: They are lightweight, but very sturdy
Heel Drop: 9mm
Midsole: Forefoot 24mm, Heel 33mm
My response: The only people who will care about heel drop, are serious runners. What needs to be discussed is the heel fit. The design of the upper with a sock like fit allows for a slight gap at the heel. Nike and other brands offset this by creating a curved midsole at the heel creating a cradle. If Zen does this on the next iteration, this shoe will be incredible. Right now I still think it’s awesome.
Neutral running style
My response: This is important. I pronate. You can see it in the video. When I get tired, my footstrike is flat and heel to toe. When I do intervals I’m a mid to forefoot striker and light on my feet. The rocker midsole is stable. In React and ZoomX and Boost based shoes, I get a squishy feel allowing me to feel the road, but in the Zen the shoe is rock solid. I think the shoe can be listed as neutral with stability properties. The wide base works.
The Vegetarian Society approved Vegan product
Sugarcane based rocker midsole
My response: I have a pair of Brandblack sneakers with a rocker sole. Also the Invincible Run has a rocker construction. I never thought a sugar based midsole could withstand 240lbs. It does. That’s (curse word) huge.
TENCEL™ Lyocell sock-fit upper
My response: I said this above, they need to find a way to discuss the cable lacing system. Sock-like fits usually allow for a lot of shifting. If you wear their socks, don’t do it for fitness. If you’re lightweight you can do what you like I’m sure. The socks cause the foot to slip inside of the shoe. If you wear a performance sock, the shoe upper works well. I’m wouldn’t lift weights in the shoe or do HIIT. The rocker sole is too stacked. The only problem with the upper is it doesn’t cradle the foot at the heel, but it locks down and your foot doesn’t move. That’s a good thing.
FSC Certified natural rubber outsole
My response: The outsole was great on the streets of New York and the sidewalks of Memphis. No damage at all after the first 15-17 miles.
Castor bean sockliner
My response: This joint feels smoooootthhhhhhh. The interior works.
I don’t typically grade shoes, but when my wife complains about the ten thousand shoes I’ve already bought her, these will be my go to for gifting. The shoe is solid and in no way does it feel like a first shoe.
ZR 01 Zen Running Club Asphalt and Zen Yellow
