REVIEW: PUMA Complete Velosis
Until the Sir Jog A Lot blog takes off and we can afford to employ writers with different running styles, I’m afraid that we’re only going to be able to review trainers designed for over-pronators (runners who land on the outside of the foot). The PUMA Complete Velosis range are exactly that.
The Complete Velosis (PUMA’s flagship running shoe of 2009) technically fall into the neutral runner category (runners that land flat-footed) but the extra soft rubber padding on the outside of the heel and across the sole to the little toe would suit an over-pronating style well. I’ve never worn a shoe quite like it. The padding around the ankles is half an inch thick, leaving hardly any room for wiggle or the dreaded (and embarrassing) ankle roll. It takes some getting used to, but the sensation is that your foot is locked securely in position.
The trainers are pretty striking when you open the box. I’m fairly picky when choosing trainers. Being superficial (and proud of it), I tend to pick trainers off the shelf based solely on how they look and I’m seldom blown away by most designs. But I have to say I absolutely love the design. The trainers look like a high-tech gadget rather than a running shoe; made up of loads of tiny parts that look as though they’ve been assembled with a soldering iron! The Puma stripe was so reflective that I practically blinded a family member after they caught a glimpse of the sun.
After a few road tests, however, a few flaws began to shine through. I took the trainers on holiday to Spain, where I ran on a mixture of concrete and dirt tracks. The cushioning works well on concrete, giving a good bounce. But when running off road I was made to work a bit harder; the soft cushioning around the heel seemed to be slightly too much. It’s a big shoe and you might feel weighed down in them.
Also, Puma boasts that the trainers have a wide platform to boost stability. But this leaves a lot of room around the toes and if you have thin feet (like me) then your feet can spin on the heel, leaving your toes slipping from right to left. After about 10k or so, I found that my big toe was hanging over the edge of the sole and trying to push out of the material on the side. This left me with blisters.
There’s no doubt thought that these trainers will last you a long time, which might justify the £90 price tag. If you can, try and find an outlet that will allow you to test the PUMA Complete Velosis out on a treadmill before you buy them. Make sure that you’re comfortable with the gripping sensation around the ankle and rock your feet on your heel to check that there’s not too much width around your toes.
Sir Win A Lot
You can be in with a chance of winning a pair of PUMA Complete Velosis.
You can enter in one of two ways. Either…
- Post a message on Twitter by clicking this link or…
- Answer the following question:
What type of animal is a PUMA?
A. Bat
B. Rat
C. Cat
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED
*Winners will be contacted either by email or Twitter and announced on 25th September. Your email address will in no way be distributed to third parties.
what a fab prize! those trainers look so comfortable and sound great! thanks for the chance to try and win some! fingers crossed :-) x
Excited about this contest. I LOVE PUMA!!!!!!!!!
Would love the opportunity to try out a great running shoe :-)
thanks have been tweeting and stopped by your request so fingers crossed.thanks for a great comp.
Everything you’ve written in this post is 100% garbage. You should remove this post immediately as people may read it and believe the nonsense it contains. Please consider learning something about running shoes and biomechanics before you try to explain them in future. To continue to post misinformed and completely incorrect information via a medium such as this is socially irresponsible and dangerous. The Velosis is an entirely neutral shoe and is categorically NOT suitable for anyone with the slightest degree of over-pronation. Over-pronation is NOT “landing on the outside of the foot” and a neutral footstrike is NOT “landing flat-footed”. Might I also suggest you change the name of your blog to Sir Wrong A Lot as that would seem more fitting.
Hello David. “Sir Wrong A Lot” here.
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate you letting me know about the errors in my post so publicly, instead of dropping me an email discretely, as any normal member of the running community might do.
I admit that some of this post is a little muddled (in my head I knew what I meant when I said that landing flat-footed is neutral running, ofcourse meaning that the heel lands evenly (or flat)). I did, however, mention quite clearly that these trainers fall into the neutral-running category, but that the level of cushioning would suit an over pronating style.
I have never claimed to be an expert in running. I’m simply an avid runner (and *philanthropist*) that likes to share his views with the running community from time-to-time. If I get something wrong, you the reader are more than welcome to moderate this medium via commenting. But I would appreciate a little courtesy (especially from someone like yourself who works for a respected Canadian running website). I will add that the PR who sent the trainers through was quite pleased with the review and the response it received.
I would like to ask why, if you’re such an expert on Puma Velosis trainers, were you googling the phrase ‘puma complete velosis review’ (yes I can see this from my stats). I sincerely hope that you’re not looking to steal ideas from ‘socially irresponsible and dangerous’ blogs for an article on your website? Bad form David, bad form.
SJAL. x
Owned David.
BOOM!!! In Yo FACE grumpy David (maybe you should call youself “David the Donut” as that would seem more fitting)….
pwned
I’ve always found Sir Jog a Lot’s blog to be both entertaining and informative. Plus he raises money for some great causes. Get a life David!
David,
I have read SJAL’s blog for some time and always thoroughly enjoyed it. I also know a little bit about running biomechanics and footwear and tend to keep abreast of the latest research. Unlike you it seems. Your retort above stated:
“The Velosis is an entirely neutral shoe and is categorically NOT suitable for anyone with the slightest degree of over-pronation”
Dude – you need to drag yourself out of last century and read some more up to date literature. I’ll give you a heads up – start here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/phys-ed-do-certain-types-of-sneakers-prevent-injuries/?scp=3&sq=foot&st=cse and once you’ve had a good read then feel free to come back and print a full apology to SJAL