I was very lucky to win a pair of these shoes thanks to @Brooksrunninguk and @sweatshoponline. I’ve never run in a pair of Brooks shoes before, but never one to look a gift horse in the mouth I have now spent the last week putting them through their paces.
Appearance:
I am a very patriotic person (having served 12 years with the Household Cavalry and been a British Modern Pentathlete for 6 years) so the use of the Union Jack on the limited edition Green Silence gets a massive tick in the box from me. With the London Olympics just around the corner these are the perfect addition to my GB supporters wear.
Once you look beyond the bright and vibrant Union Jack design you'll notice the Brooks Green Silence have a red sole on the right foot and a blue sole on the left (not as pictured above – not sure if this on every pair or just mine). I like running shoes that are loudly coloured and these are about as loud a pair of shoes as you'll find. My wife still isn’t sure about them and says that I’m bound to run fast in them just so people don’t look too closely, I on the other hand will be proud to have people notice them. These shoes will stand out in any setting, and I anticipate lots of questions and comments once I start wearing them in races. Also the tongue is unusual, or rather the lack of tongue. Instead, the upper overlaps from one side to the other to cover the top of your foot, and the laces are slightly off-centre.
Fit:
The Green Silence is unlike most other racing flats that I've worn because they have a very roomy toebox (forefoot). I have quite wide feet and have had instep blister problems in the past with flats due to the narrowness of the toebox, but the Green Silence are like a pair of comfortable slippers - no blisters, not even a hot spot. Extremely comfortable.
Another unusual feature of the Green Silence when compared to most other shoes is that it has a low heel. The drop from heel-to-toe is only 8mm, whereas most other Brooks shoes have between 12-13mm (and most other shoes in general). From a practical standpoint, this makes the Green Silence a good choice for someone looking to try and transition to a more mid-foot/forefoot gait. I wear Vibram Fivefingers most of the time during every day activities and noticed how neutral the Green Silence felt, this is likely due to the low heel and lower heel-toe drop. They lack the flexibility of Vibram Fivefingers, but they are by no means stiff and have a much more minimalist feel than most shoes out there. Finally, the Green Silence are really light - weighing in at just over 7oz each they fit squarely within my preferred weight range for racing flats shoes.
Another unusual feature of the Green Silence when compared to most other shoes is that it has a low heel. The drop from heel-to-toe is only 8mm, whereas most other Brooks shoes have between 12-13mm (and most other shoes in general). From a practical standpoint, this makes the Green Silence a good choice for someone looking to try and transition to a more mid-foot/forefoot gait. I wear Vibram Fivefingers most of the time during every day activities and noticed how neutral the Green Silence felt, this is likely due to the low heel and lower heel-toe drop. They lack the flexibility of Vibram Fivefingers, but they are by no means stiff and have a much more minimalist feel than most shoes out there. Finally, the Green Silence are really light - weighing in at just over 7oz each they fit squarely within my preferred weight range for racing flats shoes.
Performance:
So I've only had my Green Silence for a week now and run about 30 miles, but I've used them for easy runs, and interval workout (hill session), on roads, grass and track conditions. The shoes were great. They're light enough to feel speedy, yet cushioned enough to handle longer runs. Although the initial plan is to use them for 5k-10k races, I suspect that they would hold up well even in a marathon - they're that comfortable. You may see them at the Bath Half Marathon in 2013. Very happy with their performance
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is they are eco-friendly, which is also an area they massively out performs other shoes. Below is a list of the "green" elements found in the Green Silence (via sweatshop.co.uk.)
BioMoGo, the world's first-ever biodegradable midsole for running shoes.
75% of the shoe’s materials are post-consumer recycled.
Biodegradable insole and collar foams.
Laces, gillies, and reinforced webbing are 100% post-consumer recycled.
Water-based adhesives are used throughout.
All dyes and colorants are non-toxic.
Packaging is 100% post-consumer recycled.
Summary:
The Green Silence has already earned itself a firm place in my casual Olympic support GB wear and I will definitely be wearing them when I take part in my first Park Run at Southwick Country Park.
Well done Brooks for putting in the effort to design a "green" shoe like this, long may this kind of initiative continue. Time for the other shoe manufacturers follow Brooks' lead.
Wow, I also love the shoes. I really do. Thanks for posting !
ReplyDeleteFitness joondalup
This post is useful and great. I think this is best blog. Thanks
ReplyDeletehow to get pregnant