Gear Review: Triathlon Specific Running Shoes — Zoot Ultra TT 2.0

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ironman triathlete Jerry Cody. Jerry and I trained and raced for many triathlons together, including Ironman Florida in 2008 where he knocked down a 10:32. You can visit him at http://codys-tri-blog.blogspot.com.

I have been running for a number of years and like most runners I have tried a number shoes. I’m in my fifth year of triathlon now and I have a pretty good idea of what works for me. I run anywhere from 10 miles a week for short course and as much as 50 miles a week when training for a marathon or Ironman.

I am a forefoot runner, which means I run mostly on the balls of my feet. There are a number of theories about how to run more efficiently, but for me, this is simply how I have always run and I am not sure I could change that if I wanted to. Over the years, I have noticed how running shoes tend to have a lot of cushioning in the heel, but for me, that seems to be a waste due to my forefoot style of running.

I have used ASICS DS Trainers for the past two years and I really cannot say I have any complaints. They worked so well for me that I would buy two pair online when they were on sale and slide them on day 1 and have no problems at all on a long run of 10 miles or more. So you may ask … If the DS Trainers work so well for you, why change? Great question, maybe a combination of curiosity, desire for something different and new or just plain bored with the DS trainer. Whatever the reason,  I started looking at various shoes on the market that are supposed to be designed for forefoot runners. I looked at the Newtons, Nike Free and the Zoot Ultra TT 2.0.

I decided to give the Zoots a try because they are pretty unique and a little more affordable, selling at about $120 a pair on sale. The site I ordered from recommended ordering the shoes a 1/2 size up, so I ordered a 9.5. However, this turned out to be bad advice and I had to return them for my normal size of a 9.

When my shoes arrived in the mail, my first impression of the shoe when I picked it up was wow! cool looking and super light, the heel of the shoe was not massively built up and the forefoot area bent upward easier then any other shoe I had tried to date. Sliding them on I noticed some of the finer points of the shoe.

Zoot Ultra TT 2.0

The shoe was designed specifically for triathletes incorporating features like quick laces built right into the shoe, a hole in the tongue and the heel to allow you to slide your fingers in and pull the shoe on quickly in transition and microfiber lining allowing the shoe to be worn barefoot and to drain water away.

According to Zoot, other shoes can gain as much as 30 percent more weight due to water retention. I always like to test a shoe by first taking a long walk. During my walk, I got a slight rub in the toe box but by the end of the walk it was worked out and not really causing me any issues.

I also have wide feet in this area so that was not much of a surprise for me. My left heel was rubbing but my right was not, guess I have strange feet, either way a little body glide in that area and that problem was solved. Running on the shoe felt very different than any other shoe, very light and you could feel the ground much more similar to running in flats or barefoot.

Picking up the pace I noticed my foot really stuck to the inside of the shoe and I felt the shoe provided me a better snap as my foot touch the ground and pulled through. I ran 5 miles in them and my first impression was good, maybe 4 out of 5 stars provided a 5 is a perfect shoe.

In summary, this shoe is clearly designed for triathletes who want to get the most out of their equipment. I would recommend using the shoe for shorter triathlons up to the 1/2 Iron distance as well as alternating the shoe with another shoe type on training days. As with most things, don’t expect anything too dramatic from a different shoe, but you may just shave a second or two off your run time and that can be the difference between 1st and 3rd place in a sprint distance triathlon.

Jerry crossing the line at Ironman Florida 2008.

Jerry Cody lives in Durham, North Carolina. If you are in Kona in the next few years, be sure to look Jerry up, because he will likely be racing.