Storm- News » a mild case of posterior tibial tendonitis

As mentioned above, the Mix Master is a 4mm drop shoe, and I measure a sole thickness of 18mm in the heel and 14mm in the forefoot (with the insole removed). The insole of the Mix Master is a bit thicker in the heel, and adds 2mm to the drop, making this a 6mm drop shoe with the insole in. Insoles are easy to swap out, so this is not too Adidas Superstar Hombre big a deal, and the foot bed under the insole consists of a thin layer of orange foam, so it should be possible to run without the insole to increase shoe volume if more space is needed. Arch support is definitely noticeable with the insole in place, but much less so when the insole is removed.As mentioned above, the Mix Master is a 4mm drop shoe, and I measure a sole thickness of 18mm in the heel and 14mm Nike Air Max 90 Femme in the forefoot (with the insole removed). The insole of the Mix Master is a bit thicker in the heel, and adds 2mm to the drop, making this a 6mm drop shoe with the insole in. Insoles are easy to swap out, so this is not too big a deal, and the foot bed under the insole consists of a thin layer of orange foam, so it should be possible to run without the insole to increase shoe volume if more space is needed. Arch support is Nike Air Max TN Donne definitely noticeable with the insole in place, but much less so when the insole is removed.The upper of the Mix Master is a bit more substantial than that on a shoe like the Trail Glove, particularly in the rear part of the shoe. There is a stiff heel counter, and the collar around the ankle is cushioned (I prefer the cushioning here as the ankle collar on the Trail Glove digs into the skin over my Achilles Nike Epic React Flyknit Femme if I run sockless in them). The upper of the rest of the shoe is more minimal – it consists of an internal layer of open mesh and an outer layer of thin, highly breathable monofilament mesh. This combination is actually very similar to that of the original Saucony Kinvara, though the outer layer of mesh is more similar to that found on the Kinvara 2.In terms of weight, my pair come in at 9.3oz in size 10, though removing the Adidas ZX 750 Femme insole knocks that down to 8.6. This places the Mix Master at the upper end of the lightweight trail shoe spectrum.This review is obviously very preliminary as I have only had the chance to run in this shoe once, so I’ll update as needed as I get more miles in. I see the Mix Master as Merrell’s first attempt to venture beyond their Barefoot collection into lightweight trail running shoes. This makes sense from Nike Air Vapormax Femme a business standpoint as lightweight running shoes are selling like crazy these days, and they can serve as gateway shoes for those interested in dropping further down the minimal scale. I personally still use a shoe with a bit more substance for long runs and races (not that I’ve done many lately!), so a shoe like the Mix Master has a definite place in my rotation.The Mix Master has some stiff competition in the lightweight, Nike Air Max 2017 Mujer 4mm drop trail shoe niche, with competitors like the Saucony Peregrine, Brooks Pure Grit, La Sportiva X-Country, Salomon Fellcross, and soon-to-arrive New Balance MT110. Of those just mentioned, I have only run in the Peregrine and the MT110, so my ability to compare is limited. However, I would say that the Mix Master is a bit roomier, more flexible, and not quite as soft as the Peregrine, and I have had some issues with the sole of the MT110. Regarding the latter, I’ll address the issue in more detail when I write up my review of the MT110, but in short my pair is thicker laterally than medially, and a 10 mile trail run in them triggered a mild case of posterior tibial tendonitis – trying to find out more about whether this is a design element or if I just got a lemon. Regardless, the Mix Master should compete well with Nike Air Max 270 Femme both of these shoes, and with a bit more time I should have a better feel for how I would rank them – stay tuned!Saucony has done an excellent job diversifying their shoe offerings over the past year, filling out both the zero drop and 4mm drop niches. I’ve previously reviewed the Hattori, Kinvara, Mirage, Fastwitch 5, and Peregrine – that leaves the Saucony Cortana as the lone shoe among Saucony’s mainstream, low-drop running offerings that I have yet to review. Truth be told, I’ve had the Cortana’s for quite some time, so this review is long overdue. The main reason, and I’ll openly admit this at the outset, is that the Cortana is simply a bit too much shoe for my taste. As always, recognize that this is simply my opinion based on my own personal running tastes, and that’s not to say that this shoe might not work for you Nike Air Max TN Femme (*disclosure: this shoe was a media sample provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer).