Overall thoughts of the 361 Europe Futura Trail Shoe

After over 200km in the 361 Europe Futura, I can honestly say that it is a versatile trail shoe that excels in both obstacle course racing and long-distance trail running. It’s grippy, comfortable, and really durable, making it a true investment for any Obstacle Course Racer or Trail runner.

If you’re looking for a shoe that can handle anything the trails (and obstacle courses) throw your way, the 361 Europe Futura is definitely worth checking out.

I hope this review helps you find your next favorite trail shoe!

For the technical specs, check out the 361 Europe Futura web page.

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The Centauri has a lightweight and breathable upper that’s made of a combination of mesh and synthetic materials. It’s very comfortable and doesn’t cause any hot spots or blisters. The fit is also very good. I went with my usual size and it’s spot on.

The midsole is made of 361’s signature “Engage” Energy Foam, which is very responsive and provides a good amount of cushioning. The overall stack height is now higher than any previous 361 Europe shoes as is the current trend of running trainers. It’s not the softest shoe out there, but it’s not too firm either. It’s a good balance of both which is great for the “every man” who runs various distances and paces. 

For the technical specs, check out the 361 Europe Centauri web page.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the 361 Centauri. It’s a great all-around running shoe that’s really comfortable and durable. Currently I am torn between running in the Centauri and the new Spire 5 which is really saying something about them, as the Spire model has been my favourite 361 Europe shoe ever since I have started running in them!

I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new running shoe who needs something that copes with a large range of distances from 5km to Marathon.

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I’ve been running in the 361° Spire 5 for the past 6 months and have logged over 500 kilometers in them. The Spire series have been my favourite mode within the 361 Europe range, with the Spire 4 being my”go-to” over Covid – having 3 different pairs and running a total of around 1500km. However, there are big differences between the 4 and 5 series in which they’re almost a different model altogther.

Spire 4 to Spire 5

The Spire 5 has a few key differences from the previous model, the Spire 4. The most notable difference is the midsole. The Spire 5 uses a new midsole foam material called Qu!kFlame, which is an updated mix of Qu!kFoam and is known for its durability and responsiveness. Paired with Qu!kSpring and it provides a very smooth and comfortable ride. The Spire 5 also has a slightly lower drop than the Spire 4, but its the increase in overall stack height of the midsole which makes the biggest diffderence in feel between the two models. This is witin the current trend of running shoes and helps with comfort and responsiveness of the shoe, but also gives you a “rocking” feeling from toe to heel which is much more pronounced as I cycle shoes especially with my older pair of Meraki and when I use the Fierce 2 when Im in the gym.

In terms of fit, the Spire 5 fits true to size. The upper is made of a breathable mesh that provides plenty of ventilation. The tongue is padded and helps to lock the foot in place. Overall, the fit is very comfortable and secure. They say never race in anything new, but after only a 7km first run in them, my reconrd run was a 60km ultra – Sunrise to Sunset Challenge in which I ran for a total of 8 hours  for the 60km laps. My feet were tired, of course, but no hotspots, blisters or other issues from running in the Spire 5.

On the road, the Spire 5 is a joy to run in. The Qui!kFlame midsole provides a soft and cushioned ride, while the stack height and the mentioned curved outsole help to propel you forward. The shoe is also very stable – best for those “neutral” runners. I’ve used the Spire 5 in a number of races including getting new PBs in a Half Marathon and 10km this year.

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Through lockdown, I bought a pair (they are currently on Amazon for £16 – be aware you do need to purchase an ongoing subscription to get the personalised training) which came with 12 months subscription to the personalised training plan. I used them for three months through the first UK lockdown and here are my five reasons why you should buy a pair of Vi Personal Trainer Headphones.

Five reasons why you should buy

• AI Prompts – For me, this was the best part of Vi – As you run, a voice (Vi) talks you through the training session as though a trainer is there with you. Vi will tell you your current pace and heart rate, tell you if you need to speed up / slow down to match a particular pace. Other prompts include when you have hit time or distance milestones, prompts for change of paces (fartlek sessions for example) as well as a countdown (really helpful!) when you are gunning an interval – “Don’t slow down, only 15 seconds to go…. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… slow down to easy pace. Well done, you’re doing great!”
• Sound Quality – Made by Harmon Kardon, the sound quality of these headphones are great! Note, they are sound isolating, therefore if you are out running on the streets, you will not be able to hear much of the outside world. You can use the Vi Training program with any headphones as it’s an app, but using the actual headphones, helps improve the personalisation of the training plan due to the tech.
• Technology – Within the headphones there is a HR monitor (checks your pulse in your ear) and a pedometer which helps understand your current pace. This allows the personal trainer to understand your efforts at any given time (telling you to speed up or slow down for example) and also personalising your upcoming training plan as you start to improve your running and fitness. As mentioned above, you do not need to use the Vi Personal Trainer Headphones to use the app and training plan, but you do not get the same prompts as you would with the main headphones
• Training – All the different training sessions are available to the user, these include walking, easy runs, moderate runs, long runs and intervals. However, Using the headphones along with the subscription plan will unlock the personalised training. You select your target (say improve your 10km time), how often you can run each week, how long you have (say 8 weeks) whilst it also takes in other biometric data. The trainer then spurts out a weekly training plan for you to follow to help hit your target. As you complete each run, it takes into account your pace, HR etc and each week it will update the plan depending on your progress. For a new(ish) runner, I think this is awesome, maybe theyre too intimidated by joining a running club or speaking to a running coach (you really shouldnt be!) It is a “safe” environment for people to try and improve by following a guided plan, rather than a generic plan off the internet
• Music – Just a small thing, with the app, you can choose to listen to your own music (which is fine) otherwise, it will put together a playlist dependent on your training session. For tempo sessions for example, it will have a faster playlist, whilst with long easy runs, they playlist is more laidback

Two reasons why you shouldn’t buy the Vi Personal Trainer Headphones

• As mentioned, the headphones are sound isolating. This means you are less aware of anything around you when you are listing to the headphones (great for the gym for example). I personally use Aftershokz Aeropex for road running as I can listen to music, whilst still being aware of my surroundings – much safer!
• The total number of sessions are limited and if you’re a more experienced runner, then you may have “topped” out from the scheduled sessions. For example, all of my sessions were the same each week and all “level 3”. By this time – its most likely worth speaking to a running coach. But above, these headphones really are for the new(ish) runner

Final thoughts

Overall, if you are relatively new to running, these headphones with the training program are great. The choice of programs from starting off running to wanting to improving the 5km / 10km times is a really good way of personallising a training program before looking to join a club or working with a coach. More than anything, it’s a good way of making running less daunting! However, if you are a regular runner the training programs are good, but wont take you much further unlike a real-life coach would.

Note, I do have a running coach, but the time I was using the Vi Personal Trainer Headphones, I only followed the plan from Vi. As it was lockdown, and all races had been cancelled, it didnt matter if the plan was terrible or not, I didnt have any race targets at the time!

Finally, for some reason, the headphones startetd to lose charge quickly, only lasting about 1 hour compared to the 6-8 hours I received when I first purchased them. Obvisouly just a faulty pair, but as I actually use Aeropex for getting out and about, I have just never bothered replacing them.

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I’ve been using the products for a few months now, whilst I was targeting Europe’s Toughest Mudder – an 8 hour Obstacle Endurance race, in which I was targeting 30 miles (6 laps) within the 8 hour time limit. My nutrition had to be on point if I was going to last the distance.

The range is split into different categories:

• Pre – Pre workout drink
• Energy – Gels, Carbohydrate drink & Oat bars
• Hydration – Tabs and powder
• Recovery – Protein powder

• PROJECT E2 Pre has a well developed formulation with a successful track history. It contains a fast-acting CHO blend combined with Arginine, Carnosyn, ViNitrox and caffine. I was given the lime and lemon version. One scoop in just 250ml of water gives a great boost before the race. Really tasty and easy on the stomach. I tried some before Newcastle 10km and it helped me to a course PB! The most surprising thing is that the mix turns a very dark colour when water is added!
• Hydro Drink – comes in both tablet and powder form (I was given the powder to try). It’s designed to offer users an electrolyte hit to keep their body from feeling the adverse effects of low levels in the body. It contains Cocomineral (a  trademarked coconut water powder which is a natural isotonic delivering natural sugars and salts to the body) magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium to ensure your body is fully hydrated with the right balance of minerals. I use this on day to day runs, but as they also have 100 calories per serving, I used it as my hydration for Europe’s Toughest Mudder as they assisted keeping my energy levels up
• PROJECT E2 Hydro Gels are a reincarnation of the award winning CNP Hydro Gel, featuring natural fruit juice, coconut water and B Vitamins, designed for those who may get stomach issues with normal gels. There was more fluid in these compared to the energy gel – helping you to remain hydrated on the longer sessions. Im not a fan of pineapple, but they were palatable!
• PROJECT E2 Energy Gels have been developed to offer a high CHO formulation for the longer duration sessions/events, with added electrolytes and other beneficial ingredients to promote performance over long distances. These bad boys helped me get through Europe’s Toughest Mudder. I used one for most laps as well as taken some on course at the half way point. Small enough to fit in the belt and the easy tear top made it easy to open especially when half the time I was wearing neoprene gloves
• PROJECT E2 Energy Bar has been developed to be reminiscent of actual food, not a sugary tough bar that you become sick of the sight of. I had the chocolate oat bars (250 calories per bar), and again helped me through Europe’s Toughest Mudder. When I didn’t feel like a gel in the pit, I ate a bar instead. They tasted great, very much like a real chocolatey flapjack. They are a little drier than the normal flapjacks, so I wouldn’t recommend eating and running at the same time. Would be good to use as a re-fuel snack when taking a break. The bars, as well as being a good source of carbs, also have vitamins B6 and B12 to help reduce fatigue.
• PROJECT E2 Recover is an advance recovery protein shake, formulated and designed to replenish glycogen stores, supply protein to the muscles and aid both repair and development. The ingredients include whey protein, a mix of electrolytes, vitamin c and DigeZyme to help the body make use of the shake’s nutrients.  This has been my go to protein shake for post workouts. The chocolate flavour is gorgeous, whilst the shake doesn’t sit heavy like some other protein shakes.
• PROJECT E2 Energy I have been so impressed with the products, I purchased this as part of my endurance racing. It has a blend of CHO, Electrolytes, and other performance ingredients designed for a longer duration session/race. With 300 calories per 500ml serving, the drink will help me keep going without the need for “food”. Energy contains Cluster Dextrin (This is a sustained-release CHO source, which has a fast gastric emptying allowing for a ‘drip-feed’ of energy, without the stomach issues). This was true – in my 3 hour practise run, the drink was perfect and not once through the day did I have any issues. Peak O2 (This blend of Cordyceps derived from mushrooms, shown to increase power output, elongate workouts, and contribute towards better performance, through better O2 utilisation. The only thing I would mention is that the blend is quite sweet and diluting will reduce the flavour – but also the intensity of the nutrients.

PROJECT E2 is a range of high specification, endurance specific, sport nutrition products, designed for the athlete invested heavily into their performance. The range is perfect for me, running several ultra trail races, and “double lapping” Tough Mudder weekends, the range will keep me going.

If it’s something you would like to try out, use the discount code 25425 for 25% discount at checkout.

More information about Project E2 can be found on their website – projecte2.co.uk/ whilst you can also follow them on all the social channels:

• facebook.com/ProjectE2nutrition/
• twitter.com/ProjectE2_HQ
• instagram.com/projecte2nutrition/

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361° Sensation 3

First of all – wow, the colour! They are certainly bright and pop out from the dreary black and whites of the trainer world. Putting them on, the light-weight upper certainly hugs the top of the foot whilst also being seamless to reduce irritation from friction, I think these are great for those who suffer from plantar fasciitis.’ The toe box is roomy (my feet are relatively wide), whilst the internal webbing helps to keep the foot in place within the shoe

Even with all the comfort, the Sensation 3 are still relatively light, coming in at 278g. It features a carbon fibre plate along the foot from forefoot to heel. This provides stability and therefore an amount of stiffness to support the foot for longer distance running. Even with the additional stability, the cushioning is something to behold and shows where the team from 361° have done more work. The QU!KFOAM sole along with the QU!KFlex offers unrivalled comfort (or especially against the Stratomics and Reebok Runners I wore previously).

Grip

Grip is very important, and none more so than on wet tarmac. However during the number of different surfaces I ran on, in wet and dry conditions, the Sensation 3 remained steadfast. At no point (including some wet up hill climbs) did I feel that the shoe was about to give way under foot. You can see the carbon sole plate (grey and black) to provide stability.

Style

The styling of the Sensation 3 is awesome, coming in very vivid colours in both Men’s and Women’s style. Small additional details include reflective detail (the S3 for example) to help night running and the very soft laces which seem to hug the shoe rather than clamp down.

Conclusion

The awesome looking, Sensation 3 shoe by 361° is a great combination of stability and comfort whilst being light-weight to be the work horse for the mid to long distance runners. The carbon fibre sole plate gives a great transition from heel to fore-foot and provides the stabilty required for distance running an training. My running shoe of choice and will take some beating to be removed from top spot.

You can buy the 361° Sensation 3 from Amazon or 361Europe priced around £120

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I have been fortunate enough to be given a Stryd Power pod by New Running Gear to review. I’ve had the Stryd for 4 months now and have enough information to offer my thoughts.

The Stryd Power Pod

The Stryd is around the size of a 50p piece and weighs in at 8 grams. It fixes through the laces with a holder and seems to be sturdy enough to stay in place pretty much whatever your run is. Over the past 4 months I have tested it on the treadmill, practice road runs, trail runs, cross-country runs and a half marathon. Although the Stryd is not water resistant, it is weather-proof and I have run through puddles and the odd water crossing with it on and it’s still going strong. It comes with it’s own charging cradle and needs a full charge every 12 hours of running or so. A small light on the Stryd lights up when the pod is charging.

I had a TomTom 2 Cardio in the first month of using the Stryd, and I must say I didn’t get anywhere near as much “useful” information as I now get with the Garmin 235 I upgraded to. It is compatible with a number of other manufacturers and I strongly urge you to ensure you have a compatible device. I am now able to link directly to the Stryd with my Garmin and receive immediate feedback of my power just as I would as with Heart Rate.

Metrics and data!

The Stryd phone app on Android isn’t very useful (I haven’t seen it on IOS) for after run metrics – the data needs to be viewed either in the Stryd Power Centre (on a PC) or connected to another app such as Garmin Connect. If you dont have a compatible watch, the phone can sync to Stryd via bluetooth giving real-time stats such as power, pace etc.The only other useful function within the app is to find out the battery level of the Stryd and whether it’s time to recharge.

As well as power, the Stryd measures a number of other metrics for athletes and coaches to go over and ultimately improve performance. These metrics include: Cadence, Leg Spring Stiffness, Vertical Oscillation, Form Power and ground time. Knowing, understanding and analysing this data can help athletes understand their performance and look find improvements. For the more “novice” runners, all this data is collated and outputted via the “Stryd Power Centre” (see screenshots below). There is a handy infographic showing where athletes can improve their performance and the type of activities required to gain the improvements. For example, I can improve my metabolic fitness and do a number of different workouts to gain fitness. Another interesting graph is the heat map – showing athletes where their collated workouts puts them in various zones. As you can see from the second screenshot, I am not doing enough training in zone 1 (I am working on this!) and possibly a bit too much in all the other zones. I may not totally understand how to actually improve my “leg spring stiffness” or if my form power over time is good, but these charts in the power centre, are certainly helping me train to improve my overall fitness.

There is a huge community of Stryd users, all helping each other to understand their numbers to improve athletic performance. Indeed, in the first few weeks of me using the Stryd I asked several “rookie” questions which were answered very quickly by users.

Conclusion

As first, I was all at sea with the Stryd Power Pod, but I think it was more to do with having to sync via the phone as it’s not compatible with TomTom. However, since upgrading to a Garmin 235, using the Stryd has been a breeze. I honestly don’t always run to power (I do understand at which levels I need to be at for training) but the outputs via the Garmin Connect and especially Stryd Power Centre has helped to focus my running training for the better. Most recently I have reduced my 5km PB to 22.30 and have shaved 2 minutes off my half marathon time to 1.42.26. Defintely aided by my training and understanding of power and metrics produced by the Stryd.

If you’re serous about improving your running performance, then a modest outlay to purchase a Stryd Power Pod will be seen as a fantastic investment once you start to see your PRs tumble.

Want to buy a Stryd? Visit New Running Gear to get yours. Thank you once again for supplying the review pod.

Want to learn more about Running with Power? Read the White Paper as written by Team Stryd

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Having now worn used them for around 8 weeks, it was about time I posted my review. First of all, they look amazing, the combination of white, black and hints of flourescent green make them a really great looking trainer shoe. Yes, they pick up the dirt pretty quickly (especially if running outside) but they also clean off well.

They feel very comfortable and quite light (weighing in at 278g), no they are not the lightest running shoe but they’re not made for purely running. As a gym shoe, they are very solid and sturdy, maybe accounting for some of that weight. The shoe has a woven seamless upper, making it comfy and protective whilst allowing the heat to dissipate pretty quickly. This is more important in HIIT gym classes such as Insanity or Body Combat. Whilst out running the wind and air movement help to take the heat away, in a class environment this is more difficult.

The sole is made of their Qu!kfoam material (8mm drop) which gives a balance of support, sturdiness and lightweight. Along with the grip, its a great combination for lateral movement and stability, again really helpful when in the gym or class environment.

I have worn them for a number of parkruns and actually helped me get a 5km PB. I have used them for up to 15km runs both on the treadmill and on the road. A very comfortable ride, but for the slightly longer runs you do start to feel the “hardness” of the shoe. Truth be told, I have and will always use the Stratomic for longer runs as they are a softer ride, that little bit lighter (260g) and a specific running shoes!

Conclusion

The  361° Spinject  is a perfect all-rounder for those that do a bit of everything but perhaps cannot always have multiple pairs of trainers. A comfy, sturdy shoe makes it great for gym classes (HIIT) and runs up to around 15km. The colour choice makes the shoe one of the best looking pair I have owned, to be honest, I’ve always gone for muted colours. 361 still make their shoes with a short tongue, which I still find strange but that’s just personal taste.

You can buy the  361° Spinject direct from 361europe.com or via Amazon

361° Spinject Official details

RUNNING PROFILE

Responsive quikfoam pods power this versatile neutral shoe featuring a seamless knitted upper.

Features

• Seamless knit upper
• Fitz-Rite midfoot has soft internal webbing to hold the foot secure
• Pressure Free Tongue designed to provide comfort and avoid irritation
• QU!K Flex 4foot engineering provides for natural and balanced toe off and enhances ground contact for better acceleration
• Powered by QU!KFOAM

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Newline Sports is a sportswear brand from Denmark, founded in the 80s. Inspired by parachute material, the brand’s core values focus on functional apparel.

For the past few months, I have been training and running in two different tops in the Newline Sports Imotion range – the Imotion Windbreaker shirt and the Imotion Tee. The Imotion line “fuses functionality and a fashionable look.” Looking at the apparel I received, I would definitely agree with that.

Newline Sports Imotion tops

The Imotion Tee is a light weight polyester material, with a really soft cotton like feel. I’ve worn it on several occasions, in races, treadmill and in the gym. It’s actually so comfortable and “stylish” that I wore it on a night out! XD (See, I told you I agreed with the “fashionable” statement.)

Newline sports Imotion night out

I really like the feel of the t shirt, it was light – almost a canvas style lightness, allowing the moisture to wick away, but as importantly, the breeze to cool the core. Definitely a “go-to” training t shirt, especially in the warmer weather where keeping cool is a priority.

The long sleeve top is the Imotion WindBreaker shirt. The jersey has a “tailored fit” – Newline describes this as “body cut” however it was a good tight fit, but without being “base layer tight”.  Like the Tee, the shirt is made of polyester, with the main body of the shirt feeling like a thicker style lycra – stretchy without being too clingy to the skin. The genius part of the Windbreaker shirt, was the additional “windbreaker” material (also polyester I believe) which acts like a barrier to the wind. Moving quickly – like running, this was really useful and helped to keep the core temperature up. This Jersey really came in handy in my Equinox24 race through the night when the temperature dropped and there was a light breeze across the fields. Not quite as stylish as the Imotion Tee (I wouldn’t necessarily be wearing it out to a night club) but definitely a good looking, and very useful piece of kit in the spring / autumn or to layer up with in Winter.

Thank you to New Running Gear  for the gear to review. You can follow them on Instagram

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There were three races I tested them over:

• Equinox 24 – a 24 hour Ultra Race of 10km laps around the Belvoir estate in Leciestershire. Approximately 60% path/road and 40% grass routes. It remained dry throughout the course and laps (I did 50km in total over two stints in the Ortega 2s and swapped them with my 361° Stratomic road shoes for a while.
• Petzl Night Runner – A night race using head torches around Delamere forest. Around 80% was on gravel paths and 20% grass/soft surface route. Not technical, but as the run was in the dark, a lot of care and attention had to be made of the route ahead. Some of the route was through forest paths with loose bark and overgrown roots. A dry-ish course, but some soft mud and puddles in places. A short steep climb up a grass hill and a very soft last 1km loop.
• Fell Hell – A 10km fell race around Moel Famau – a total of 440m elevation across a VERY muddy trail route – 80% gravel trail with puddles and 20% soft mud/wet surface. A very technical trail with very steep up hills with climbs including muddy trails and very fast down hill sections through mud and rocks or a very rocky trail with a lot of loose gravel. I was worried I took the wrong trail shoe and thought I may have needed something more aggressive in the lugs. But apart from a few VERY muddy places (where no amount of lugs would ave helped). The Ortega 2s performed brilliantly.

After these three races, I have enough information about the 361° Ortega 2 Trail Shoes to give a verdict.

My thoughts

The first words that come to mind with the 361° Ortega 2 Trail Shoes are:

• Stable – I was very much at ease with the Ortega 2s in what ever terrain I was going over. They felt great underfoot and allowed me to stride quickly and without needing to worry about what was underfoot. They really came to the fore when running the two main downhill sections at Fell Hell. The firs being a very muddy section with a very high chance of slipping and falling. The second section was dry, buy much steeper and with loose gravel – I was running downhill at around 3.50m/km pace and was only able to do this as I was trusting the shoe at these speeds over this terrain. It was both scary and exhilarating at the same time!
• Sturdy – The studiness of the shoe allowed for the stability as above. Very well made, very much a precision fit within the shoe and a slim toe box. An upper and heel section which held and protected the foot without slipping or movement.
• Hard – Which really helps the sturdiness and stability of the shoe. As mentioned, I wore them for 30km at Equinox24, but I felt they were really hard underfoot. I think this was down to the terrain being less than ideal (70% was road/tarmac) and only 30% over very light trail. I did switch to the more comfortable road shoes and then at towards the end of the 24 hours back to the Ortega 2s. Note – Not great on long distance on pavement (but they are trail shoes after all).

As an obstacle racer, I generally wear Reebok all terrains for the obstacle runs such as Tough Mudder and Spartan. If we talk about obstacle racing, I would likely remember every time when I play at daisyslots.com, the thrill and excitement, I cannot forget the feeling. The 361° Ortega 2 Trail Shoes fall into the “Light trail” category which compete directly with the Merrel Avalaunch which I own. However, unlike the Merrels, the 361° Ortega 2 have a studiness to them which protects the foot. The grip is compaable, but the sole of the Merrels is much softer – giving you better feel, but not the best protection over very technical ground.

Final thoughts

For light and medium trail, these 361° Ortega 2s are awesome, would I wear them for a Tough Mudder or Spartan Race? It’s a possibility that they would perform ok, but for some parts (Mud Mile for example) you would definitely need more grip. But if you are running through the trail, forests, hills, gravel the 361° Ortega 2 Trail Shoes cannot be beaten. They look great, feel great and perform with a sure and stable grip, giving you full confidence in your stride.

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