Nike Zoom Forever

Beware: I run in minimalist shoes, so if you really love cushion, motion control, stability control, remote control, moon boots, steel toe shoes, etc. -- you might not enjoy this post. Though I hope you still do.

For a few months now, I've been running in a pair of Nike Zoom Forever Cross Country shoes (not the XC model, which has spikes). As far as lightweight racing shoes go, these have been my favorite so far.

First of all, they do feel a little different on pavement, due to the aggressive cleated soles; but it's not really an issue at all. They still have good traction on the street. It's just that they have a different feel on the bottom of your foot than a normal street racing shoe.

Off road or on snow, these shoes really rock! They have a lot of traction and feel very light, so you don't get bogged down in the snow.

However, on glare ice and very hard packed snow, the Zoom Forever's still slip a bit. I think in these situations, the best option may be the old Sheet Metal Screw Modification. Those metal screw heads should grip into ice a lot better than rubber cleats. Plus, the surface area of the shoe stays low to the ground, whereas I don't think metal spikes would be nearly as stable.


For the spring and summer racing season, I would probably be fine with Zoom Forevers, but I also have my eye on the Adidas RLH Spikeless shoe. I've heard a lot of great things about the RLH and it may be a little better suited for street racing than the Zoom Forever.