 "All-round impact")
Huffing and puffing, as I ran to retrieve the ball, a thought struck me. Would it help if I trained harder? I was at my weekly football game with my friends - mostly fellow journalists who love kicking the ball around. It was still early days as I had only resumed playing football after a gap of nearly two decades.
Luckily enough, some months later, I got my hands on the very pair of training shoes Arsenal players use to train - the Puma Ignite XT. And, before I had laced up the shoes for my first run, I saw the fastest man in the world - Usain Bolt - using the same pair to train.
Wasting no time, the next morning I put on the electric blue shoes. The first thing I noticed was that the pair was heavier than a few other training shoes I had used. Maybe, it was because of the loads of rubber on the outsole; the shoes also featured a significant "drop", which basically means how much higher the heel is placed in relation to the forefoot. The higher the drop, more cushioning the heel gets when it strikes the ground.
Running or walking entails the following biomechanical steps: the heel striking, the foot staying flat, the heel rising, the toe off the ground and the foot in mid-air. Among runners there are usually three types - the forefoot strikers, the midsole ones and the heel strikers. As I'm flatfooted, I'm a midsole striker. But the Ignite XT had more cushioning for heels.
The shoes though, fitted me like a glove, albeit with enough cushioning and enough play for the toes. I face a problem while picking shoes: since I have wide feet, I tend to pick a size bigger, so it's not too tight. Sometimes it works, but mostly, it tends to constrict my toes. If I pick a bigger size, I run the risk of the shoe flying off my foot. Thus, I was very glad with the comfortable grip of the Ignite XT's insole.
I did a few rounds of jogging on the clay track in my neighbourhood park and felt no fatigue at all. In fact, even over particularly rough surfaces, I was able to run with my normal action - and the outsole provided enough protection, despite my midsole stripe. Best of all, the shoes provided a good grip while swerving and turning at speed.
But it was only when I started running on the parking track near my residence that I could fathom the true nature of the outsole. There was an enhanced "spring back" action every time my foot hit the ground, preventing the muscles from getting fatigued and nullifying the pair's heavier construction.
Next, I went for a long walk, as long as 8 km; the longest I have ever walked at a stretch. Of course, it was all over my neighbourhood - a generous mix of all kinds of surfaces. It was a winter afternoon and I had absolutely no trouble covering the distance.
It was a session of warm-up exercises I started with a few days later. Moving sideways on the wet grass was no hassle and I didn't slip at all. I was so in love with the pair that I started wearing it everywhere - on marble, wooden floors and on one occasion on a dirt trail which involved climbing a hill.
At Rs 7,999 the Puma Ignite XT (AW '15) may not make me the fastest man on earth or a footballer worthy of playing for Arsenal, but it sure is the best pair of all-round shoes I have ever worn.
PAIR THE SHOES WITH
This activity tracker looks good and tracks sleep, steps and calories burnt. This no-nonsense and unobtrusive fitness band is the best one can get for under Rs 10,000.
This heart rate monitor sports watch, besides tracking heartbeat, also tracks calories, pace, speed and distance during workouts. While the app isn't particularly striking, it does share data across third-party apps. And, the company claims that the heart rate monitoring is as accurate as what a chest strap would give you.
Luckily enough, some months later, I got my hands on the very pair of training shoes Arsenal players use to train - the Puma Ignite XT. And, before I had laced up the shoes for my first run, I saw the fastest man in the world - Usain Bolt - using the same pair to train.
Wasting no time, the next morning I put on the electric blue shoes. The first thing I noticed was that the pair was heavier than a few other training shoes I had used. Maybe, it was because of the loads of rubber on the outsole; the shoes also featured a significant "drop", which basically means how much higher the heel is placed in relation to the forefoot. The higher the drop, more cushioning the heel gets when it strikes the ground.
Running or walking entails the following biomechanical steps: the heel striking, the foot staying flat, the heel rising, the toe off the ground and the foot in mid-air. Among runners there are usually three types - the forefoot strikers, the midsole ones and the heel strikers. As I'm flatfooted, I'm a midsole striker. But the Ignite XT had more cushioning for heels.
The shoes though, fitted me like a glove, albeit with enough cushioning and enough play for the toes. I face a problem while picking shoes: since I have wide feet, I tend to pick a size bigger, so it's not too tight. Sometimes it works, but mostly, it tends to constrict my toes. If I pick a bigger size, I run the risk of the shoe flying off my foot. Thus, I was very glad with the comfortable grip of the Ignite XT's insole.
I did a few rounds of jogging on the clay track in my neighbourhood park and felt no fatigue at all. In fact, even over particularly rough surfaces, I was able to run with my normal action - and the outsole provided enough protection, despite my midsole stripe. Best of all, the shoes provided a good grip while swerving and turning at speed.
But it was only when I started running on the parking track near my residence that I could fathom the true nature of the outsole. There was an enhanced "spring back" action every time my foot hit the ground, preventing the muscles from getting fatigued and nullifying the pair's heavier construction.
Next, I went for a long walk, as long as 8 km; the longest I have ever walked at a stretch. Of course, it was all over my neighbourhood - a generous mix of all kinds of surfaces. It was a winter afternoon and I had absolutely no trouble covering the distance.
It was a session of warm-up exercises I started with a few days later. Moving sideways on the wet grass was no hassle and I didn't slip at all. I was so in love with the pair that I started wearing it everywhere - on marble, wooden floors and on one occasion on a dirt trail which involved climbing a hill.
At Rs 7,999 the Puma Ignite XT (AW '15) may not make me the fastest man on earth or a footballer worthy of playing for Arsenal, but it sure is the best pair of all-round shoes I have ever worn.
PAIR THE SHOES WITH
This activity tracker looks good and tracks sleep, steps and calories burnt. This no-nonsense and unobtrusive fitness band is the best one can get for under Rs 10,000.
This heart rate monitor sports watch, besides tracking heartbeat, also tracks calories, pace, speed and distance during workouts. While the app isn't particularly striking, it does share data across third-party apps. And, the company claims that the heart rate monitoring is as accurate as what a chest strap would give you.