 "Reebok ZPump Fusion")
A few months ago I was at a doctor's clinic, thanks to ailments arising from a sedentary lifestyle. He advised me to walk or run for a healthier life. As if by divine grace, a few weeks later, Reebok got in touch with me to review its ZPump Fusion shoes. Taking this as a sign from above, I got down to the serious business of reviewing the running shoes.
The review sample came in a combination of red and black, which I felt looked cool. Lacing them on, they felt premium, though it did take me some time to get used to putting on a shoe with a sleeve instead of a tongue. What is special about the ZPump Fusion is that they are inflatable and are designed to give a snug, customised cushioning for every pair of feet.
After putting them on, I inflated the air bladder and went for my morning walk. The shoes felt snug and there was a fair bit of bounce back from the insole, while the sole felt firm and provided good grip on the metalled road and the gravel path I walked on. After an hour or so, though, the insole felt less comfortable, that is, it didn't seem to be cushioning my feet as well. I could feel the impact as the outsole dug into the path. However, when I put on the shoes after taking them off to "air" my feet for some time, the insoles surprisingly sprang back to life.
I got in touch with senior orthopaedic surgeon Biswarup Mukherjee for his views on how such an inflatable shoe might benefit me. "A snug fit increases comfort," Mukherjee says, explaining that while walking or running, the biomechanical steps involved are the heel striking, the foot staying flat, the heel rising, the toe off the ground and the foot in mid-air. "While running, the muscles and tendons swell, sweat and heat up. The body needs to lose heat and the chemical byproducts of exercising from the tissues of the legs and feet," he says. This is what should be kept in mind to make running shoes comfortable.
It's good for the heel to be cushioned, he adds, explaining that the comfort factor comes from physiological conformity. In a good pair of running shoes, he explains, the upper and the sole should function in sync. Clearly, the Reebok running shoes seemed to follow this rule.
Next, I sought the help of running expert Gagan Arora. "Many running shoes are developed around a rigid, factory-developed shape that is not the most correct representation of your unique foot," he says. "In the Reebok ZPump Fusion, when The Pump actuator at the heel of the shoes is pushed, air is channelled through the valve and into the air-filled cage, enabling it to fill and clasp the upper parts and heel in a way that is unique to each foot."
This I had to check out, so I put on the shoes sans socks, pumped the bladder some 35-40 times and went on a run at the park nearby. A combination of pathways, grass, hard ground and gravel, the track gave me a running experience on all surfaces. The fit seemed snugger and the air bladder cage provided good support to the feet, while the outsole provided a good grip while taking sharp turns. Again, the insole slumped after running for about an hour but came back to life once I took off the shoe while taking a break. The bladder, though, retained the air for the full length of my run and I let it out with a loud swoosh after I got home.
The inner sleeve absorbed the sweat, but my feet did sweat when I didn't wear socks. A day later, after playing football, I had sore feet and was limping. Despite that, I decided to lace up the Fusion and go for a walk. The surprising thing is, I didn't feel much discomfort during a brisk walk and, while I have no way of verifying this, my wife claims I wasn't limping.
Reebok says the ZPump Fusion is made of just three parts: The Pump technology that provides the air cushion, the Fusion Sleeve that holds it together and the ZRated outsole that the company says is inspired by Z-rated tyres. It does provide a good grip and comfortable fit for running and walking, provided one can live with some quirks like the insole needing a "break" and the laces coming untied. They are useful, but at Rs 14,999, they are way beyond my budget.
