Atreyu The Artist Introduction
If it was the 90’s or early 2000’s and we informed runners that racing footwear would quickly attain $250, I’m fairly certain they might be shocked past perception. With the invention of tremendous footwear, $250 is now the traditional quantity that you must shell out if you need a brand new, lengthy distance, carbon-plated racer.
For many runners, a $250 racing shoe doesn’t make any sense: it’s not very sturdy, it could possibly solely be used for racing/key runs and it turns into outdated when the brand new model is launched in a 12 months’s time. That is what makes Atreyu so particular.
Atreyu is a small, startup firm hailing from Austin, Texas. Their philosophy is to honour simplicity with minimal trainers in the identical vein because the outdated Kinvaras and Takumi Sens. Initially, they provided a subscription service which gave you a reduction for those who dedicated to purchasing 3 pairs however they’ve since stopped this providing for a extra conventional gross sales method.
Atreyu footwear are troublesome to purchase. They don’t ship to Malaysia however on a current journey to Thailand, I used to be capable of purchase The Artist. They at the moment solely ship to a specific checklist of nations however hopefully availability might be wider sooner or later when the model grows in recognition.
Their full lineup consists of solely 4 footwear: 2 street trainers, a path shoe and a race shoe.
The Artist is their carbon-plated racer which they declare on their web site can be utilized for lengthy runs, tempo runs and racing.
The Artist weighs 8.1 oz for a males’s US9 which is aggressive however in addition they state that you need to go up a half measurement because of the small match so I’m usually a US9 however I had to purchase a much bigger measurement.
What units The Artist aside is that it solely prices $100 model new. Sure, you learn proper, solely $100 for a long-distance, carbon-plated racer. That appears too good to be true.
Atreyu The Artist First Impressions
My first run was a 3 kilometre heat up adopted by 7 kilometres at marathon tempo. Whereas working simple, The Artist felt snug and clean however after I wanted to choose up the tempo, it felt a bit sluggish- like I wanted to work tougher than in different tremendous footwear to achieve tempo tempo.
It felt significantly better than some other $100 working shoe I’ve tried. The Artist gave me that feeling that I had a racing shoe on due to how stiff the carbon plate was and there was additionally a number of deep cushioning within the midsole. It felt like a long-distance working shoe.
The shoe that it jogged my memory most of was the Adidas Adios Professional 1 however the trip The Artist felt flatter and never as energetic. It felt extra backside heavy than the Adios Professional too.
Atreyu The Artist Higher
The Artist has a minimal higher which is designed to be gentle. The match is a bit sloppy and it doesn’t have a really polished really feel.
The fabric that the higher is comprised of feels prefer it comes from an informal sneaker and breathability will not be nice. The match is brief and slim so you must go up a half measurement not less than.
There’s no heel counter so the heel may be very floppy. This ends in some heel slippage, even for those who use a runner’s knot. There are not any reflective components on The Artist.
Atreyu The Artist Sole Unit
As a aggressive racer, The Artist can’t compete with the tremendous footwear from the large manufacturers by way of efficiency. It jogs my memory of a pace coach just like the Adidas Boston or Endorphin Velocity that are quicker than day by day trainers however not as propulsive as tremendous footwear.
The Artist’s midsole is comprised of a supercritical EVA foam so it does present a bit extra vitality return than common, old fashioned EVA. To me, it looks like extra of a day by day coach foam somewhat than a racing foam due to how dense and heavy it’s.
The carbon-fibre plate is full size and it’s tremendous stiff so it does a great job at stopping the forefoot from flexing which will increase the forefoot rocker sensation. It doesn’t provide as a lot ahead propulsion as different tremendous footwear as a result of the midsole doesn’t compress a lot so the plate can’t transfer round and “shoot” you ahead.
Regular paced runs that are between simple and marathon tempo are what The Artist does greatest. The midsole setup means that you can choose up the tempo barely however I discover it not punchy sufficient for tempo runs or interval exercises. I discover the midsole foam a bit too flat for once you want some critical pace help.
The outsole of The Artist takes inspiration from the Adios Professional. It has a skinny rubber layer with a tough end, much like sandpaper which protects the midsole foam.
The rubber of The Artist isn’t as sturdy because the Adios Professional and I seen vital put on throughout the first 50 kilometres of testing. I wore by way of the outsole rubber on the heel on my second run however that is to be anticipated as a result of Atreyu states on their web site that you may solely get round 250 miles out of The Artist.
Atreyu The Artist Conclusions
Total, I believe The Artist punches above its weight when you think about that it solely prices $100. I undoubtedly don’t remorse buying it and it feels quicker than anything that you may purchase for $100 (which isn’t on sale).
I personally received’t be racing in it as a result of it doesn’t present as a lot pace help as a Vaporfly, Adios Professional or Rocket X however these footwear are $250. For those who’re on a funds, The Artist will get the job executed and enable you get a quicker time than a day by day coach, which is the one shoe you may get for $100 model new.
Outsole sturdiness is The Artist’s important concern, particularly on the outer heel space. The rubber is extraordinarily skinny so you must put it aside for races or key exercises. Heel lockdown can also be subpar but it surely’s not a deal breaker.
I applaud Atreyu for locating a method to mass produce a carbon plated racer at such an inexpensive worth. Now, they solely must discover a method to make it extra accessible to the remainder of the world.
