Skechers Nite Owl : Shoe Review

It has been raining lately and because of the crazy weather, most of us have to adjust ourselves to run at irregular hours, and especially those who are working will have to run in the dark most of the time. And it is just timely when Skechers has release the Nite Owl series, a shoe that glows in the dark for the winter months. The concept is simple, by providing safety to runners through better visibility.

All you need to do is to put it under the sun or any light sources for at least 15 minutes and it will glow for a few hours! Being kiasu, we put ours under the sun for an hour.

After charging, like small children we tried checking out the glow effect by putting the shoes at various dark places...and we begin to notice the effect even though it is quite bright.

And then this is what they looked like inside the shoe-rack.

Under the late afternoon sun, you can't notice the glowing material, so it is just your typical Skechers GORun 2.

But as the sun begin to set, the glowing starts to get visible.

It really does feel safer when you know that you are visible to the rest of the traffic, especially when there are minimal street lighting available.

As it got darker, so the glowing became very obvious, and we felt like some kind of Star Wars characters.

The Nite Owl models shown here are the Skechers GOrun 2.

The GOrun 2 is basically a trainer that is designed for speed; with innovative performance technologies to promote a midfoot strike therefore works as a great transitional shoe to foster a barefoot running experience. You can check out our review of the GORun 2 here.  For us they are really suitable to be use as everyday trainers.

Here, the one with the black upper base is the male version.

We understand that the glow comes from Photoluminescent Technology. It utilizes Phosphorus, which is used in glow in the dark products. (I think they are like those material that are used to make little stars that you stick on the wall of little children room that will glow when you turn of the light, except that this one last very much longer with minimal charging time).

The technology is applied into a few specific parts on the uppers of the shoes. These 'treated' area basically absorbs light and then re-emit it slowly. Another thing we notice is that the Photoluminescent treatment is permanent therefore it cannot be remove easily.

The best way to “charge” the shoes is in direct sunlight but any other light source (even artificial ones) will be fine.  A 15 minutes or so will provide a full charge. The shoes will shine for a few hours and then it will slowly fade after that.

Puma Bioweb Elite: A Shoe Review

The Bioweb Elite is another distinguished looking running shoe from PUMA that incorporates a unique design.  This shoe has a single piece spider web-like upper, where this design concept will provide a 'wrapping' feel on the foot.

I have been running on the PUMA BioWeb Elite on and off for about 2 months now, and I used them mostly on easy days. I find them to be excellent as a pair of trainer when I do my longer runs or when I incorporate some cross training during my runs.

Compare to the PUMA Faas series which emphasizes neutrality, lightweight cushioning and flexibility, the BioWeb is basically a much more firm, and structured shoe. If you take a closer look at these shoes, it screams stability all over.

When I first saw the Bioweb Elite, I thought these shoes will be as cushy as the Puma Faas 500 because both of these shoes looks as if though they are packed with the same amount amount of cushioning materials at the outsole.

But as I ran in them, I found that despite the high profile of the sole and the volume of cushioning, the cushions are very firm and stable, therefore provide excellent responsiveness.

 The shoe absorb the impacts of every landing that I made very well and so lift off was easy.

Another comparison one might one to make is the flexibility especially during transition. It seems that although the outsole is not as flexible as the Faas, but the Bioweb Elite is somewhat flexible at the forefoot area, thus allow the shoe to provide a smooth transition at toe off.

I made some research on the technical aspect on the design of the shoe, and found that the concept behind the design is very much based on the principles of the structure of the spider web; with the upper consists of mesh wrapped in a web-like structure, and this part is called the WebCage. This design in the upper provides a comfortable fitting. I find this is quite true even for a sock-less runner like me.

And due to the web cage structure, the shoe upper is firm and is not stretchy, and I supposed the spider web layout at the upper has been designed in such so to provide that a cover that wrap around the feet from heel to toe in a very structured manner, yet without restricting the feet movement while running. As such I think this will bring happiness to those runners who prefer snug fitting uppers.

There is also a 'Glow' variant of the Bioweb Elite which incorporates glowing material at the bottom of the sole as well as at the upper to provide better visibility in the dark.

From a personal perspective, I find the Bioweb Elite is an excellent choice if you are looking for a multipurpose or versatile shoe for cross training eg. a pair of trainers that allow you to do your gym/weight workouts besides running.  Also worth checking this shoe out if you are into activities such as boot camps like training but this is definitely a good multipurpose trainer. 

Puma Elite Glow Instagram Photo Contest

GLOW WITH EXCITEMENT WITH PUMA’S INSTAGRAM PHOTO CONTEST

  

Make a mark as you pace through the town with PUMA’s latest Glow edition to their family of running shoes. Take part in our running revolution and show us your GLOW as you race through the town with our Instagram photo contest!

To participate in the contest is simple! All you have to do is:

1. Simply snap an Instagram Photo of your favorite night running route.

2. Hashtag the photo with #MyPUMAGlow @pumasport.

3. Complete this caption as the post ‘I Run at Night because…’

The chosen entries by PUMA officials will then be posted on the PUMA Malaysia Facebook fan page Instagram Photo Contest gallery app. The PUMAInstagram Photo Contest will start on the 29th July 2013, submission period will last for a week followed by another week of voting. Participants will stand a chance to walk away with attractive PUMA cash voucher worth up to RM1,500!

Simultaneously on Facebook, PUMA will also be launching the “Win after Dark” contest, where a glowing PUMA Shoe will appear randomly on any of the PUMA Malaysia Facebook app pages, during the time frame of 7pm to 8pm. (contest period, 4 day between 1 Aug – 10 Aug) During this time period, participants are required to search through the PUMA Malaysia page to locate the Glowing PUMA logo to win. The first 50 lucky winners will be awarded with attractive prizes from PUMA.

Puma Malaysia facebook here
Details here