Nike Zoom Streak XC II Reivew

Nike Zoom Streak XC II

Early Janurary 2011 Jason (or J$ as I like to call him) told me about a sweet new shoe he was trying out, the Nike Zoom Streak XC II.  Later I noticed Ultrarunning stud Joe Grant wearing them.  I have had these shoes for quite a while.  I dont wear them nearly as much as other road or trail shoes, but can see they have great function. Some runs that I have done in them include a the last 20ish of a 31 something slog in the snow (thank u drymax socks for keeping my feet warm), tons of 5-6 mile tempo runs, and a 27 mile road run.  One thing I know, this shoe is light (5oz) and fast, and also an awesome deal.

They are incredibly light, on my feet I can barely feel them.  Right away my cadence increases while wearing these things.  Runningwarehouse (where I get most of my shoes) reports that they have a 3mm heel to toe drop, and its apparent.  Because I dont run in them often, if I do overdue it I will get some calf problems and achilles tightness.  Some people can wear them without socks, but for me the upper is a little too rough. 

Suprisingly, they provide decent traction and rock protection due to a fairly consistent rubber on the outsole.  However, I noticed pavement wears down the rubber nubs pretty quickly.  I am on my second pair after about 150-200 miles of roads in my first pair I felt like they had gained a over-used tennis ball feel in the midsole.  They have a non-removeable insole and a fairly deeply cut ankle liner, which I kinda like.  No problems with the ankle bones getting cut in this shoe.

The tongue is light and feathery, although I have heard this has been changed with the updated Zoom Streak XC III.  I thought this was very cool and a nice way to keep unnecessary weight down.  Speaking of keeping the weight down, this shoe has a very light, airy mesh used in the upper which allows for maximum breath-ability, but is prone to punctures from sticks.  Jason can wear this shoe without socks, however I find the mesh to be too abrasive for my feet.

Overall I use this shoe for the occasional track workout as well as hard tempo runs on trails.  I know some people use them for longer distance racing, but I am not confident enough in my stability to give this a try.