i been using this pair for a year and before this, asics. i am not loyal to any branding for jogging shoes but I always avoid adidas. ha.. just my own preference. I like my jogging shoes as bright as possible, and i believe, the comfort for all these jogging shoes are more or less the same. well, i am wrong.
i tried to blog about the nike air max 2012 after using it for a month but then, i don't think it will be fair. therefore i wait for a year, tried and tested the capability of air max 2012 in order to provide a fairer review.
my jogging habits
i jog regularly about 4 times per week. each jog about 3-5km. i got a nike pacer tag to my iphone for recording the distance i ran.
the insole
nike uses fitsole2, which is a mold-able material. i suppose that the fitsole will sort of mold itself into shape of your feet after sometime? but for my case, it isn't so. i notice that the sole stays in the original shape as before after a year of usage. generally, i would say it provides a additional cushioning and sort of bouncy effects to my jog. i don't really like the effect though. i like to feel each foot strike, and each steps rather than bouncing myself off the ground. i just don't get the solid feeling of landing my feet on the ground.
the outer
it uses a mesh material using the Nike Hyperfuse technology(http://www.nicekicks.com/tag/nike-hyperfuse/). it is suppose to be breathable and provide stability during run. breathable yes, but stability, i am not sure. as the overall bouncing effect sometimes, throws me off the ground. and i would wonder am i using enough strength to push my next steps forward.
as with the insole which gives the bouncing effect, either you like it or you don't. but i got to be fair, people but nike air max for that bouncing effect, and i should have known better. but i would give a thumbs up for the wearing of the rubber. it is very durable. jogging on the singapore streets is a very challenging. you will keep bumping in to people and sometimes, when the person in front is unaware that i am approaching, i will drag my shoes to create some noises to alert them, and that happened very often. and look at the picture, the rubber at the rear sole doesn't seems wear at all. the gripping and traction it provide is excellence too, even on smooth tiles flooring.
it is very subjective, for me, i feel that nike air max 2012 provide a very comfortable support and push. though my jogging distance is not long, but there are lots of curbs and hump to overcome along the way, and in the end, i don't feel any tiredness or sore at the arch.
conclusion
as compared to the previous asics gel noosa jogging shoe, i would give 3/5 for this pair of nike air max 2012. i completed 5 21km half marathon with asics, and i am sure i will chose asics over this pair of nike air max 2012 for the next half marathon. i am just not comfortable running the miles with this pair. but do note that finding the right pair of jogging shoes is not easy, you really got to try different pairs(cushioned or non cushioned etc), know which is comfortable. and hope that you end up with the right pair. trying it on during purchasing for that few minutes, isn't gonna give you enough information to purchase the right pair. else you can try out this site http://www.runnersworld.com/ for review and advices from experts. good luck to all jogging out there.
