Wanted to share some thoughts on my continued experiences with the new Saucony Hattori’s since my initial review back in May. Overall, these shoes have been a really fun addition to my training for the Fall and Winter marathon season. I’m trying to incorporate a 4 to 5-mile Hattori “barefoot” run into my plan every Friday morning.
I’ve been working really hard on landing on my forefoot/midfoot through the running stride while running in the Hattori’s. My whole goal in incorporating one “barefoot” day per week into my training was to improve my form and to increase my lower-leg and foot strength.
The first time I ran in the Hattori’s, I had a lot of trouble staying on my forefoot, and ended up falling back to a heel-strike for most of the run. On the next run, I focused so much on a forefoot strike that I didn’t let my heel come to the ground through impact (like running on tip-toes). After that run my calves were sore for TWO WEEKS!! They felt like I had big rocks in them.
Since then, I’m beginning to get the handle of landing on my forefoot and briefly touching the heel before pushing off again. I can still feel the work it is doing in my lower legs and feet, but the extreme soreness the next day is no longer occurring.
In my initial post, I noted that my first run was without socks, and I developed some hot spots. I have since been running in very thin Swiftwick socks, and that is working out really well. Also, even though the shoes provide a good feel for the road, there is still quite a bit of cushioning, and they are very comfortable.
A lot has been made about the fact that most of the sole is made exclusively of foam with two small spots of rubber under the heel and big toe. While this might not work for everyone, the placement of the rubber seems to be about right for me, and the raw foam gives a very good feel for the surface beneath the shoe. However, I do question how many miles will be possible in this shoe.
If I did order another pair in the future, I might order 1/2 size larger. My normal dress-shoe size is 9 1/2, and my running shoes are typically a size 10 (including Saucony). I ordered a size 10 for the Hattori, and there is not much room in the toe at all.
Anyway, I’m really pleased with these shoes overall, and excited to see how they can improve my overall running performance.