I've had the good fortune to be among the first runners to convert to Vimazi and I have enjoyed the benefits the longest. To date I have run hundreds of miles of training in my Z40s, Z50s, Z30s, and more recently some Z60s. Here is what I can say:
I've been racing road and cross country for most of my 74 years and have several national championships and American records to my credit. Needless to say, I've put in a lot of miles. Arthritis set in many years ago and I was fearful it might end my running career. Then I found Vimazi. The way they have helped me to continue training, including weekly intervals, is truly amazing. And I just have to add, the attention to detail that went into the Vimazi design addresses everything I want in a running shoe. Even the laces!
Vimazis have a completely different concept of what a running shoe should be. Instead of focusing on controlling your foot in some way (to reduce pronation or supination, etc.), Vimazi focuses on how your joints move and how they respond to different paces. Each model is carefully designed to support a runner’s training regimen at whatever pace that may be. They keep me from injury while letting my foot do the work of getting stronger. It’s pure genius.
As a tool for my training, shoes don’t need to look good. Vimazis could look terrible and I’d still want them and value the way they enhance my running life. True story: For decades I have advised the teen runners I coach to ignore looks and just go by fit and function. But I'm telling you, I think my Z40s are beautiful. It’s a huge bonus that keeps on giving every time I put them on.
Once I began to better understand the profoundly new joint-based approach to shoe design that Vimazi has taken, I started to also appreciate a lot of the little things. This attention to detail gives a runner the Goldilocks features that are not too much and not too little. Take shoe strings for example. Vimazi shoe strings are just the right length, and they’re made of just the right material to hold a knot in place. These features seem like they should be a given in a good running shoe, but surprisingly few of the major brands get it right.
There’s a lot more. The heel cup envelopes my heel just the right way. The toe area is ample but not loosey-goosey. I’m particularly impressed with how the cushioning feels luxurious, yet the shoes are super stable and responsive. Again, Vimazi delivers the Goldilocks design. It’s neither minimalist nor stacked with piles of rubber that make you feel weird right from the start. For grip, the shoes don’t just give me the right quantity of rubber, but quality, too. I run over two thousand miles a year, so I go by a three-shoe rotation of three different brands that I swap out twice a year. My Vimazis are still offering plenty of cushioning, whereas the other two brands of shoes have petered out and need replacement.
I am in awe of the thoughtfulness that has gone into Vimazi design. The attention to detail for both form and function is simply incredible.
If you want to make the choice of common sense, this is the time to do it.
Doug Winn
U.S. Masters Champion
Portland, OR
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