One Runner's Love Letter

One Runner's Love Letter

I've had the good fortune to try out the new Vimazi Z40s, and they have helped make me a better runner. To date I have run hundreds of miles of training in my Z40s in widely varying conditions. Here is what I concluded after that experience:

In a world with so many running shoe choices, it’s hard to take a leap of faith with a new running shoe. But Vimazi running shoes are worth the leap. I keep being impressed with the attention to detail that went into the Vimazi design. Everything I want in a running shoe has been thoughtfully addressed. 

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 pace. Each model is carefully designed to support a runner’s training regimen at whatever pace that may be. I see these shoes as a tool that enables me to become a better runner. My Vimazis have the needed guardrails to 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. These Vimazi Z40s 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 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 pace-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 the cushioning. 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, these Z40s 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’re ever going to take a leap of faith, this is the time to do it. 

Doug Winn
U.S. Masters Champion
Portland, OR