Why they're Awesome
SPEED: Nimble and light, with an aggressive tread and stable push-off when it's time to get up and go
EFFICIENCY: A pace-tuned midsole with a forefoot FastPod deliver optimized cushioning and maximized propulsion efficiency for the pace you run when out on the trails
COMFORT: Wide toe box, molded foam heel counters, rocker design, lively pace-tuned feel, breathable upper
Trail Z2 Design Notes
DROP: We built a 5mm drop into the Trail Z2 to reduce the chance of a negative heel angle during impact.
MIDSOLE DESIGN: Rocker and full-contact outsole smooth the transition and enhance stability. According to our recent paper on arch compression, forces on the arch are greatest during the push-off phase of your stride (not the impact phase). Many shoe designs carve out the arch area, which can collapse and exaggerate pronation. The Trail Z2 keeps the outsole area under the arch filled in to provide support during push-off, precisely when you need it most.
Why you need a pace-tuned Trail Shoe
Whenever you’re out on a trail, you want the best cushioning possible but without sacrificing push-off efficiency. You also want excellent stability on uneven terrain. That’s what you get with the Vimazi Trail Z2. We all generate both impact forces and propulsion forces while running. Those forces are intense at 6 minutes per mile, but much less so at 14 minutes per mile. It’s best to run in a shoe that responds to the forces you’re generating rather than the forces someone else is generating. Common sense!
At Vimazi, we carefully studied midsole material and how it responds to running forces. We found that it’s not possible for one midsole foam to respond correctly to all paces. What does this mean? Midsole densities need to be adjusted to the speed of the runner. (Kind of a problem for all those running shoe brands that try to sell every shoe to every runner, irrespective of pace.) It’s time to ditch those generic clone shoes.
Our research also showed that the propulsion forces in your forefoot and toe are greater than the impact force you encounter in the midfoot and heel. As a result, running shoes need to be tuned by both pace and between heel and forefoot, at least if you want the best performing shoe.
By adjusting midsole density in the heel and midfoot to the forces you generate at 8-12 minutes per mile (5:00-7:30 min/km), you get the precise amount of cushioning you need at that pace. Goldilocks cushioning for the trails you run. Pace-tuned cushioning in the Vimazi Trail Z2 ensures the comfort and health benefits that come with reduced shock.
But you’d never want better cushioning to get in the way of a propulsive push-off. To get the energetic push-off you want, the forefoot of your shoe should be tuned differently than the heel. We’ve engineered the forefoot FastPod in the Trail Z2 so that it specifically responds to the propulsion force you generate between 8-12 minutes per mile. Improved stability is the added trail running benefit with a pace-tuned forefoot because when your foot hits the ground, most of the time is spent on the push-off phase.
The result: The Trail Z2 reduces shock while increasing efficiency and stability when running on trails between 8-12 minutes per mile (5:00-7:30 minutes per kilometer).