June 20 marked the day when my loyalty to a shoe brand would end and a love affair with another would start. It wasn’t just Father’s Day, but my K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 discovery day as well.

A gift from my ever-loving family turned out to be everything I needed for my runs. Pegged at Php 3,990.00, K-Swiss Tubes is one head turner not lacking in substance.

I could have written this review the first time I used the Tubes but I wanted to be sure that the comfort and flexibility I felt weren’t just placebo effect.

The Tubes incorporates K-Swiss’ proprietary Tubes soles technology that provides regionalized cushioning system that works with the forces applied by individual body types. K-Swiss claims that the engineered cylinder mirrors the natural gait of every wearer.

After running for a total of 35 kilometers with the Tubes, I will have to agree with K-Swiss’ engineers.

My first run out with the Tubes didn’t feel like it was the first time my feet were pounding the asphalts with cotton-like sensation on my heels. It felt bouncy, with little or no impact at all. The first two kilometers felt like I was running with an old pair of shoes hugging my feet to perfection.

The Tubes’ flexibility catered well to my underpronating gait. Never was there any feeling of imbalance all throughout my runs. My feet landed firmly on the ground, thanks to the gradual reduction of the Tubes’ cylinders as I moved forward.

Though a bit heavier than my NB 738, the weight difference becomes negligible after around 3 or more kilometers into the run. For some reason, the Tubes becomes lighter the more you run with. I am normally a heel striker especially after around 10kms. But with Tubes, I am able to land mid-foot at longer distances as I was still able to lift my knees.

One of the things I notice with several running shoes is the heat it encloses the feet with on long runs. Runners and multi-sport athletes include heat trainings in their preparation for long races and it is very important that they feel comfortable running, otherwise, their target times will be in peril.

In Camsur 70.3 last year, there were several instances I poured water on my feet as it felt burning already. The Tubes’ minimizes these “overheating” problems by putting mesh outer layers on the shoes, making it breathe and keep the feet as cool as possible. This is one feature that I’m sure distance runners and multi-sport athletes will benefit from.

A real head turner, the Tubes’ aesthetics is at par, if not better than most running shoes. The color combination in basically all its models are well-thought about and artistically put together. Now, if you have a pair of shoes that attracts attention and performs as well, that’s a winner.

Conclusion

There are shoes that push innovation to its best, and K-Swiss’ Tubes Run 100 is one of it. As a former avid basketball player, I would liken the Tubes to the Nike Air series of basketball shoes. What Nike Air did to basketball shoes, K-Swiss now tries to duplicate with running footwear, and based on my feet’s experience with it, it is bound to succeed.

K-Swiss, as a company, is not known in a sport dominated by Adidas and Nike, but with their recent offerings, they’ll be on top of our sport for sure. They just crossed the finish line first, with the Tubes.

The Sweat Addicts K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 Scorecard:

Price 4
Cushioning 5
Flexibility 5
Stability 5
Weight 4

Total Rating: 4.6 Highly Recommended