Okay, here’s the story: I went to The Starting Line Multisports store at the Westgate Center in Alabang to pay for and claim the Zoot Ultra TT 3.0 I have reserved there. I tried on a pair of this Zoot model just before White Rock Triathlon last November 13 and thought it was great and made sure I get it as a Christmas gift to myself.

However, after I tried it on again, the toebox felt a bit tighter than I wanted. I was wearing my K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 then whose toebox is generous, my toenails could play in it the whole day. After a bit of looking at all the shoes displayed at the store, the K-Ona S caught my attention, but, got disappointed when I learned those were stability shoes.

After I told the saleslady that I needed Cushioning/Neutral shoes, the saleslady pointed me to K-Ona C ( where C stands for cushioning ). They had my size ( 12 ) and the store helper quickly got it and my feet were in it faster than Usain Bolt could run a 100-meter dash.

For some reason, my feet felt great in the K-Ona C. I felt more stable and the toebox had more room for my wide feet. But the thing that surprised me most was that it felt lighter than the Zoot. After 5 minutes, I was already carrying a plastic bag with a shoebox inside.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The K-Ona C’s design and color pattern resembled my K-Swiss Tubes Run 100. When my wife saw what I just bought and brought home, her initial reaction was “ You already have that! “. I had to show her the two models side by side for her to see the difference.

One of the reasons I got the K-Ona C are the drain/drip holes on the soles. These drain sweat and water during long races faster than traditional running shoes. This would mean my “shoes soaked in water” pet peeve during races will be no more, or drastically reduced.

There are holes on the toebox which K-Swiss calls their Flow Cool System. These holes are meant to keep the feet and inner sole dry and well-ventilated. These are supposed to let air inside the shoes with every stride keeping moisture out. Nice ey?

The outsole of the shoes are constructed with K-Swiss’s proprietary Superfoam which are supposed to bounce the feet back up with every stride. Protecting the Superfoam is also K-Swiss’ own rubber compound called the Aosta II. The midsole is made up of K-EVA foam laced with a technology called GuideGlide that helps to center the foot to help guide every stride. These technology comes basic with the K-Ona. Simple, tried and tested, the K-Ona’s design is a “no-frill just effing run!” weapon.

FIRST 7K

My first run with the K-Ona felt immaculate. The shoes were light, very light. It put to shame my Tubes Run 100, as well as the other running shoes I had before in the weight department. My feet were wrapped securely but my toes were free and not squeezed into each other.

My feet were very stable with every stride. No falling off to either side. Air was getting inside the shoes and my feet were cold and dry, great!

After a 1K warm-up, I started with my intervals. No problem. The shoes’ weight was a great advantage to my speed workout. Running barefoot, that was how it felt due to the shoes’ weight. I felt some hotspots on the ball of my feet but it was gone in a snap.

After 7 kilometers, I was happy with the shoes. The K-Ona passed its first test.

16K LONG RUN

By the weekend, I already had 12K on the K-Ona, split between a 7K interval and a 5K tempo. I needed to test the shoes’ performance on long runs, or runs more than 10K.

I wore the K-Ona on my weekend long run instead of my tried and tested Tubes Run 100. I was scheduled to do 16K and it was a great opportunity to test whether the K-Ona would hold up to my weight on long runs. Being 5’11″ at 180lbs., the durability of the shoes will always be a concern to me.

My first run beyond 10K with the K-Ona was nothing spectacular. Yes, it was light. Yes, it was stable. However, I was looking for that one thing that will give me the “Aahhhh” when using the shoes.

At the 12th kilometer of my run, I found it. The Flow Cool System of the K-Ona really works. I remember feeling my feet burning in Camsur using the NB730 and the K-Swiss Tubes Run 100 after running for 10K. With the K-Ona, my feet felt fresh, in fact, it was still cold. Great!

I finished my long run, which was supposed to be an LSD with a 7min/km average, in an average of 6:30min/km. The shoes were light, what can I do? An added bonus: No sign that I just ran 16K on the soles. My “durability” question was answered.

THE LETDOWN

I’ve seen Chris Lieto and Belinda Granger used the K-Ona C in Kona, Hawaii during the Ironman World Championships. They were running with it without socks!

The shoes have seamless support around the Achilles heel which prevent it from rubbing the skin, disallowing blisters. I needed to try it and ran an interval workout sockless.

First 2 kilometers of the interval were without issues. However, a little past my 4th kilometer, a stinging sensation bit my Achilles heel. BLISTER! It was a big disappointment! Though I don’t run sockless in triathlons, the blister was a big letdown. Are the K-Ona Cs used by the pro constructed using a different material than the ones commercially sold? Why aren’t they complaining of blisters? There must be something there.

CONCLUSION

The positives:

- Very light
- Very light
- Very light ( Yes, I really need to emphasize it!)
- Drainage system works
- Flow cool system works
- Aesthetics in terms of color combination are cool like the Tubes Run 100
- Stable and very, very flexible
- Wide toebox

Letdowns:

- Blister-free running not guaranteed
- Thinner foaming on the front soles may create hotspots especially for forefoot runners
- Bulky construction makes it appear the shoes are heavy

K-Swiss, again, has a winner in K-Ona C. No wonder Chris Lieto, Belinda Granger and Luke Mackenzie, today’s top professional Ironman triathletes, prefer it over the other models of K-Swiss. The shoes are light, flexible and stable, the 3 things that makes a shoe road and race worthy. The ventilation and the drainage system add up to the shoes’ great features, and will definitely be the X factor that will drive its sales. Although the seamless support on the Achilles heal can still be improved, its not a deal-breaker. Not all who are into triathlon go running sockless, probably the ITU guys, but, they use racing flats, shoes that are in another league.

If you like a pair of shoes you can run a marathon in, or race a duathlon or a triathlon in, you will like the K-Ona C. No, you will love it!

Get yourself a pair and find out I’m not lying!

The Sweat Addict’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Every triathlete aims for his optimal position on the bike. Being the longest part of a triathlon race, the bike leg is where the strong swimmers protect their lead and the slow swimmers try to catch up. If you’re doing long distance triathlons, you need to be as comfortable as you can be on the bike as the distance is not easy.

I have adjusted my bike position several times trying to find out what my optimal position was. After the bike leg of Camsur 70.3 this year, I felt some pains on my shoulders and triceps, and never had a doubt that my aero position was the culprit. But which part of my aero position was wrong, was my question.

3 weeks after Camsur, I tried to figure out what was wrong with my set-up. I was using a Vision Ski Bend aerobar and had my eyes fixated on that component as the reason for my upper body pain. I changed my stem from 90 to 110mm and felt some relief. I set my saddle back a bit and my position was better. I lowered my saddle height by 1cm and it was better. But one thing that never left me was my wrist pain and my poor elbow position.

Vision aerobars’ elbow pads were not adjustable. The length of the aerobar was just right, it was the pads that’s causing my problem. I wanted it to be more forward but couldn’t move it as it was not adjustable.

Then I remembered my old Profile Design T2+. I haven’t encountered any problems with it and wished I hadn’t sold it two years ago.

I bought one again and replaced my Vision.

The Profile Design T2+ is one of the best bang for the buck aerobars available in the market for the longest time. Tried and tested, more than half of the triathletes I know use this. According to Profile Design’s website, the following is the spec of this gem:

* Affordable, lightweight aluminum construction
* Aggressive position “S-Bend” extensions for time-trial or triathlon
* 6061-T6 aluminum extensions and forged brackets
* Injection molded F-19 length, width, and rotationally adjustable anatomic armrests
* Shot peened and anodized finish
* Dual cable routing hole

The S-Bend characteristic of the extension was great for my wrists. I normally relax my hands when on aero position and the ergonomics of the T2+ was perfect. No more wrist pains. One problem solved!

Next was the elbow pad adjustment. With my Vision aerobar, there was no way I could adjust the elbow pads. With the T2+, there are several:

- You can move it forward or backward
- You can tilt the elbow rest pads
- You can move the elbow pads closer together

My elbow pad problem was solved instantly, great!

Last adjustment made was with the length of the extensions. You can actually adjust the extension to your liking by loosening the screws that hold it with the clamp. After doing this, my aero position had never been better.

Took my bike out for a spin to test my new position and was able to stay on the aero position fro 90% of my 27K ride. No upper body pain, was faster and more comfortable.

Great product!

Conclusion:

There are tons of aerobars out there, but, while these aerobars have a lot more to offer, they cost a lot more as well. With the Profile Design T2+, the basic needs while in the aero position are addressed, plus a bit more. Adjustments for better aero position is easily done and the ergonomics of the extensions offer the triathlete comfort and speed during races and trainings. With a Php 4,000 tag price, one shouldn’t have any doubt as to which aerobar to clamp on his bike. Its a no brainer.

The Sweat Addict’s Rating ( Scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest )

Cost: 4
Weight: 3
Ergonomics: 5
“Tweak”-ability: 5
Durability: 4

Total score: 21 out of 25

Highly recommended!

Deo P.