Product Review: Saucony Virrata

The timing of the arrival of my new Saucony Virrata could not have been better. I had just recently been asked to participate in a relay run for the Komen Foundation. The relay started in downtown Raleigh, NC and went to Wilmington, NC, a trip of about 132 miles. There were four teams, three people each team. Each team would run six mile increments, rotating through until we arrived in Wilmington, when everyone would run the last mile or so together.
  I had done a short 3 mile treadmill "test" run in the Virrata a few days before and they felt great. They were comfortable right out of the box, and at 6.5 ounces, very light! Even with their light, stripped down design, there was a nice cushion to the shoes and they absorbed the pounding on the treadmill well. The real test would be out on the road!

The relay went incredibly well, and we wound up covering the 132 miles in 23 hours and seven minutes, close to four hours ahead of our predicted time. The Virrata performed amazingly! The were comfortable the whole way. No blisters, discomfort or foot/heel pain whatsoever. I wound up running a total of 32 miles in them over the course of the relay. The advanced cushioning really made a difference as the miles piled up. My knees, hips and legs felt great the whole trip!

23 hours and 132 miles later and still smiling!

Another nice feature of the Virrata is the breathable upper mesh, which not only makes the shoe light, but also allows for quick drying. I had brought my Saucony Guide 6 along as a backup, but I never got out of my Virrata until I got back home!

 

Here is a quick video I made with more details of the shoe:

 

So if you are looking for a lightweight, zero drop shoe with lots of cushion for everyday training, this is the shoe for you! It even made this trail runner feel great being back on the road again!