.JPG "Brooks Pure Cadence")
The Brooks Pure Project was first introduced in Fall, 2011, as their answer to the new minimalist shoe movement (because, let’s face it: every company has their own minimalist line now!) I originally didn’t even acknowledge the line until late winter of this year. I was battling my third go-round with Plantar Fasciitis and was getting super frustrated. It seemed my feet started screaming at me every time I started clocking runs higher than 7-8 miles. In short, I was starting to question whether I should really try to be a distance runner. It was no bueno, my friends.
However, I had many people suggest that I email Miss Zippy as she is an experienced RRCA running coach who has lots of experience with PF. I took their advice and shot her a line, asking her if she had any tips that could help me eliminate my PF problems. In short, she told me that gradually transitioning to minimalist shoes worked for her.
You see, many believe that supportive shoes, such as those that had been common in past years, were allowing runners to rely on the cushioning and support of the shoe without ever developing strong foot muscles on their own. For some, this was resulting in PF issues like mine because I had weak-ass feet (those of you with better genetics probably never even had a problem!) The minimalist movement gave peeps the chance to wear shoes that allowed their feet to work a bit more, and thus, strengthened them. At that point, I figured I had nothing to lose and decided to give it a shot. I mean, I was already hobbling around anyway, so what else could really happen?!
I chose the Brooks Pure Cadence for two reasons: 1) They were a 4mm drop instead of 0 and I already knew that a 0 drop didn’t work well for me 2) They still had a bit of support for my pronating issues. (Oh, and I really liked the electric blue color! Priorities, people!)
Y’all, these shoes were seriously love at first run! Luckily, I never experienced ANY transition period and the lightness of the shoe made it that much easier for me to run in them. I immediately used them as my go-to shoe while training for the Colorado Half Marathon, and I never had a single issue. I do foam roll daily and have noticed my calves get knots more frequently, but as long as I roll it out, I have zero problems.
.JPG "Brooks Pure Cadence") |
| Totally random pic of Cindy and I running….I felt that I needed another one since there are so many words in this post 🙂 |
However, as Kara pointed out in my comments yesterday, I have discovered one major flaw: these suckers wear out fast! I think the material of the shoe is lighter, so by default, less durable. With other running shoes, I’ve always been told you can hang in them for 4-500 miles. The Brooks Pure Cadence longevity is significantly less. As Alyssa said, shoe stores suggest you cap your mileage in the shoes at 250, and I didn’t even make it that far. I have around 220 miles on mine, and they are definitely done. And, at $120 per pair, that is not a cheap investment every couple of months!
However, the Pure Cadence now come in this color, and I am on a mission to purchase them today:
I went to a running store yesterday and they were sold out of my size. Seriously? Do people not understand I need my neon pink fix before this weekend’s half marathon?!
52 Comments
ooo i spend dough on running shoes! i also have some PF and getting cheaper shoes= pain! i can justify it though- who wants painful feet. NOT ME.
I’m a sucker for bright shoes too! Interesting concept about the minimalist shoes making your feet stronger – genius!
I love my Brooks Pure Cadence as well. Like you, I had no transition period and was able to just run in them. The $120 is a stiff price to pay though, yes? I am glad the only other shoes I buy are $5.00 flip flops from the drug store.
Yes, a bit pricey I think! It just figures that the shoes I settle on are $20 more expensive that most of my other running shoes 🙂 I have that knack!
I have the PureConnects and PureFlows, and I really want the pink PureCadences! Addict? Yes, I think so! 🙂
I was looking at the Pure Grits until Mizuno sent me their Ascend trail shoes. I’m pretty happy with those thus far, so the Pure Grits may get bypassed. I’m curious if the Flows and Connects are noticeably different than the Cadence?
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing this post! My mom suffers from plantar f. also, and you srsly shed so much light on it!! I can’t wait to share it w her!!! Also, the pink shoes are killer!! Love them!! Have a super wednesday! SPALove
Miss Zippy was a lot of help! And, I just know that this worked for me– don’t know if it is a cure-all for everyone, but I’m just happy to be fixed! 🙂
I just started running in the PureCadence and I love them too!!
The Finish Line store in my mall has the black/purple and neon blue (I think) on sale for $99.
Grrrr. Nowhere around here has them for sale! Guess that’s what I get for living in a running mecca where they KNOW peeps will shell out mucho dollars!
Glad to know you love them, too! I actually have the Pure Flow and am in love with them 🙂
Man, this is so helpful! I actually ran in my Pure Cadance for th first time yesterday (scored the pink ones this weekend) and loved them. I am also battling a bit of PF so it’s a bonus that these might help. Any advice for the transition? It sounds like you maybe went right into using them.
Honestly, I just jumped all in and had zero problems. I had tried 0 drop shoes in the past and I wonder if maybe those helped prepare me for the Pure Cadence? However, I tend to be an idiot quite frequently and leap into things without thinking about it (in all aspects of my life!) so I’m not sure that is the best plan for everyone 🙂 Maybe talk to your running store to see what they think for transitioning?
I have both the Pure Cadence and the Pure Flow and LOVE them both!! I do notice that I get more calf knots/tightness with the Cadence though and never a problem with the Flow… I still love them both though! Those pink ones are just screaming your name! lol
I love those shoes. I want them sooooooooooooo badly, but I’m not quite sure (considering my flat footedness) I can use them. I overpronate a ton… are they stabilizing?
I was told the Pure Cadence are the ones to purchase if you have pronation issues and they are definitely stabilizing enough for me! I was running in the Brooks Adrenaline 11’s and I found this transition to be super easy. Might be worth a shot!
@runderbykat.com the fleet feet master told me that pure cadence would be great for my daughter’s flat feet. Haven’t purchased yet as they are expensive, but I’m having good luck thus far with my own pair of pure cadence…
I love those shoes too! I didn’t know they wear out so quickly though 🙁 I also have had some PF pain, and have had no problems since I started wearing the Pure Cadence! I’m super excited about the new colors too!
Yeah, the low mileage deal is no bueno, especially when marathon training. I’m gonna be going through a pair every 2 months!
I bought the Pure Flows last year and though I like them, I don’t love them. I’m sticking by my Saucony Kinvaras.
I definitely approve of the hot pink though. I just ordered 2 pairs of Kinvaras last night – white/hot pink and purple/citron.
I haven’t paid more than $100 for running shoes. Luckily I can find my Kinvaras for less than 60 on amazon. Don’t know what I’ll do when that well dries up…
I’ve heard A TON about the Kinvaras and it made me curious about them, but I love these so much that I’m scared to ever try something else 🙂
I have recently switched to Mizunos due to a major foot issue. I love them, but they run about $130 at the running stores. So, I buy them online. I know that it doesn’t support the local stores, but for now while a full time graduate student, and avid runner who buys shoes often, it’s what I have to do. I can get them on ebay for $50-$60 bucks.
I get you on the grad student budget! I’ve looked all over for Pure Cadence that are cheaper, but unless a store is having a sale, they are $120 across the board it seems. Road Runner was having a monthly special today (I Bought a pair!) that if you signed up for their annual membership for $20, you’d get 25% off your first purchase. Since the shoes are $120, it totally hooked me up PLUS I get 10% off purchases for a year. That will definitely help a smidge 🙂
I love my Pure Cadence
I haven’t tried the Cadence but I am loving the Pure Flows although I do wish they could get more mileage out of them before they need to be replaced. I love all the bright colors they come in.
Hell ya it’s all about the colors! I wear Asics Kayanos and know how it feels to go through EXPENSIVE shoes with a quickness. I tend to buy the previous seasons when a new one comes out. You can usually get them on sale and I’ll swoop up at least 2 pairs when it happens. LOVE THE PINK!
Interesting…glad you like the Cadence so much. I tried them but they weren’t for me. I thought they were very good looking shoes, but they were too squishy in the forefoot – seemed to aggravate my Morton’s Neuroma. Luckily, I bought them under the Roadrunners 60 day trial deal and I went back to my Saucony Kinvara 2s. However; now the Kinvara 3s seem to be more squishy in the forefoot again bringing MN twinges to my left foot. Not as bad as the Cadence but the 3s aren’t as good for me as the 2s. Shoes are such a personal choice…I hope I don’t have to go searching for another shoe if the Kinvara get anymore squishier! Glad you found something that works for you!
I have a good friend that has Morton’s Neuroma :/ Is there anything you’ve found that really made it more comfortable for you?
I tape my 2 smallest toes(4th/5th) together and then my 2nd/3rd toes together – that puts space between the 3rd & 4th toes and really seems to help. Also, as mentioned in before – the less squishy and more firm the forefoot of my shoe the better. I ran 3 of my half marathons in my Kinvara 2s with my toes taped together and not one little twinge.
LOVE the Pure Project line. I have the Pure Flows in almost every color. AND, I just discovered that I can fit into a kid’s size!! That means at REGULAR price, I can still hop into a pair for $60 (last pair I picked up on sale for $45…) Anyway, all of the Project shoes are STILL cheaper than Newtons, which is what I was looking to replace (purely for financial reasons).
And the colors ARE amazing.
Oh man, I wish I had little fit! I discovered the opposite problem– my feet are getting BIGGER!
Once this stress fracture heals I’m considering trying out a pair of these. How narrow are they? My caveman-like wide forefoot has a problem with narrow shoes (can’t wear Merrells) and so I’ve latched onto Five Fingers since they work well with my foot shape.
You might love them then! I have bunion issues so narrow shoes don’t work well with me. The Pure Cadence have a wider toe box (not crazy wide though) and as a result, my feet fit in them perfectly and never ache or anything, which has happened with other shoes. If you have wider feet, they might be perfect!
I switched to a minimalist shoe last year, and after making the stupid mistake of trying to transition to zero drop waaay to fast I’ve found my feet are happiest in 3-4 mm drop. My favorites are the New Balance 730. They feel perfect on my feet with just enough cushion but best of all they are CHEAP! I found a pair on Amazon for $30! But they usually range from $59-79. I don’t think they last as long because they’re probably made with lower quality materials, but at least it’s less of a dent in the wallet! I only dscovered these because of a post Runblogger (great minimalist shoe reviews!) did on them. I feel like they’re these little gems people just don’t know about. You should check them out. I’m loving that pink Pure Cadence! I hope you find a pair before your half!
thanks for the review. I’m looking for a new pair of shoes
spa love
I am SOLD. I have been debating whether to get some Pure Cadence. I run the trails in Pure Grit and LOVE, love, love them. I figured I needed more support on the roads. I am going to try these out.
A couple of months ago I scored a screamin’ deal on some Sauconys and I LOVE LOVE LOVE those shoes. They are a minimalist line and the light weight really does make a difference. And it doesn’t hurt that they are bright orange! Regularly they run $85 but they were the last pair in the store (my size, lucky!) so they were marked $55 and I had (2) $10 coupons. A couple of weeks later I spied Nike LunarFly’s in the clearance bin for $40. Even though I didn’t need more shoes it was too good of a deal to pass up. They are gray with bright pink soles and laces. Super fun. I’m loving all the bright colors they have out now.
Hi there, thanks for the review. anyway, i have the men’s pure cadence and have run two halfs in them along with done all the training in between in them. so i am guessing i am up over or around the 200 mile mark, anyway, i am experiencing pain in all different parts of my feet now – especially after my 6 milers. anyway, i am trying to figure out if it is the shoes (as i loved them before my foot issues) or something else. most of the pain usually is on the outside front of my foot and ends up hurting to the touch. my question is: was it discomfort that told you that the shoes were done or just the wear on the soles. thanks for your time!
Ohhh, I wish I could shoot you an email! Hopefully you’ll see this response 🙂 Yes, it was literally like the wheels fell off– when the shoes were done, they were DONE! Literally, I was fine in them one weekend and 7 days later, they were causing some discomfort while running. I got mine in my shins and the arch of my foot. It wasn’t sore to the touch but definitely uncomfortable to run on. Once I replaced them with a new pair, the discomfort went away and I went back to loving them. Apparently that is a down side to the Pure Cadence– when they die, they go out fast!
wow, that was a quick reply! thanks a ton, i have been to the dr office and had xrays done yet they came up clean. so i am going to go ahead and retire this pair. i have been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out what is going on. thanks for the help!
I happen to be working at a computer today, so I saw your comment come in almost immediately 🙂 Definitely keep me posted on how it goes after you get the new pair– hopefully that will solve all of the pain issues!!
Thanks for your review! I have been struggling with PF (that later led to a stress fracture in my heal bone) and I am going to try these shoes. I have been in the pure flows, but I think I need a switch. Thanks for the info!!
Thanks for the review … I tried on the Pure Cadences as well as the Pure Flows when I found them on sale at Academy last month, to me, the PF’s had a higher arch than the PC’s (which is what I needed). Today will be the first day I add them into the rotation (saving them for my shorter mileage days) along with a pair of NB’s and a pair of Mizunos.
[…] I made the transition to minimalist running shoes and never looked back. You may remember my review of the Brooks Pure Cadence shoes when I sang their praises. I had spent years suffering from Plantar Fasciitis, and was about […]
I have these shoes but love the pink laces you put with them…where did you get them?
I got them from Sweat Pink, a group that I am an ambassador for 🙂 I think if you google Fit Approach, you can find their site and buy them there!
Thanks!!
Just about to make the jump and buy a pair of these but having to order on line. How is the sizing? How much up from your normal shoe size did u go? I go up a size in my other running shoes
Thanks (I’m going for pink !)
Hey Sam! Yes, I love my pink ones! For me, I they run true to size— I wear an 8.5 and wear an 8.5 in everything. However, I know a lot of people that ordered a half size up, so that’s totally your call. Let me know what you think!
I have looked for the electric blue shoes you have in the picture but can’t find them anywhere!! Help!! I’m in love:-)
I have looked for the electric blue shoes you have in the picture but can’t find them anywhere!! Help!! I’m in love:-)
Hey Candace! Unfortunately, I’m not sure they make that color anymore! I bought those back in 2012 🙁