Run Oregon receives and tests running shoes from time to time. This initial post about the Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 V2, Matt has just received his pair and has outlined some general background information.
Company: Pearl Izumi
Shoe: Pearl Izumi Road E:Motion N 2 Running Shoe
Product testing always makes me a little nervous, so I’m relieved that I loved these shoes. I sometimes hesitate with testing things out for my feet (i.e. shoes) since 1) I’m picky, 2) I have really high arches, 3) I supinate like you wouldn’t believe and 4) because of certain nagging injuries With that said, these shoes impressed me (minus the color). My mom dressed me in too much pastel growing up, so I have a slight aversion to this hue. You can blame her for that.
My shoes arrived and the mint green/turquoise (ed.s note: I believe it is Aruba Blue/Deep Peacock) immediately reminded me of my childhood. While I wasn’t super excited about the color, I received all sorts of compliments from people when I wore them, so I must be in the minority. I guess aesthetically these shoes would get a thumbs up, based simply on the compliments. I love the reflective Pearl Izumi logo across the heel, love that they don’t have stitching in places that are going to rub toes raw and the designers have definitely put some time into making this shoe look good, while keeping it functional.
Pear Izumi E:Motion N2 V2
Looks aren’t everything, especially with training shoes and, fortunately, these are more than just an attractive training shoe. For a neutral shoe, I felt like these offer a good amount of support, the heel has quite a bit of cushion, the toe box is roomy, and the mesh material has some give. There isn’t stitching across the toes that will irritate and all of the designs are in a thin plastic, giving them a funky look, but keeping them comfortable.
The heel fit perfectly with my foot and the insole wasn’t super padded, which I like. I could wear slightly thicker socks without my toes going numb. I kept most of my runs around 6 miles with these and 13 miles was the longest I ran in them. I have been happy with how they perform and, while they have less than 100 miles on them, these seem to be a quality shoe.
I’ve loved Pearl Izumi for their cycling shoes and apparel, but wasn’t sold on them expanding to the running arena. I know they’ve had running shoes on the market for some time, but didn’t take them seriously until I tested these out. The Pearl Izumi E:Motion N2 V2 Road Shoe was comfortable, supportive without being too heavy or bulky and impressed me with their performance as a training shoe. I’m excited to give them a try with a long run, now that they’ve passed the initial screening for me and I’ll be curious to see how they hold up, giving their durability more of a test. So far, I pretty much love this shoe and will add it to my running rotation.
Pearl Izumi Road E:Motion N 2 Running Shoe,
- Synthetic and Mesh
- Rubber sole
- 4mm heel-to-toe drop
- Designed for neutral stride
- Seamless upper construction
- Responsive E:Motion midsole
- Carbon rubber forefoot crash pad
- Cupped-heel insole design
- Dynamic Offset technology
Cost: Around $120 on Amazon
Reflective logo on the back
