The 361° Centauri is releasing TODAY (February 1st) as a brand new edition to their lineup. We found it to be a full 360 degrees of awesome (plus 1 degree)…
Read all our Reviews of 361° here!
Sometimes things show up out of nowhere and catch you by surprise. Over the past decade-ish, I have reviewed shoes from pretty much every medium to major running shoe company there is. But one that has been off my radar, is 361°.
Now don’t get me wrong, I had heard of them coming on to the scene in the past few years (we reviewed a pair in 2020), but hadn’t really given them much of a second thought. But with their upcoming launch of the Centauri (February 1, 2023), they have my attention.
Looks:
The shoe looks and feels (initially) pretty straightforward and solid. The color way is a relatively basic gray, though it does have some intermeshed black and orange highlights as well. But overall, it’s a shoe that you could easily miss in the sea of color and flare that adorn running shoe webpages and running store walls.
But don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge this shoe by the gray. You would be disappointed.
Fit & Construction:
Before getting into the construction of the shoe, I will bluntly say that this is my go-to shoe for January 2023. It possesses everything that I look for in a daily trainer. It has stability with a soft and wide foot bed. It has fit comfortably snug on my foot without a lot of need for maneuvering to get the fit just right. My foot remains locked down during runs. And I honestly feel like I could just run in these all day. Honestly, I am stunned by how much I love these.
Upper:
In the running shoe world, it’s almost a go-big or go-home scenario. If you can’t keep up with the flair, flash, and comfort of the “big boys”, then get out of the way. I would argue that the Centauri showcases that less can be more. And dang it does this – it gives me all the feels.
This is a pretty basic knit upper – providing the breathability we need. The heel sits higher on the back, but I have experience no issue with chafing or rubbing. That heel provides a nice cushion and overall support to the foot. The tongue also does its job. Throw all those into a blender and you get an extremely comfortable hold and wear experience. Major kudos.
The engineered knit is pretty standard and provides the right amount of breathability and comfort. The plush heel collar provides a solid wrap and support, while the lay-flat tongue protects the foot from the laces while seamlessly conforming to the foot’s contours.
Midsole:
A comfy upper can only get you so far, but the midsole makes or breaks things. The Centauri features their new Engage Midsole – a TPE construction that (at least to me) finds almost the sweet spot of daily training wear. There’s plenty of cushion without too much springiness (which often make my feet ache), and still lets you feel like you are on the road and not running on some stiff trampoline. The foot bed feels pretty wide, and there is also a sock liner made from Ortholite foam, both of which definitely don’t hurt things.
I have reviewed 4 pairs of shoes thus far in December/January and the Centauri’s comfort keeps me coming back to it time and time again. I have put in the most total runs AND total miles in this. I keep waiting for me to hit a certain point in my run (5 miles? 10 miles?) where my feet and legs say “OK, that’s enough” – but it just hasn’t happened. I feel that the Centauri can hold up to any distance.
Outsole:
There is not much to say about the outsole (Qu!kflex 4Foot), outside of the fact that I found it to hold up to wet weather pretty decent. Granted, I have been sitting around a 8:00-8:30 min/mile pace this year, so I am not bombing downhills or taking corners at a rapid pace, so I can’t speak on those who do.
Just looking at the design, I could see it being a little bit of an issue over time. I can’t pinpoint it, as the rubber is strategically place and far holding up well thus far, but I can tell the difference between it’s grippy feel and that something like the Brooks Ghost 15.
Overall:
I probably don’t need to say it, but I am sort of obsessed with this shoe. Maybe it was a lack of expectations at the onset, or maybe I was in the midst of reviewing a bunch of great shoes – that also all happened to be in the “race day” or “elite shoe” realm. While I love those shoes, the addition of a true daily trainer to my repertoire was an absolutely welcome desire.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that these are racing shoes – as they sit near 10 ounces for a M9 (and I wear a M12), but that’s not to say that they couldn’t be. Shoot, having a light shoe to run a half in will only get you so far if your feet are killing you half the time. I feel the Centauri can absolutely get you through the finish line with the support and comfort necessary – even if its not “elite”.
Speaking of non-elite shoes, the Centauri is launching with a $130 price tag – making it pretty dang affordable for running shoe nowadays. And that is money well-spent.
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
361° Centauri $130
Specs:
- Weight: 9.8 oz (M9)
- Stack: 31mm
- Drop: 9mm
361°
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Thank you to 361° for providing us with test shoes. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
