361° are relatively new shoe company for us to review. We have reviewed a handful of pairs over the past month or so and have been pretty impressed. Our next review is their Spire 5 SE, checked by a new blogger to Run Oregon, Don Gallogly – a miles machine. Here’s his take
The 361° Spire 5 SE arrived on a grey day in early January. They got their first couple of runs on the treadmill and their next couple of runs in poor conditions. It’s been cold and dark and damp and I’ve needed shoes that could perform in those conditions. I mean, it is Oregon right?!
Thankfully, the Spire 5 SE hasn’t let me down.
Read all our Reviews of 361° here!
The 361° Spire 5 SE is a neutral road trainer suitable for marathons. It has a foamy upper that gives your foot a nice hug and keeps you securely centered. Even in some tumultuous weather, I have found them to be well-vented and fast drying. They are solid black which has kept them looking nice while sloshing around the park, though I acknowledge the visual may be a bit basic. There’s nothing wrong with a classic colorway, but black/white isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Flair is fun!
I found the laces to be little short, but that’s an easy remedy. Even with this length, they haven’t come loose along the way.
The midsole has a low-to-medium stack height of 20mm at the toe and 9mm of drop (i.e. 29mm at the heel). Even with a lower stack (all things considered – I have seen Run Oregon bloggers reviewing a LOT of Max stacked shoes lately).
I found these to have a nice cushion without being mushy. They have kept me feeling stable and sure-footed even in conditions that aren’t set up for that. The PEBA in the midsole allows for this bit of stiffness without the uberspringiness.
The outsole is rigid and substantial. It provides good protection from debris underfoot. Given this, these are shoes that will likely hold up for many miles.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the 361° Spire 5 SE is how unremarkable they are. They have performed perfectly, so far but they don’t really have any standout features. They aren’t visually flashy. They aren’t a super chunky, max height beast. They aren’t a carbon-plated super elite shoe.
They just perform.
If you run in neutral road trainers, these are good ones to consider. There’s certainly nothing wrong with decent performance from all features, even if none of them blow you away. I’d rather have a pair of shoes I can rely upon in all the right ways than a flashy elite shoe that only works in certain scenarios.
361° Spire 5 SE $160
Specs
WEIGHT – 10 oz (mens 9); 8.2 oz (womens 8)
DROP – 9mm
STACK- 20mm-29mm
