While 361 may not be one of the “big” running shoe brands that everyone has heard of; it is a well-built, high-quality shoe that you definitely should know about. I was given the opportunity to test 3 different styles from 361: Eleos – a road shoe, Kairos 2 – a road to light trail option, and Futura – a trail shoe.
This is a quick overview of how each of these worked for me. If you want a more in depth look at any of these shoes, check out the reviews on each of these shoes by Run Oregon’s Matt.
361 Eleos
The Eleos is classified as a neutral shoe with a 6mm drop. The Eleos was light and super cushy, making the soles of my feet feel a little spoiled. The sole of the shoe, with a 30-36mm stack extends out past the shoe itself, making it more stable without that stiff, heavy feeling of a stability shoe. If you are looking for a neutral shoe with some stability features, this is your shoe.
The forefoot has extra cushioning that really surprised me. This, and the shape of the sole, create a sort of rocking motion that propels you forward. Since I usually prefer a neutral shoe, I thought I would automatically lean toward the most neutral option. However, with the higher stack and extended sole, this wasn’t my perfect fit. But, I will say it is a quality shoe with good overall comfort and I think many of you are going to love it.
361 Kairos
I preferred the Kairos 2 for the road. And, with its good traction, it even did well on gravel. Although this has a larger drop (8mm) than the Eleos, it only had a 26-34mm stack, which felt less bulky to me. While it does have light stability, it isn’t too stiff and it still has that cushy insole that feels pretty great when you step into this shoe. This is more of a shoe than I’m used to, as I tend to lean more toward minimal shoes, so it was a bit of an adjustment.
But, overall I found it quite comfortable once I settled in. While this probably won’t be a long distance shoe for me, it will work well for shorter recovery runs. Especially if my feet need a little extra softness. I also really like that Oyster Mushroom/Black color combination with the mint green stripe along the sole. The green was a nice little pop of color that won me over visually.
361 Futura
My favorite shoe was the Futura trail shoe. A neutral shoe with just a 5mm drop was right up my alley. I’ve never had a trail shoe that was this cushiony. I was worried it would be too much shoe, but it was great.
One of my favorite things about the Futura was that it transitioned well between trail and pavement. Often trail shoes feel hard and stiff on pavement, but this shoe felt great on all surfaces. I even walked around downtown Sisters and did some shopping in these shoes after hitting the trails and my feet felt great the whole time. I was pretty surprised and pleased. Not your typical trail shoe!
The Dark Forest/Blue Tint color was great for not looking really dirty after being on the dusty trails. I wore these in both central Oregon and Arizona in the dry, dusty desert and they hardly look dirty. Now, that’s a bonus for a trail shoe!
The traction on this shoe is stellar on loose gravel and dirt. While, I haven’t yet tested it on slippery mud, I have no doubt that this shoe will hold up well. I have been on the hunt for a good trail shoe for awhile and I am pretty pumped to have found this one. It is now officially my go-to for trails. Thanks, 361!
Overall, I was pleased with the quality and construction of the 361s. I also loved that every shoe was super comfortable with various levels of cushioning. If you’ve been wondering, I think you should jump in and try the 361s. If this girl – who is ridiculously picky about running shoes – can find a new favorite from 361, I have a hunch that pretty much anyone can.
361° Running Shoes
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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.