Initial Take On The Progrid Guide

Choi finally delivered the Progrid Guide (the 5th edition in the Trigon series) yesterday morning. This mild-stability model feels slightly lighter than the 2120 and in fact in terms of build, the Guide appears to meld the 2120 with the Pegasus.


A friend complained previously of the old Trigon 3's smell out of the box and even after many miles in them but thankfully this pair smell somewhat like Bata! Which isn't too bad actually - brings me back to the school days. Slipped in my feet and the immediate feeling is that the arch area is well supported. The forefoot is roomy and walking around the office's thinly rugged floor felt very comfortable. Instead of the pillowy cushioning of the Vomero, it was more of the responsive and bouncy type similar to the Zoom Elite. I'm not sure if this was due to the Progrid but it certainly is more comfortable than the traditional Grid. Great! This is what I need.



I took it for a 7.8K run later and like the feel a lot. The bounce was there and it certainly is responsive enough to handle faster workouts. The laces are rather long and they flapped about a little. I'd have to triple knot them or tuck them under the laces on top of the tongue. The arch and medial area felt supported and the ride very smooth. With my iPod on, my run yesterday was the longest weekday run I had in a long while. Thoroughly enjoyable.



After the run I examined the 11.7oz shoe a bit. I took out the insole and saw that there's a layer of foam under it. This seems to be standard in midrange shoes these days. The forefoot is made of soft blown rubber that's as squishy as Nike's Duralon, while there are many flex grooves to make the ride flexible and smooth. The medial post is firm and placed more forward straddling the arch area equally. This placement will counter late stage pronation and is ideal for me as I don't need that much support.



Until I take them out longer I don't know about its ventilation properties, long run support and cushioning, and durability.



This shoe have seen changes since the last model. It felt more supportive and moulded to my feet. It's also definitely lighter. I think it can still be improved in that the ankle collar can be made thinner using memory foam. The heel area outsole can also be a tad thicker.



This pair will certainly be my main long run shoe for the NYC Marathon. I will only use the Vomero for 15Ks and below.