At Grasky Endurance we are always looking for new products that we can evaluate so that we can pass on our knowledge to our athletes.  It is our feeling that because of our relationship with many of the industry product leaders we have a unique opportunity to test and evaluate new equipment and share our results with our athletes. Although Zoot is not a new product sponsor for Grasky Endurance, they have come out with some changes in their running shoe line this year and I have recently had the chance to try out the new Advantage 2.0.

My first look at the new Advantage was that is was dramatically changed from previous years.  Zoot actually switched these shoes so that they have standard shoelaces and no longer contain the integrated speed laces from previous years (don’t worry, their tempo and race models still incorporate this great design).  My understanding is that this new change was put in place to allow Zoot an opportunity to market into the traditional running market and not just limit their products to the triathlon market.  However, after getting beyond the change in laces, it appears that the shoe is relatively unchanged from last year.

After running in the Zoot Advantage for all of 2009 I was very curious to see if the new design was up to meeting the standards I had come to expect from the previous model.  I have now had the chance to use this shoe for several of my runs, including a long run of 2 hours and I must say that I am very impressed.  Although the new shoe uses traditional laces, the tongue and body are still not separate but rather one complete piece that wraps very nicely around your entire foot.  This firm fitting really leads to great confidence that this shoe is an extension of your foot, which is a great feeling. In addition, this construction design limits the seams, which makes this a great shoe for those of you who prefer to run without socks.

Zoot has always produced an incredibly light shoe (no matter which model you are using) and the Advantage 2.0 is no different.  Weighing in at approximately 9.9 ounces the Advantage is no exception to this rule while also meeting its role of being a “stability” shoe.  However, this is not like other stability shoes as it is a sleek, light, and fast running shoe.  In my opinion, for those of you looking for a lightweight stability shoe that can be used as a racing shoe, this is the shoe for you.