Karhu Mestari Run 1.0 Review
This week we review Karhu’s entry into maximal cushioning road running shoes, with the Karhu Mestari Run 1.0. Karhu has been making running shoes for over 100 years. In that time, they have learnt that a good running shoe is not made of bouncy cushioning that makes you go up and down with every stride. In stead a good running shoe should push you forward and allow a smooth natural running motion. That way you are lighter on your feet, and you move faster with less stress on the body. With this knowledge Karhu have made the Mestari Run 1.0, a maximally cushioned shoe designed to give a smooth cushioned ride for use on long runs and daily milage.
The fit of the Mestari is similar to other Karhu running shoes. The toe box has a straight big toe line so that you can push off from the end of your big toe and so that your toes can spread on impact and function inside the shoes. The toe box doesn’t come to point and is more rounded, which also allows your feet the room to function. The lacing is off set, designed to follow the highest part of your foot. Together with the M-Lock over lays on the side of the shoe this pulls the upper around the foot. This effectively holds the foot onto the midsole. I didn’t experience any slippage at the heel or my foot moving in the shoes.
The tongue is gusseted to stop it from moving around and has a good level of padding. Which adds to the comfortable fit of the upper. The heel cup is a hard plastic which adds to the stability of the shoes and helps hold your foot on the midsole.
The upper is made from Ideal Knitt Mesh which has a very soft feel. There is also a bit of stretch over the top of the toes. This gives the toes room to function but keeps the shoe feeling snug. This bit of stretch will also allow the toe box to accommodate low and high-volume feet with equal comfort.
The Karhu Mestari 1.0 Run fit a little larger than other Karhu shoes I have run in. I am running in a UK 11 which is the same size as I use in a Brooks, NNormal, True Motion or Saucony shoes. In the Karhu Ikoni, Fusion and Synchron I used a UK 11.5 which is the same size as I would use in a Hoka, New Balance, La Sportiva, Salomon, Altra or On Running shoes.
Karhu use a Fulcrum system in the midsole to maintain forward motion and reduce any up and down movement. This is a harder piece of foam or plastic inside the midsole. In case of the Mestari 1.0 the Fulcrum is a half length Fulcrum and so the Fulcrum stops just before the midfoot. The effect of the Fulcrum is to encourage you to pick your heels up. This helps you maintain a high cadence and become lighter on your feet. The toe spring of the Mestari has been increased in comparison to other running shoes in the Karhu Running shoe range. This gives the shoe a rocking motion which stops you from sinking into the boosted Aero Foam midsole. The midsole is much thicker and deeper than in any other Karhu shoe and gives a much more cushioned smooth ride.
As with a lot of running shoes with a high stack height your foot sits inside the midsole. This increases the stability of the shoes and together with the forward propulsion system keeps your foot moving backwards and you moving forwards by preventing you from falling off the midsole or compressing one part of the midsole too much. The boosted Aero Foam feels soft when you put your foot into the shoes. Particularly for a Karhu shoe which tend to feel firmer and more responsive. However, the boosted Aero Foam does not collapse under your weight on impact and bottom out like some very softly cushioned running shoes. It feels a little firmer and bouncy when you start to run. The extra toe spring and fulcrum combined make the shoes feel very smooth. You feel like you could keep cruising a long forever. Something that I found particularly nice when running on tied legs at 5.30am on my first run of the day.
The heel to forefoot drop is 8mm which is a little higher than the 6mm of other Karhu shoes. However, the extra toe spring means that you aren’t aware of it, and you definitely aren’t encouraged to heel strike. The moment your foot lands on the floor. In my case on my midfoot the fulcrum and toe spring stimulate you to pull your heel back maintaining a nice upright posture and quick cadence.
The Men’s UK 8 weighs 340 grams and the Women’s UK 5 weights 272 grams. This isn’t super light in comparison to other training shoes, but they don’t feel at all heavy when running in them and in my experience Karhu shoes tend to last a while.
The Mestari Run is designed as a neutral shoe, but despite the fact it doesn’t have any active anti-pronation support within the shoes, the plastic heel counter, the fact that your foot sits inside the midsole and the effectiveness of the propulsion system in maintaining a high cadence means that those runners who’s feet mildly pronate starting at the heel (not forefoot pronation) are likely to get enough support in these shoes to not experience any niggles.
I find in general that maximally cushioned shoes tend to be too soft to run uphill in. It is quite hilly where I live and softly cushioned shoes with a high stack height do make the downhills nice. The rocker often pulls you down the hill a bit quicker than you would otherwise go but with a quick efficient cadence. Your body doesn’t feel at all jarred by the bottom. However, when I hit the next climb, I feel like I am wading through soft sand as I plod up the hill. This isn’t the case with the Mestari. The cushioning is firm enough that you can happily skip up the hills. The toe spring of the shoes does encourage me to run quicker but it still has that smooth feel to the cadence of the shoes.
I would suggest keeping the Mestari for your everyday miles and longer runs, although you can run quickly in them. The propulsion system works just as well at quick paces but, they don’t ooze speed like other more responsive shoes. For me they are a great Sunday long run shoe or morning run shoe when I am just putting miles into the bank.
In summary the Karhu Mestari 1.0 Run is a welcome addition to Karhu’s range of running shoes. They are designed to make long runs feel effortless and cope with the everyday easy runs that make up the bulk of most runners training.
Other Considerations
Hoka Bondi: Softer cushioning and not quite a smooth. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-bondi-8-review/
New Balance 1080v12: A lot softer. I found that I struggled to run at any pace in these. Although they felt very comfortable for easy runs. The toe box is very pointed in comparison to the Mestari. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fresh-foam-x-1080v12-review/
Scott Pursuit Ride: The rocker in these gives them a quick feel and the midsole is a bit more responsive. Still a nice shoe for long runs although not quite as smooth as the Mestari. However, if you wanted a more versatile shoes that you could pick the pace up in a little too then these are likely to feel better at a quicker pace. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scott-pursuit-ride-review/
On Cloudsurfer: Like the NB 1080 these are a very soft shoe. Comfortable for jogging a long but not as smooth and lacks the forward propulsion of the Mestari. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/on-cloudsurfer-review/
Altra Via Olympus: Zero drop with a broad round toe box. A fit that a lot of customers find comfortable. The cushioning is initially firm and takes a bit of wearing in. The low drop and toe box shop encourage a quicker cadence rather than the shoe giving you any help. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-via-olympus-review/
Comments are closed here.