Having raced with the Saucony Type A2 in two triathlons - a sprint and OD - and taken it through a number of interval sessions, and given the high number of hits this blog has received on this shoe, I thought I'd do an update.
After going through many pairs of heavily cushioned high mileage shoes, it is a delight to run in racers. So my first obvious impression is that the Type A2 is really light.
But how did it stand up to longer distances, say up to 10 km? I had no problem whatsoever, if my limited experience is any thing to go by. The shoes brought me through last week's 10 km run pretty smoothly, without any fuss. I'd thought that the blister on my right heel could give me problem on the run, but it did not.
BTW, that blister was caused by wearing the A2 without socks prior to the race, not during the race. Note to myself: wear socks in future, even for OD tris. However, I didn't develop any blister on my runs with the Type A2. So it must be abrasion when I was sitting that caused the blister to develop :(
How did the Type A2 hold up during hard pounding interval training? Very well, I'm glad to say. I did not have any complains from MRK (my right knee). In fact, I thought the A2 was really smooth, flexible and surprisingly well cushioned.
For an Asian weighing 74 kg (162 lbs) at 1.75m, I am considered overweight by BMI standards. Generally, I'd prefer cushioned shoes. But I'd make an exception for the Type A2.
I also have broad feet and the A2 more than adequately accommodated them.
Triathlon Plus magazine made the same observation - that the grid design for the heel provided good dampening. In fact, the Triathlon Plus Gold Award went to the Saucony Type A2, rating it 5/5 for performance, 4/5 for value and 4/5 overall.
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