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...for the Military
UK Gear’s training shoes were originally designed in association with the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC). These elite fitness professionals were closely involved in the development and tested our products in some of the most inhospitable conditions on Earth. Only when approved by the Military do we consider our products... Built to survive.
PT-03 - Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers
>>07 April 2009taken from blog: Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers
As I’m testing various tough-as-old-boots trail shoes at the moment, I was fairly thrilled when a pair of UK Gear’s PT-03 NC's landed on the doormat here at Jelly Baby Towers. Well, thrilled, but also deeply skeptical, as they claimed to be not just highly-cushioned, high mileage road shoes, but also, at the same time, they expect you to believe that they’re competent trail shoes too.
That’s surely an impossible feat, even for shoes that are developed in conjunction with the British Army’s Physical Training Corps…
However, despite my credulity feeling almost as strained as my left hamstring, I strapped a pair on anyway, with a view to heading out to see what they could do on my favourite trail shoe test course, a fearsome (for me anyway) 12 miler comprising 4 miles of pavement, 3 miles of soft sand dunes and 5 miles of beach which alternates between soft sand, hard-packed sand, tide-ridged sand and also, crucially, a long section of mud flat.
How do these things feel on your feet?
I’d been warned by the chaps at UK Gear that while the PT-03s are cushioned, they’re designed to be highly durable, and so take a little bit of time to bed in properly and offer up their full measure of cushioning. Well, you could have fooled me, as despite their chunky and slightly frumpy appearance, these are light and very comfortable shoes, with plenty of springy cushioning evident in the forefoot as well as the heel.
In fact, the only questionable area when I first put them on was that they ride higher up around the ankle than most cushioned road shoes, making me wonder if they’d start to rub once I’d gone a few miles. I also noted the high level of protection around the toe box and heels, and wondered a little if these were more trail shoes than road shoes.
How do they feel on the road?
Having borrowed my son’s camouflage pattern Buff and added an appropriate selection of music to my iPod (with ‘In the Army Now’ and ‘Eton Rifles’ featuring prominently) I headed out to see what the PT-03s could do. And I have to say, they were a massive surprise from mile one onwards.
If you’ve ever assumed that squaddies are a tough bunch, and been taken in by the overt machismo of the army’s TV commercials, I’ve got some news for you: the running shoes these guys wear are as comfortable as carpet slippers. So perhaps our military aren’t quite as hard as they make out…
No, really, on the initial 3 miles to the beach, the PT03s were an absolute revelation. Certainly they felt slightly firmer than my usual Gel Cumulus road shoes, but also springy and entirely comfortable; and crucially, they also felt 100% neutral, fully justifying the NC (Neutral Cushioning) acronym in their slightly wordy full title.
‘Goodness me’, I thought. But surely, if they’re this good on the road, they must be rubbish on a trail…
How do they perform on the trail?
Well, before I hit the dunes, I have to tell you that I really wasn’t expecting much, because these things are so good on the road. But hell’s teeth, once I hit the beach, they dug in like a Challenger Tank going over an Iraqi sand dune, with a combination of forefoot flex and whole foot support that beat any other trail shoe I’ve tried into a cocked hat.
They weren’t quite as competent on the mud of the Velvet Trail as some other shoes I’ve tried lately, but they still had more grip than quite a few dedicated trail shoes I’ve worn.
Most importantly, they felt poised and comfortable as I dragged my ageing bones along the varying sand and mud surfaces on my way back home, leaving my feet and legs feeling ridiculously good, even after I’d completed the full 12 miles.
Pros v Cons
Erm. I don’t know quite how to say this. But these things really are quite astonishing. Sure, they’re not the prettiest shoes, nor the sleekest, nor the lightest, but I absolutely loved the performance and the feel of them, off road and on.
I’d be enormously happy with them just as road shoes. I’d be pretty chuffed with them just as trail shoes. But the fact that they perform so well in both arenas really has blown me away.
I’ve been aware of the UK Gear brand for ages, but never felt too tempted by them, as the ‘Tested by the Army’ sales pitch seemed like it was trying a bit too hard to be butch. They’ve just never seemed quite as desirable as brands like ASICS and Salomon somehow.
But while I’ve desperately tried to think of some ‘cons’ for this section, it’s been a real struggle. I had planned this review out in my head to ring with easy clichés like ’square bashing’ and ‘excused boots’, but I’m afraid that’s just not going to happen.
My favourite Asics Gel Cumulus shoes may be 5% better than these on the road. And I’d have to say that my favourite Salomon XTs are a smidge lighter and possibly 5% more competent on mud. But the Asics can’t hack it on any kind of trail, and the Salomons just aren’t cushioned enough for the road.
I’m as surprised as anyone to be saying this: but the PT-03 NC's, despite their ponderous name and slightly utilitarian looks, are simply the best all-round running shoes I’ve ever tried.
Frankly, I was expecting these things to be Not Very Good, and I’m now carb-loading with humble pie, as they’ve turned out to be Very Good Indeed.
For roughly £75, the PT-03 NCs are an awful lot of running shoe for the money. In fact, they’re actually two pairs of running shoes. Go figure…
source: Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers blog
http://tjbfs.com
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>>15 June 2011
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>>31 May 2011
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Wanarun.net (France) - PT-1000 Review
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Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail Blog - PT-1000 Review
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Across The Divide - PT-1000 in Nepal
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Healthy For Men - PT-1000 Review
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Ultra FIT - PT-1000 review
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>>10 February 2011
Equipio.com and West 4 Harriers Running Club - XC-09 review
>>10 February 2011
Hello Eco Living - PT-1000 Review
>>07 February 2011
HM Forces - PT-1000 review
>>07 January 2011
Mountain Rock Outdoors - PT-1000 review
>>20 December 2010
RUN 247 - PT-1000 review
>>09 December 2010
Body Fit Magazine - PT-1000 review
>>08 December 2010
Ultra FIT Magazine - PT-1000 review
>>03 December 2010
JoggingBuddy - PT-1000 review
>>26 November 2010
Men's Running - PT-1000 review
>>19 November 2010
SGB Outdoor - PT-1000 review
>>18 November 2010
Ransacker - PT-1000 review
>>08 November 2010
Athletics Weekly - PT-1000, Ready to take on the world
>>04 November 2010
SGB Sports & Outdoor - PT-1000 review
>>03 November 2010
Runner's World - PT-1000 review
>>21 October 2010
Trail Running - PT-1000 review
>>21 October 2010
220 Triathlon - PT-1000 review
>>30 September 2010
PT-03 US Army review by C & W In Business
>>02 September 2010
The Independent - PT-1000 review
>>26 August 2010
Daily Mail - PT-1000 review
>>25 August 2010
PT-1000 review by Footstar
>>24 August 2010
PT-03 DESERT review by Footwear Today
>>05 July 2010
PT-03 DESERT - SAS (Special Anti-Sand) shoes
>>03 June 2010
GT-02 - Running Fitness Magazine
>>26 March 2010
GT-02 - Ultra-fit Magazine
>>25 March 2010
PT-03 WINTER review by Footwear Today
>>11 March 2010
PT-03 Winter Cold Environment Running Shoe Review by Across the Divide
>>09 February 2010
Runner's World Gear Editor awards the UK Gear GT-02 Best Multisport Shoe Award
>>20 January 2010
PT-03 DESERT / WINTER - Gadgets Para Correr (Gadgets for Running)
>>18 December 2009
Canadian Wilderness Survival: Winter Running Shoes review
>>11 December 2009
PT-03 NC - TransitionTimes.com, Endurance and Extreme Sport
>>30 November 2009
PT-03 DESERT / PT-03 WINTER - Running Fitness Magazine : Are you tough enough ?
>>18 July 2009
PT-03 DESERT - iGizmo Mag : Trainers for terrains
>>09 April 2009
PT-03 - Taking Jelly Babies From Strangers
>>07 April 2009
PT-03 DESERT - Zipper Quigley : Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
>>05 March 2009
PT-03 DESERT - Zipper Quigley
>>11 February 2009
PT-03 WINTER - Women Sport Report
>>05 February 2009
GT-02 - Ultra Fit Magazine : Best All Rounders for fitness training
>>01 February 2009
PT-03 WINTER - SGB Magazine
>>15 January 2009
PT-03 WINTER - Adventure Travel Magazine
>>06 January 2009
PT-03 WINTER - 220 Triathlon Magazine
>>15 December 2008
PT-03 WINTER - Military.com : Tips for Running During the Winter Months
>>27 November 2008
PT-03 DESERT - Trail Running Soul
>>17 November 2008
PT-03 WINTER - Running 4 Women
>>04 November 2008
PT-03 DESERT - Running 4 Women
>>31 October 2008
PT-03 DESERT / PT-03 WINTER - Light Fighter Tactical Forum
>>23 October 2008
PT-03 DESERT / PT-03 WINTER - Womens Sport Report
>>16 October 2008
PT-03 DESERT - Military Morons
>>03 October 2008
PT-03 - Gear Geek's
>>22 September 2008
PT-03 - Run the Planet
>>01 August 2008
GT-02 - Ultra Fit Magazine : High impact exercise shoes
>>31 March 2008
PT-03 - Shadow Enterprises
>>24 September 2007
XC-09 - Runner's World USA
>>23 September 2007
GT-02 - Ultra Fit Magazine : Recommended Cross Trainer
>>07 May 2007
GT-02 - British Army marches on its fitness
>>15 March 2007
PT-03 / GT-02 - Combat and Survival Magazine : New British Army Sports Shoe
>>01 January 2007
PT-03 - Running Network, USA : ...really gets the job done
>>01 December 2006
GT-02 - Men's Fitness Magazine : ABS-POCALYPS NOW
>>01 December 2006
GT-02 - Ultra Fit Magazine : Putting the GT-02 to the test
>>01 November 2006
PT-03 - Athletics Weekly : Function first from UK Gear
>>14 September 2006
PT-03 / XC-09 - Runner Triathlete News
>>07 July 2006
XC-09 - 220 Triathlon Magazine
>>17 May 2006
PT-03 - Runner's World USA
>>17 May 2006
PT-03 - Outside Buyer's Guide 2006 : Gear of the Year awards
>>17 May 2006
PT-03 - Men's Journal : Best New Running Shoe
>>17 May 2006
San Diego Union Tribune - Carlsbad Marathon, California won in UK Gear
>>17 May 2006
PT-03 - Women's Health USA
>>16 May 2006
PT-03 - Fitness Plus Magazine
>>01 January 2006
PT-03 / XC-09 - German military to train in UK Gear
>>16 August 2005
PT-03 - Running Network USA
>>17 May 2005
PT-03 - Running Times USA
>>17 May 2005
PT-03 - The Runner's World Shoe Buyers Guide Winter 2004
>>01 December 2004
PT-03 - Running Fitness Magazine : Army endorsed shoe ready for action
>>01 December 2004
PT-03 - Runner's World UK : How the PT-03 was conceived and created
>>06 June 2004
PT-03 - Men's Fitness Magazine : Left, Right, Left, Right, It's the new Army training shoe
>>17 May 2004