off road im the best:explorer red pao f1

It is often said that trail running is the ultimate destination for runners. This statement is quite true. Influenced by several trail running experts in my running group, I am filled with curiosity and mystical fantasies about trail running. Tired of the monotonous and boring road running, my heart has long flown to the beautiful landscapes of mountains and valleys, appreciating natural scenery and absorbing the essence of nature. How can one go trail running without a pair of professional, comfortable trail running shoes? The complex and variable outdoor terrain makes the choice of trail running shoes more important than regular road running shoes. For example, trail running shoes need to have protective features like toe collision protection, good wrapping and support performance, outstanding midsole cushioning, stable and wear-resistant outsoles, and durable, scratch-resistant uppers and laces.

Brand Introduction:

Toread, a domestic outdoor brand, is very familiar to trail running enthusiasts. It was founded in 1999 at the foot of Xiangshan, specializing in the research and operation of outdoor sports products. The founder, being an outdoor enthusiast, deeply understands the importance of sports equipment for outdoor activities. It is because of love that they pursue perfection. Toread was born to surpass.

Toread was established in 1999, focusing on the outdoor products market. It has always pursued technological innovation, providing safe, comfortable, reliable, and stylish outdoor sports equipment for those who are brave and enterprising.

The Toread Red PAO trail running shoes, as the designated competition shoes for the 2018 Hong Kong 100 Ultra Marathon team, played a significant role in winning the Hong Kong 100 Golden Man Trophy.

The Toread Red PAO is my first pair of trail running shoes in the true sense. From the perspective of a non-professional who has not run a trail race and has not specifically studied trail running shoes, I imagine that trail running shoes should have features like anti-slip and wear resistance, support stability, anti-torsion, and comfortable, breathable wrapping. Without further ado, let's introduce today's protagonist, the Toread Red PAO-F1 trail running shoes.

Unboxing:

Opening the courier package, a big red shoe box with the words 'Red PAO' on it appears. The Chinese elements are very strong. My wife blurted out, 'Da Hong Pao—tea?'

The side of the shoe box, like all shoes, is labeled with detailed information about this pair of trail running shoes.

From the back of the shoe box, you can see that Toread is a caring, responsible, and committed company.

Opening the shoe box, I was pleasantly surprised to see the trail running shoes wrapped in anti-mold and antibacterial protective paper. The protective paper has anatomical perspective diagrams of the outsole and midsole functions and technology, and of course, a card from the Codoon review team.

The upper of the trail running shoes is made of transparent sandwich mesh and synthetic leather, which enhances breathability while increasing wrapping and wear resistance.

The toe and upper have no stitching and use a seamless bonding process, paired with a professional running shoe last, which enhances foot stability and provides better wrapping.

The wide, upturned toe enhances anti-kick, anti-collision, and waterproof functions, although there are obvious glue marks at the toe.

The tongue is thin, soft, and fixed on both sides to prevent it from shifting during exercise. The top of the tongue has a quick-release lace storage compartment, and of course, our shoe logo and the English letters 'TOREAD RUNNING.'

The last eyelet of the laces is a quick-release buckle. Many trail running shoes use a quick lace system, where pulling the lace tightens it, and pulling it out releases it, making it easy and quick to put on and take off.

The heel has a hollow TPU plastic stabilizer, with the Toread brand logo prominently printed in the middle. The heel pull tab design and 3M reflective strips add to the safety of night running. The collar material is soft and comfortable, preventing chafing.

Removing the insole, you can see sunlight shining through the upper, projecting the color of the upper onto the bottom of the shoe, indicating good breathability. The clear, regular perforations in the bottom design reduce the weight of the shoe and should help with sweat wicking.

The grooved design of the insole further enhances the wrapping performance of the shoe, providing the best foot feel.

The outsole uses Flight ultra-light midsole technology, with a thickened midsole composed of irregular diamonds, providing long-lasting cushioning and reducing the pressure on the knees during running. The high rebound performance of Flight material (said to be egg rebound technology) not only provides a comfortable foot feel but also helps the landing foot quickly leave the ground, improving running speed.

The outsole uses Toread's core technology, the Linwa Bionic SAFree Grip® wetland anti-slip outsole, with evenly distributed protruding lugs, increasing the friction coefficient by 30% compared to ordinary rubber, greatly enhancing control on slippery surfaces.

The running shoes are equipped with the SAFREE TCS anti-torsion system, increasing stability for trail running on complex terrains, making them more suitable for trail environments and reducing the risk of sprains.

I wear size 40 shoes, and a single shoe weighs 284 grams, which should be considered average for trail running shoes.

Trial Wear:

To avoid black toenails during running, I chose size 40 despite knowing that the Red PAO shoes run large. As a result, the shoes were too big, and I had to use two insoles and a pair of thick five-toe compression socks to make them fit. Recently, I have been wearing Li-Ning Ultra Light 13 and 14 for running. After getting used to lightweight road running shoes, my first impression of Toread was that they were thick and heavy, but the soles were indeed soft and comfortable.

The day after receiving the shoes, it started to rain lightly in the morning. To test the waterproof and anti-slip performance of the shoes, I wore them to run on a local hillside trail. The rain-soaked trail was still a bit slippery. At first, I had to be very careful with each step, with tense muscles, afraid of slipping. After testing the grip and anti-slip performance of the shoes for a few steps, I confidently took big strides and experienced a 10-kilometer hillside wetland run. Overall, the protruding lugs on the outsole could deeply penetrate the soil and firmly grip the ground, preventing slipping. The anti-slip performance is commendable!

After the rain, the green plants on both sides of the trail were covered with dew. As I ran past, the dew dripped onto the upper of my shoes, and I could immediately feel the moisture on my feet, indicating that the waterproof performance is not strong. However, this also shows that the breathability of the shoes is excellent.

Over the past ten days, I have experienced road running, stone steps, and uneven gravel roads under construction with Toread. The support stability and anti-slip performance of the shoes are good. Even on uneven rocky roads and mossy stone steps after rain, there was no ankle twisting or unstable stepping. To test the built-in SAFREE TCS anti-torsion system, I did several quick turnarounds. The shoes had strong ground grip with no slipping or dragging delays. However, due to the weight of over 280 grams per shoe, I couldn't increase my stride frequency during running, which affected my speed. After running over 100 kilometers on the road, the outer side of the heel of the outsole had two lugs almost worn flat.

Of course, everything has two sides. As a runner, wanting durability, good protection, strong stability, anti-slip, strong cushioning, and lightweight for speed is a tough challenge for designers. They often have to make trade-offs.

Summary:

After nearly 20 days of close interaction with the Toread Red PAO, I find it to be a comprehensive training running shoe suitable for trail training, daily hiking, and daily running. It has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages: Strong anti-slip stability on slippery surfaces and downhill, comfortable foot feel, good breathability, convenient quick lace system, and attractive appearance.

Disadvantages: The shoe size runs large, there is some glue overflow at the toe, the outsole's wear resistance needs improvement, the laces are long, and after tightening and tucking them into the storage compartment, there is some pressure on the instep during running.

Thanks again to Sister Guan and Toread for providing the review opportunity!