A Stability Running Shoe That’s Actually Cute: Puma’s Faas 800
May 22, 2012 by Jenn
Faaster! Faaster! That’s pretty much what I hear in my head when I lace up a pair of Puma’s Faas 800 ($100), which the company sent me to test out at few months ago. My husband and resident Fit Bottomed Dude Ryan already shared a few of his thoughts on Puma’s Men’s Faas 550 (also a running shoe), so I thought I’d bust down my opinion of this running shoes for the ladies.
First of all, it’s a stability shoe made for the overpronators of the world. Luckily, I have a fairly neutral footstrike, so I can get away with wearing just about any kind of shoe (lately I’ve been digging on the minimal ones, although I’ll admit that they’re not ideal for longer runs). However, I do have a teensy-weensy bit of overpronation wear on the soles of my running shoes, meaning that a little stabilization would probably help me out when I’m strictly running. However, I generally stay away from stability shoes because they feel so heavy. And—yes, I’ll admit—aren’t always cute. (Hey, I know “look” is a minor thing when it comes to comfort and preventing injury, but it’s a serious bonus when you actually like the look of your shoes!) But these stability shoes? Well, they’re a far cry from the orthotics you usually see.
Lighter and more flexible than most stability shoes, the Puma Faas 800 is actually cute. With a high medial sidewall plus flex grooves, these shoes help your feet land where they’re supposed to, and they kind of propel you forward when you run, which is nice. With a higher, snugger fit in the heel, I did tend to have a little blistering on the back of my foot, although I chalk this more up to me not fully needing a stability shoe than anything else. (However, if you’re prone to getting blisters, you’ll definitely want to try these on in a store to see how they feel for you. Everyone’s feet are different!) I also really liked the mesh upper and the suede (the pink on the shoe)—fun, comfy and breathable details.
So, if you’re in the market for a new stability running shoe check these out. And let us know if they make you faaster, faaster, too! —Jenn
These are cute and it’s so true that stability sneakers are generally not the prettiest-looking ones. I hate mine but they do the trick for my over-pronation. I’m going to check these out though because I’m all about the look! If I look good, I run even faster!
These are super cute; wish I could have tried them on before buying my new pair, but maybe in the future!
I had problems with pronation and joint pain for years. The only thing that fixed the problem was losing the stability shoes and using barefoot or minimalist footwear. It took a while to build up to exercising barefoot, but it was SO worth it.