Shoe Review: LOCO Shoes

LOCO Carumba

I've been using LOCO shoes for several years. I first ran in a pair of Mojo shoes, which are stability shoes. Then I used two pairs of Perfecto (stability) shoes, and I ran two half-marathons in my Perfectos. I'm using my Perfectos as "ice shoes"; I put sheet metal screws in the soles of the shoes, and they work very well on ice and in snow. During the past three or four years, I've used Carumba, a neutral shoe. All three models have worked very well for me, and I have no complaints about them.

One thing I like about LocoRunning is that the company guarantees a new model will be available for at least 5 years. The company was started by a designer for Nike, and it advertises itself as a company by runners for runners. The company is active in New England in sponsoring races, and because of its presence on the Internet, it is gaining a world-wide following.

I've had no problems getting 500 miles from a pair of shoes. After a pair of shoes is retired from running, it becomes my "walking" shoes. LOCO shoes are comfortable, and I run with them right out of the box. They are simple shoes without the "eye candy" that often plague other brands. They are truly shoes by runners for runners.

The shoes retail in the $95 range, but if you join "Club Loco" you get a significant discount, typically 25-30%. I got my last pair of Carumba at a 47% discount. Sometimes LocoRunning will give gifts with the purchase of a pair of shoes. I received a LOCO singlet that way, and I received a free pair of Bandito racing flats which I gave to a friend because I'm too slow to need flats.

LocoRunning has a liberal return policy. You can return shoes for a different size within the first 14 days, and you can try out the shoes for up to 10 miles to see if they really work for you. Of course, to be returned, the shoes mustn't show signs of wear.

If you want a good shoe at a fair price, take a look at LocoRunning.

2/28/2011 I conducted a "scientific" experiment to see how well the Carumba repelled water on top of the toe box. I poured a teaspoon of water on the toe box. Most of the water ran off but some of it did soak into the toe box, and I could feel that the material was wet when I put my hand inside the shoe. This might be a problem if the shoes are worn while running through rain puddles or slushy snow.

I've used Carumbas for hundreds of miles, and I give them an A for a grade!

7/25/2011 I just logged 101 miles on these shoes, and it's time to give them a rest while I run 100 miles on another brand of shoe. I really like the Carumba shoes!