Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride
	Full Name: Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride
	Category: Cushioning
	Weight: 10 oz. (283 gr.)
	Suggested Price: 135 $
	Recommended For: High-mileage runners

• Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride General Info:

Karhu, which calls itself the “legendary Finish footwear” was founded in Finland in 1976 and has since been making shoes for marathoners all over the world. Interstingly enough Karhu’s marathon shoes are some of the best sellers outside of the U.S. Karhu is based on one founding principle, natural movement. Karhu’s shoes claim to increase forward momentum, efficiency and stability. In this review we will go into detail on the technologies used in Karhu shoes and whether they are effective in increasing efficiency and forward momentum.

• Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride Sole Unit:

The Outsole/Midsole of the Fast Fulcrum ride is made from a hard packed cushion sandwiched in-between two layers of extremely soft, almost pillow like substance( green and yellow in picture below). The cushion is very comfortable and fits to the foot very well. While running I experienced almost no jarring impact upon foot strike that is normal with most shoes.
One thing I noticed after running on these shoes is that the sole of the shoe had almost no wear. I was quite dumbfounded upon realizing this because I do most of my running on dirt roads and even after 50-75 miles of running I can see obvious signs of wear and tear on the soles of my shoes. The cushion on these shoes are extremely durable and I doubt that after 300-400 miles will I be ready to retire these shoes.
Karhu’s new patented Fulcrum technology that is designed to prevent vertical oscillation during running is also present in the Fast Fulcrum Ride, meaning that the shoe is designed to help stop you from bouncing up and down while running which will allow you to spend more energy moving yourself forward instead of up and down. This is achieved by the addition of a plastic plate in the sole of the shoe underneath your mid-foot. This plate acts almost like a lever and lets you transition to the take off phase of running (when you push off of your toe) as smoothly as possible.

Karhu Fast 2 - Medial View

Karhu Fast 2 - Outsole

• Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride Upper:

The Fast Fulcrum Ride upper is made of a firm mesh that encases the foot and holds it tight to the shoe. The upper portion of the shoe is made of a pre-molded, asymmetrical fabric that fits very well to the human foot. This is specifically designed to keep the foot in place while running at any speed. Paired with a design that keeps the seams away from touching the foot Karhu has effectively eliminated blisters under normal conditions. The disadvantage of the pre-molded upper is that it is very rigid and sometimes proves difficult to get your foot into, the shoe tends to loosen up after about two miles.
The other major advantage that the Fast Fulcrum Ride has over most other shoes is a seamless rear foot cup that holds the Achilles and heel in place comfortably. Karhu has done a wonderful job making this shoe as comfortable as possible so that it does not force you to turn in early on a run because of lack of comfort.
One thing I did notice about the rear molded cup is that you must untie your shoes every time that you put the shoe on and off. The cup is rather fragile and a couple of forced slip on’s may very well destroy the cup that is designed to hold your Achilles in place, then you will have a very uncomfortable shoe on your hands for sure.

Karhu Fast 2 - Upper

• Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride Opinion:

Overall the Fast Fulcrum Ride is a shoe that is designed for a niche of runners, those runners who are really looking to run a lot (Marathoners) who enjoy a tight fitting shoe that rides quite high off of the ground. It may seem like that is a very defined niche but in actuality many many runners world wide use this shoe as their everyday trainer and also as a racing shoe.
I enjoyed testing the Fast Fulcrum Ride and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a shoe that can go the distance with them. The shoe is comfortable and blister free which were major players in a positive review outcome. The shoe is durable and overall I would say it is a good investment.

Review by Thomas Bambach
We thank Lisa at Karhu for sending us this shoe for review. This hasn’t influenced the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in the shoe!

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!

• Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride Price Comparison: