Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 General Information

Pearl Izumi was originally founded in Japan by a proud father wanting to support his son’s endurance sport endeavors. Today, the company has become a household name in cycling, triathlon, and running circles.

The Road N2 is a popular installment to the brand’s new E:Motion line of running footwear. This novel platform for Pearl Izumi is meant to increase every runner’s enjoyment of his/her daily run by easing the forces involved with pounding the pavement. It is a welcome update to the brand’s somewhat clunky traditional trainers of previous years.

Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 Impression

In 2004, my first pair of “real” running shoes was the Pearl Izumi Push. It featured a seamless upper and flat outsole with a light-weight platform which influenced my opinion of virtually every running shoe that I have ever worn. I contribute my current running shoe preferences largely to this model and was very pleased when PI brought back this general design.

Right out of the box, the Road N2 striking cherry/lime color pattern and unique aesthetic really catch the eye. Not trusting my own judgment of a shoe’s good looks. My girlfriend confirmed that these trainers looked cool by exclaiming, “Wow! What are those?”

My first run in the Road N2 was an early morning 10 miler on a hilly course. My legs were tired from a hard workout the day before but the shoes had such responsiveness that I covered the distance at a pace usually reserved for my moderate days. I now use these shoes almost exclusively for those days when my legs are fatigued but I still want to go fast.

Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 Sole Unit

The outsole of the PI Road N2 is made of a dense EVA material that seems very durable. I have put over one-hundred miles on my pair so far, and it is showing minimal signs of wear. I would estimate that one could easily get 400-500mls out of the shoes; this is attested my many shoes, but accomplished by few, I have found.

The outsole lacks any extra tread for traction, but because of the wider platform it still grips the road quite well. On trails, the shoes are decent, but I would avoid mud or wet patches with loose rock to avoid a fall. Look into the PI E:Motion trail models if you train on such surfaces on a regular basis.

The most unique feature of this shoe’s outsole is the guidance vein that runs down the center of the sole. It is designed to match the pattern of optimum pronation from ground-strike through toe-off no matter where you fall from heel to forefoot. You cannot feel this feature while running, but I would say that it does help with efficiency based on how well the shoe transitions across the foot.

Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 Upper

Running shoe uppers continue to improve in comfort and fit, and the PI N2 is no different. It has a sock-like upper that fits like a glove (pardon the cliché). It is made of very comfortable blend of materials that breathes well, flexes with your toes, and moves moisture away from the foot while running. It is plush, simple, and a joy to slip on your foot for a daily run.

Pearl Izumi E:Motion Road N2 Opinion

All in all, the PI E:Motion Road N2 is an outstanding neutral trainer that feels wonderful on your foot every time out the door. While not a minimal option with an 11 mm heel-to-toe difference and moderate weight. It still performs very well for runners looking to simply enjoy their running. I would recommend this shoe highly to other runners and look forward to seeing where PI takes the E:Motion line in the future.

We thank the nice people at Pearl Izumi for sending us a pair of E:Motion Road N2 to test. This did not influence the outcome of the review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.