My Review of the Pearl Izumi EM Tri N2

Back in November I decided to try a new pair of running shoes to potentially move away from my Newton Distance for the 2015 season. Tough decision to make because I LOVE my newtons. They are fast, light, and their dynamic technology with the lugs make it a super responsive shoe. However, I picked up an injury along the way that my PT and I could not quite pin point (www.clutchpt.com). We did not rule anything potential outcome out: from perroneal tendinitis to stress fracture, he had me get a MRI and scanner, which did not reveal any of it. Yet I still had the pain, and dealt with it throughout the season. I raced the whole year without able to get the pain away, losing a bit of confidence on my running and on my left foot. I would always feel something, either during the run or after. Tough decision to make because they helped me improve my time, but it's time to check whether that pain was directly link to the shoe or not.

After 4 weeks running in the IQ EM Tri N2 and 107 later, I've gotten a better idea of the shoes. I ran hills (19% climbs at times) in the beautiful city of Seattle, I ran downhill, on flats, and trail. I wanted to see how the shoe would react to various terrains...Here are my thoughts...

The look

That's the first thing you see when looking at a shoe, and quite frankly, I don't think the pictures do the shoe justice. On the pic, the shoes look bulky, heavy, and not very attractive, compare to the likes of Newtons, which look light, flashy, and cool.
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. The shoes look good. I like the color, and that yellow sole makes it a be flashier (who doesn't want to be seen running?). The shoes are already equipped with speed laces, which is a plus (Other shoes, you'd need to add a meager $10 to get the laces. Not necessarily a key advantage, but it's always good not to have to worry about that). It did not look as bulky as I thought when I quickly compared them with my Newton distance.

Weight
The shoe was surprisingly light (I believe PI advertises it at 9 ounces). Going into winter training after 7 weeks off, it took me awhile to get used to them, and I first thought they were heavy and slow. I just did not take into account that 7-week hiatus, comparing the shoe directly with my last race. I had to take that out of my mind and focus on the shoes. The shoe, despite being only 9 ounces, is well cushioned, absorbing the shocks very well. One of the concerns that I had with this change was moving back from a toe strike to heal strike. However, after 107 miles, I did not find my form was getting impacted, even when I focused on the toe strike.

Fit/Comfort 
The shoe fits me really well. I think the sizing is accurate (at least for me!). What I like about the shoe is the absence of tongue, instead having a seamless upper.
The 2 layers of mesh is supposed to make the shoe comfortable in sock less runs, but I'm not sure about this one. I've done 2 hard runs with 700 ft of vertical climb, and got small blisters running barefoot in the shoes. That's not a deal breaker for me. Though it's always nice to look where we can save time on a race, putting a pair of socks wouldn't cost me a lot of time on a 70.3 or Ironman distance race. I'm ok with it.
I can see the benefit of the absence of tongues during T2. Snug at first, that part got looser as I ran more in them. The foot slides right in, yet the shoes stay tight to your foot, without any issues of getting loose. I ran on trails, downhill, and uphill, and never felt like the shoes were too loose. I also tend to have wide feet, but it almost seems like the shoe molds to your foot and stay that way.

To me, it seems like the carbon rubber that goes from toe to heel makes the shoe a bit stiffer, and I like to think that it's probably what keeps me from having that recurring pain on the outside left of the shoe. It prevents the shoe from being too flexible, essentially keeping the foot together, and reducing the torsion of the shoe. I like that feature, though it was a bit tough to adjust at first.

Overall
Pleasantly surprised by the shoe. Pearl Izumi sells it as a half ironman / ironman distance shoe with high durability and dynamic offset technology. I'd agree with the durability. They look resistant to many various terrains. I'm going to keep training in them and maybe switch back to my Newton to really gauge the difference.