Mercedes Marathon Expo Preview, Installment KARHUUUUUUUU!

KARHUUUUUUUUU!! I like saying it just like the Yahoo commercial! While Karhu has been on our shelves for 6 years now, we still get at least one customer a day who still has not heard of the brand. So, here are a few tidbits for ya. Karhu is a Finnish brand and has been around since 1913. Paavo Nurmi, "The Flying Finn", wore a pair of their spikes during the 1924 Olympics, in which he won 5 gold medals.  Karhu is the Finnish word for bear. That's all I got for now!

 

Karhu's main footwear technology is called Fulcrum, and it helps to move your foot forward more efficiently, decreasing braking forces and lowering vertical oscillation, no matter your footstrike. Add a sweet looking and comfy upper to that, and you've got a great feeling, functional running shoe! 

 

What to expect at the expo?  Well, I'm going to start with the best deal! The Flow3 Fulcrum (pictured above) is being discontinued, so you can expect an extra, special deal on these! It's a perfect, lightweight trainer with a very responsive ride, lower profile and a virtually stitchless, breathable upper. For those of you not ready to make the leap to a full on racing flat, here's your shoe! 

Fluid3 Fulcrum

Now, on to the current product! The Fluid3 Fulcrum is a lightweight, everyday, Neutral trainer. The combination of an injection molded midsole and firmer compression molded fulcrum truly makes for a fluid transition from heel to forefoot. 

Fast4 Fulcrum

OK, my personal favorite, which should have no bearing whatsoever on the shoe you decide to try on or wear! The Fast4 Fulcrum is Karhu's plushest ride, BUT, as the name implies, it has a fast feel! What I mean by that, many higher end, neutral shoes have a clunky feel with all the bells and whistles attached. Karhu simply added a little extra on the heel to soften that initial impact and the firmer Fulcrum definitely smooths the transition through your gait. On the latest version, Karhu also added a few overlays to the upper, improving the fit!

 

On to the Support models! Unlike traditional posting in other support shoes, Karhu uses their proprietary technology, Fulcrum, to firm up the medial aspect of the shoe to help control over pronation. The two models pictured above, Strong4 and Stable3, provide a mild to moderate amount of stability, with the Strong4 offering quite a bit more cushion for those heavy heel strikers. 

What else? Well, I don't mean to brag or anything, but in 2012 Karhu had a national sales contest called Karhu Madness! AND who won? The Trak Shak, of course! Other than telling me that sales associate, Jake Kidd, is an exceptional sales person (this contest earned him the nickname "The Karhu Kidd"), it also tells me, Birmingham loves some Karhu! So, stop by, chat with Stacy and Meagan, and try on a pair of Karhu's Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend!