Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 101, December 2017 | Page 34

TRIED & TESTED
Running like a Kenyan
The new Kalenji Kiprun LD cushioned trainer is a welcome addition to the running shoe market of SA, and comes in at a
very welcome price, too. – BY SEAN FALCONER
T
he French Kalenji brand is relatively new in SA,
having arrived with the multinational Decathlon
sporting store group (also from France
originally, but now in more than 20 countries), which
stocks 20 ‘Passion Brands’ (their marketing name)
of all sport products ranging from balls, rackets and
gym equipment to bikes, running shoes and hydration
packs. Kalenji was launched in 2004 and initially
focused on free running (parkour) shoes, but later
branched into conventional running shoes, including
road shoes, trail shoes and track spikes.
The Kalenji brand was named in honour of the tribe
of West Kenya that has produced many of the world’s
top distance athletes, including multiple Olympic
champions and marathon world record holders. The
Kalenjins are renowned for their easy, rhythmic style of
running, and Kalenji shoes are designed to encourage
the same running style in those who wear the shoes.
Decathlon says it has created their own running
shoes so as to cut out the proverbial middleman in
the equation, thus being able to keep the price of the
shoes down. That will undoubtedly go down well with
buyers, but don’t be fooled into thinking the Kiprun LD
is ‘just’ a budget shoe.
foam, the cushioning of the Kiprun LD is enhanced
by the circular K-Ring insert in the heel, made from
a slightly softer foam rubber, and another insert in
the forefoot. The reason for the hollowed circular
shape is because testing has shown that shape to be
best at shock absorption and dispersion. Then, as
the foot transitions forward, the Arkstab TPU plastic
support insert provides midfoot transitional support,
and actually provides a mild amount of anti-pronation
support as well. Even if you don’t over-pronate, many
runners tend to have increased rates of pronation later
in a run, as their legs tire, and that’s when this feature
will really prove useful.
PUT TO THE TEST
OK, so far that’s all normal stuff, but I noticed a
couple of things when running in the shoes. Firstly,
the midsole rubber is a wee bit on the firm side,
which means you really need to hit the ground hard to
compress the rubber and get the maximum bounce
out of the shoes. In other words, this shoe is probably
better suited to a bigger, heavier runner than me, but
the trade-off is a more responsive (less squishy for
me) ride, which I really enjoyed.
Secondly, I found the forefoot to be ever so slightly
firmer than some shoes I’ve tested, which I put down
to the fact that Kalenji use the same carbon-injected
rubber outsole material in the heel and the forefoot,
whereas some manufacturers use blown rubber in
the forefoot. The blown rubber is a bit lighter and
spongier, but it doesn’t last as long as the high-wear
rubber, so this means better durability, excellent
forefoot grip, and a cost-saving move by Kalenji –
and the good news is that the difference is only just
noticeable.
These two things are most likely the major factors
responsible for the fact that I found reports online
of people saying they got up to 1000km of running
out of their Kalenji shoes, which is very good. So my
conclusion is that this shoe represents excellent value
for its recommended price, and even though one can
see and feel that Kalenji has tried to keep the cost
of the shoe down by simplifying the manufacturing
process, it does not compromise the performance of
the shoe. I really enjoyed running in them, and it is
great to see a new brand arriving in SA, especially one
that offers an entry-level price.
To be honest, I knew absolutely nothing about the
brand when my pair of Kalenji Kiprun LDs arrived, and
I literally had to Google the brand and the shoes to get
a better idea of what I was looking at. The first thing I
found out was that the LD stands for Long Distance,
and Kalenji also produce MD (Middle Distance), SD
(Short Distance) and Race models. In short, the SD is
a lightweight tempo trainer while the MD is better at
slightly longer training runs, and of course the Race is
a racing flat, while the LD is a conventional cushioned
trainer that one can use for marathon-type training.
It weighs in at 330g per shoe (280g for the women’s
version), and features a traditional heel-drop of 10mm.
Besides a full midsole of Kalenji’s Kalensole EVA
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GET THEM HERE: The Kalenji Kiprun LD is available in men’s and women’s versions at Decathlon stores in
Alberton and Greenstone, or via online purchase, at a recommended price point of R999 for either men’s or
women’s models. The SD sells for R799. More info at www.decathlon-sports.co.za.
ISSUE 101 DECEMBER 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za
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