Spira Stinger 2 shoe review

Spira Stinger 2

Recently, I received a pair of the Spira Stinger 2 in order to provide a review of the shoes.  The shoe are classified as a lightweight performance or racing shoe.  The shoes are made for races and are very light at 7.8 ounces yet also provide more cushioning than your typical racing shoe.

Given that, I've tried to use them primarily as my speed work shoe but I also used them for longer runs as well.  The company states they are good for anything from a 5k to a marathon.  As I took them out of the box, you see that they are a very nice looking shoe, in my opinion.  I love the blue color with the white soles so they make a great first impression.

A dark morning run

According to the company, the upper is made from breathable open air mesh vamp to provide maximum breathability, comfort and fit.  I didn't really notice the shoe being more breathable than most other shoes I've worn, however, the comfort of the shoe was quite nice - pillowy even.

I'm typically looking for three things when it comes to the fit.  The first is a wider toe box which this shoe provides.  The second is my heel needs to stay in place when running and the shoe accomplished that.  I also like a snug fit along the top of my foot and again this shoe provided that.  The shoes fit true to size as I received an 8.5 and they fit perfect.

Heel was comfortable

Open toe box

Comfortable upper

The midsole is made from a two piece injection molded EVA.  The midsole also incorporates a single WaveSpring in the heel and dual WaveSprings in the forefoot along with a nylon support.  This is the most unique feature of the shoes in that the springs help to give you more cushioning with a spring response.  I will say that when running with the shoe, I really could not notice any difference in the spring feeling from other shoes but my legs did feel comfortable after a ran in them and I imagine that had something to do with the springs.

Holes in sole for air to escape make lighter

The outsole is also EVA with light weight rubber inserts in the heel and forefoot to reduce weight and provide traction and durability where needed.  I cannot comment on the durability because I've not run in them enough to know the long term durability.  They are very light weight though and have that nice cushioned feel which is a great combination.

As most of you would think, it sounds like I really liked the shoes and I did EXCEPT for one very large thing that I just cannot get past and would prevent me from recommending the shoes.  When I first started running in them, the left shoe was making a squeaking sound when I landed.

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I presume I was landing on the exact spot that I should be landing on as can be seen by the picture above.  The blue strip shown near the front of the shoe is what I believe is the sweet spot of the shoe and where the springs are.  The other spring is in the heel for those that might heel strike, which I tend to do when I'm tired.  I assumed that perhaps after breaking them in with more miles that they would stop squeaking, however, after about 10 more miles, the other shoe also began to squeak.

Borrowed from the Spira website

Now I must admit that I typically run with music when I'm training but this squeaking was driving me crazy.  I could still hear it with the music on(I don't have it loud so I can hear things around me).  Once again I assumed it would go away but it still has not gone away with more than 25 miles on it.

At first, I thought maybe I got a defective shoe but what are the chances that I got TWO defective shoes?  Anyway, this is the biggest stumbling block to recommending a pair of Spira Stinger 2's.  I actually recorded a short video so you could hear what I hear when I run

I certainly could not race with these or even run with anyone else with this noise so while I think the shoes were comfortable for running, sadly, I would not recommend them.  They even squeak when I walk so they cannot even be worn for everyday use.

If you are interested in learning more about their shoes, please go to their website, HERE.

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Have a great day and....Keep Running!!!!

Note:  I received a pair of Spira Stinger 2 shoes in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and I was not required a post a particular opinion on the product.