I Tried It: The Saysh Felix Runner

This article originally appeared on Womens Running

It's been two years since Allyson Felix debuted Saysh, a brand she co-founded with her brother Wes. In June 2021, Felix roused conversation when she made her fifth Olympic team wearing a shoe brand no one had heard of before. This followed her public split from previous shoe sponsor Nike in which Felix alleged that the brand wanted to make cuts to her pay following the birth of her daughter.

"I asked Nike to contractually guarantee that I wouldn't be punished if I didn't perform at my best in the months surrounding childbirth," she wrote in a 2019 New York Times Op-Ed. Nike declined, she wrote.

Though Felix had other apparel sponsors leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, like Athleta, it seemed she would show up to her big return without a shoe sponsor. Until she debuted Saysh.

From there we all remember what happened: She earned a bronze medal in the individual 400m event and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay.

It wasn't long until Felix and Saysh launched a line of casual shoes and a second iteration a year later with Saysh Two around the time Felix officially retired from professional athletics. But all along runners have been wondering when the brand, founded by the most decorated female track and field athlete in history, would release a running shoe to the public.

Well, folks, it's finally here-the Saysh Felix Runner.

RELATED: Allyson Felix Wins Her 19th World Championship Medal

The Saysh Felix Runner Debut

The Saysh Felix Runner was officially released on September 12. The everyday trainer is meant to be a multi-distance shoe suitable for female runners, whether they are running for wellness or looking for a competitive edge.

In conjunction with the release, Saysh has launched an ad campaign to spotlight the brand's difference from Nike.

Felix's voice narrates the commercial: "It doesn't matter when you have your own baby or if you have one at all," she says in reference to the myriad decisions runners make about their lives. The video ends with the campaign hashtag: #RunYourOwnRace.

The team also placed a billboard depicting Felix tying the new shoe at a track overlaid with the words, "I run for the underdog," near the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon.

Now, What's It Like?

The team at Saysh has managed to put together a fine shoe. But is it, as Felix tweeted on September 12, "the best running shoes the world has ever seen"? In my opinion, no.

The first thing I noticed when I slipped my foot into the Saysh Felix Runner-the same thing I noticed when I first tried a pair of the casual Saysh One sneakers-the fit feels different. Specifically, it feels tighter in the midfoot than I'm used to. As I tested it out, that specific part of the fit translated to more comfort on longer runs. The designers put specific thought into the noted change from what else is on the market. Saysh calls it "FemiformityFit Technology," which is marketing speak for a shoe that was designed using the form (also known as a last) of a female foot. Like a woman's foot, the shoe was designed to have a wider toe box and a narrower heel. This is a relatively new trend in shoe design, with competitors like Puma and Lululemon also designing shoes using female lasts.

Saysh Felix Runner Specs

• Weight: 10.5 ounces

• Heel-Toe Offset: 9.5mm (30mm heel, 20.5mm forefoot)

• Price: $165

The Pros

The Felix Runner is a neutral trainer designed for the "everyday women who run." While the upgraded fit hugged my foot, the ultra-cushioned midsole helped me improve my footstrike. It felt stiff, but still responsive. After a procedure I had on the bottom of my foot earlier in the summer, I've been favoring my left foot as the wound on the right heals. These shoes allowed me to run with a balanced form without coddling my right side.

The Cons

The heel on the Saysh Felix Runner, however, was maybe too narrow for my foot as I experienced a significant amount of chafing that did not resolve even 20 miles into the month, when you'd expect the shoe to be more broken in. The only way I could wear them comfortably was with taller, thicker socks to protect against the rubbing.

I had only one other nagging annoyance for a shoe this anticipated: the laces are terribly obnoxious. Too short and rigid to really lock in your fit. I even purchased two replacement pairs of 45" laces-which is recommended for shoes with 7 eyelets-before coming to the conclusion that these call for longer than what's recommended.

Final Thoughts

At $165, the Saysh Felix Runner isn't the most affordable shoe on the market, but is comparable to brands like New Balance, Asics, HOKA, Saucony, among others. But Felix Runners appear to be incredibly well-made looking at the stitching and the attention to detail in design especially in the woven mesh upper. These are shoes that will hold up to your daily wear and tear.

At the end of the day, the Felix Runner stands out in one very specific category that some runners will appreciate, others won't: The shoe is a fashion statement. It is feminine and functional without being doused in pink. It looks sophisticated. Instead of simple metal eyelets, for example, the laces are strung through cording that matches the color of the logo. And the Saysh logo is swirly and pretty, something you'd expect on a designer bag, not a running shoe.

The Saysh Felix Runner is available now on saysh.com in ebony (black), avalanche (white), and fire (red).

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