ECCO Biom Trail
Since purchasing the BIOM Trial, I have the motivation to better my performance. Equipped with eccentric race stripes and fearless contrasting colour blocks, it’s certainly a looker! I was familiar with the BIOM range for a few months by this point and opted to take the plunge to commit to the BIOM Project at the expense of my student bank account terms and conditions, yet two months in, I would happily have doubled the deficit to purchase the conservative colour as an alternative. Firstly like with the whole BIOM range, the shoe is constructed with the utmost quality materials; on this occasion a highly breathable luminous green textile upper, with orange moisture reducing laces and complete with the unique, directly injected polyurethane sole. The outsole is equipped with traction only bettered by cheetah’s claws when hurling through the savannah. Oxford Canal proved to be a stern test but the BIOM Trials passed with flying colours on any type of terrain from the very boggy to the damp grassland to providing stability when meandering raised concrete fragments and the all too frequent ends of fishermen’s rods! Apart from the latter, this type of situation is frequent when running down canal towpaths, along park verges, mountain side roads and the recently flooding roads. The BIOM Trial is very similar to the specification of a BIOM C Running shoe just with the adoption of additional traction. I feel the mould of the Trial is exactly the same and once again perfectly encompasses the shape of my foot to the extent I forget I’m wearing any shoes! The pivotal features are retained from earlier BIOM exercise shoes with the same degree of arch support to encourage a natural, healthy position for the feet when exercising. My key observation is the amount of additional work that I now require to do when running and after years of embracing Tigger’s unique method of transportation, I am now coming back down to earth and realising that my running motion is…natural. No bouncing but pure effort on my behalf to run without any assistance from the shoe, from the gel cushioning or any reinforced heel malarkey, I am now feeling the difference of running like a human.
Having a shoe on your foot is unnatural no matter what perspective you take it from, but ECCO strive to replicate that natural feeling when wearing footwear, particularly through the BIOM range. I have felt my gastrocnemius and hamstrings, quadriceps and groin all groan after the first few days of training. This is natural. We have to adopt the natural motion all over again. We feel the stress on the body because we have been accustom to modern sports footwear and just as with anything else, we have to be patient and commit to a gradual, progressive project without throwing the dummy out after a few days or weeks. Two months in, my body has never felt so strong. My performance has gradually increased in line with a gradual running routine compromising of long and short distances and varying terrains. The weather has misbehaved yet because of the nature of the BIOM Trial, I have run on all terrain without issues and due to a combination of factors, I have had no injuries whatsoever. I love to explore and this shoe has gave me the opportunity to descend upon natures hidden treasures without fear of never coming back (partly because you can’t miss me in luminous green!) That purity and the ease of running, gives me the motivation to explore the likes of Port Meadow, Shotover Hill, Braesnose Wood etc at every opportunity, so I will see you a little later 
The Ladies Biom Trail
ECCO Mens Biom Train with web support
