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NB921 Winter Trainer - 1st Run (Read 894 times)

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

    I'm REALLY not fond of NB at the moment: Dear Kirsten, We are sorry to hear that you are having an issue with your shoes. We would be happy to look at them to see if there is a quality issue. In order for your return to be processed, please fill out and submit the below form. http://newbalance.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/newbalance.cfg/php/enduser/ps_return.php?ref_no=071228-000250 Sincerely, Erin The NB Consumer Response Team ~~~~~ My response: The issue with the shoes is not a quality issue, per se, but an issue with the plastic blanks. As we are unable to fully remove 2 of the blanks (they have permanently gummed-up the metal threads) I cannot use the supplied ceramic spikes. In the meantime we continue to have snowy, icy roads that are difficult and dangerous to run on in my 902s. I have already waited nearly 2 frustrating months to be able to use the 921 and fear that Winter will be half over before I am even able to run in the shoe. If I send them back how long can I expect to wait to have them returned to me? I expect a great deal more from a $100 shoe.

    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

         ~ Sarah Kay

    JOHNMAGGIO


      I would return them to the retailer where I bought them (NB Tampa), but they apparently do not accept returns on any worn gear. k
      Sounds more like a defective item than a "worn item". IMO. Did they offer an exchange?
      www.nbannapolis.com
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      rectumdamnnearkilledem

        Sounds more like a defective item than a "worn item". IMO. Did they offer an exchange?
        I didn't even bother asking NB Tampa. They didn't reply the 2 times I asked about the gift-with-purchase sweatshirt that I was supposed to receive, so I'm not wasting my time with their customer "service." NB later got back to me and they are going to send me a new pair (could have used them for a snowy race this AM *sigh*) and I will return the problematic pair so that they can see what the plastic blanks do. So I am happy to remain a NB customer. I was getting nervous...finding shoes to fit my goofy wide feet is not easy and the prospect of boycotting the only company that "gets" my feet was really making me Cry

        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

             ~ Sarah Kay

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        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          Larry, you still lovin' your 921s? I've managed about 10 miles in mine and really like them, for the most part. The traction is fantastic and they are SO warm...I even splooshed through some puddles where the salt managed to melt the snow into really icy slush--my feet stayed very warm and dry. Probably 3 or so of my miles were on mostly clear asphalt, so I need to replace my spikes, already, but I had heard that the included ceramic spikes were soft, so I have a bunch of steels to swap in. The overall fit of the 921 is not all that great on my foot...they are a good deal roomier in the heel than all my other NB shoes (I wear wides), so I have some slippage issues. Not a big problem for my right foot, but lefty has a spot that is pretty irritated. I think the upper material (it's a lot more of a silky fabric than a mesh, unlike my other shoes) has a lot of give, since I have tied my shoes very tightly and used lace-lock lacing at the top of the shoes, but they still feel pretty loose by a mile in. Hopefully the upper will eventually stretch to the point where they don't loosen-up so much on my runs. I'll start using some Blister Shield powder in my left sock around my heel area until that happens. The shoes are definitely stiffer and more stable feeling than what I like, but there aren't many stability shoes that are less stable than my favorite 902s, so that's not too surprising. I have a feeling that the more I run in these, the more I will like them.

          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

               ~ Sarah Kay

            Kirsten, I've got about 35 miles total on mine, the longest run just over 8 miles. Thursday we had 2-3 inches of wet snow, then the cold front rolled in and froze it all. The wind really kicked up to, 20-30 mph. I did 8 miles in the 921s, traction was no problem, doing this run in my non-spiked trainers would have been miserable - slipping against the wind and cold/wet feet. The fit is not the greatest: I got the 2Es and they are still pretty tight in the forefoot; and I find the stability lacking compared to my other trainers (2130s, Adrenalines); but they come in pretty handy in the slippery slop. Smile That said, I'll probably do my runs this weekend (5 miles and 17 miles) indoors, because the windchill here is -24F right now, and forecast to be -30 to -40F, that's more than I can stand. Thursday the windchill was -15F. It's not the cold that bothers me but the stinking wind! Embarrassed
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            rectumdamnnearkilledem

              Brrr...you guys are definitely colder on your side of the lake...but if our wind kicked-up I'm sure our windchill would be more than -5. I'm hoping to get out for ~4 miles, just to say that I HTFUd... Wink I hear you on the snug forefoot. I wear NBs almost exclusively, because I have such wide feet with narrow heels. The 921 fits really opposite--narrow through the forefoot, wide though the heel. I had to go up a half size, too, since they run a tad short. As far as stability, I've found that the shoes that work best for me have the very mildest degree of pronation control, so they are still good for me in terms of stability. I could see how they would be a bit low for anyone used to a medium-high level of stability in a shoe, though. Like your 8 miler on slick stuff, my 6 was awesome yesterday...amazing to have so much traction on the stuff I was on--mostly frozen slush. The only "oh shit" moments were when I turned my ankles a few times on those large "pebbles" of ice that littered the shoulder. No shoe could help that, though. k

              Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

              remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                   ~ Sarah Kay

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