Speedland GS:TAM Review. Did Speedland Just Make The First 200 Mile Race Specific Shoe?

Рет қаралды 11,674

Күн бұрын

We're back a review of one of the most requested shoes to date; the Speedland GS:TAM has covered the miles and is ready to be talked about. We also had the fortunate pleasure of recording the review together from Flagstaff, AZ!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:44 Disclaimer
1:34 Shoe Stats
3:24 Fit impressions
5:36 Upper impressions
7:06 Midsole and insole
9:26 Carbitex plate
11:47 Ride impressions
14:55 Durability
18:11 Price and value
21:25 Would you race in it?
23:25 Questions for the viewers
24:00 Shoe comparisons
25:30 Finn’s favorite part of the shoe
26:06 What would Brett change?
Music provided by Argofox:
Noxive - Bacon Sandwiches
• Noxive - Bacon Sandwic...

Пікірлер: 83

@Grcly44 11 ай бұрын

Just found you guys as I was specifically looking for a review on this shoe. Well done, gents! Will definitely be checking out more of your content soon. Thanks!

@ConversationalPace 11 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! I hope the review was helpful!

@cbronstein1963 Жыл бұрын

Great review, I'm loving my GS:TAM's. Im an older slower runner but do a fair amt of miles and the TAM's are my GO TO shoes. I also sized down 1/2 size and its a great fit. The most surprising thing to me is the lack of wear-and-tear. Besides dirt, it feels and looks virtually new. GREAT SHOE!!

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! That TAM is definitely a shoe that is going to hold up for a ton of miles!

@philipking3010 Жыл бұрын

great stuff, cool to have an episode when you're in the same room. not tried these yet, but there are now a couple of european shops selling them, which means no import tax, so maybe next time i need a shot of inspiration.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

That'll be great to be able to try them on in a store too! I have not seen them in any shops in the States.

@sturmunro 10 ай бұрын

I’ve got the GS:PGH on the way. Great review, thanks.

@ConversationalPace 10 ай бұрын

Curious to hear your thoughts! Have you run in the GS:TAM?

@sturmunro 10 ай бұрын

@@ConversationalPace no, I’m NZ based so it’s tough to get Speedland but a shop in Australia somehow has managed to get first access so the PGH are in the post. I’ll share on Insta once I’ve got them.

@adramalech707 Жыл бұрын

Really enjoyed this review! The upper fit was the biggest problem. I was really concerned with high volume foot in other uppers that having some extra room with the knit would be better than having less room and be too tight. Unfortunately, I found out in the middle of a race that the half size down would have helped, because it ran long. I have since half sized down. It is a newish platform and I think the boa dial + knit upper will take time for a consensus of what it the best feel and it adds extra variables to tweak. I have the SL:HSV and it is definitely a technical wet shoe. The midsole is about the same firmness but the carbon plate actually feels more useful. I use them in snow, wet, technical alpine running for less than 50 miles. Cons for me: The upper fit made me buy two different sizes. The insole not being there made it very apparent that if the size is a bit long and you have extra room you will have a bad time in wet conditions as the dampness of the sock on midsole will cause friction. I highly recommend people try this with drain holes cut in water and see how the shoe sock combo works for them. I found any compression or thinner socks don't work for me on the insole on the tam. Something thick like drymax works well!

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Yeah I agree with all of this. My SL:PDX is a 10 and my GS:TAM is a 9.5 and they feel about the same length. I didn't cut the drain hole in my GS:TAM as I didn't come across any wet running. I did in the SL:PDX and I found I didn't love a wet foot against the exposed insole foam. Felt weird. I'll probably just be looking elsewhere for shoes if I know I'm going to encounter lots of water.

@pushtherun Жыл бұрын

Loved the review, I wore mine right out of the box last Saturday for a 25-mile trail race. Only drawback for me was I developed a little rubbing on the top of my right middle toe that grew into a bit of blood. Not sure what on the shoe caused it. I have 70 miles on them now and they are starting to feel funner, more responsive and forgiving.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Bold move racing right out of the box! I am a little skeptical about the foot being against primarily foam and not a full insole toplayer of fabric. Perhaps that played a part. I'm finding that around 100 miles, the shoe is finally starting to hit the sweet spot, so the best miles are still ahead of you for your pair. Thanks for watching!

@DSRenner Жыл бұрын

To my wife's chagrin, I like trying out cool shoes. I would like to try some Speedlands. That said, I do like to try a shoe on before buying it, and at $300+ with plate not being able to try it on is a deal breaker. If the price alone isn't already. Even with brands I am familiar with I may go up or down a half size depending on the model. Thanks for the review and great job with the Cocodona Livestream!

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Yeah I hear ya on that. Very tough to purchase at that price sight unseen. Hopefully as they continue to grow and more shops bring them in, that will open up more opportunities to try them on in person. Thanks for watching, and thanks for watching the Cocodona livestream! That was definitely a unique commentating experience that I would 100% do again

@fletch557 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review guys. I’ve got 300 mi on my pair. Probably 80 mi on road and the rest trail. Including lots of technical descending. I love the upper & midsole. Especially the wider toe box compared to my Speedgoats. By 200 mi the lugs were pretty worn (more so than I’d hoped) and the tread was separating from the midsole (the green part was pulling away). For the money I wanted the outsole to last longer. Also - on wet rock I felt like I was on ice skates. Having said that, for me the pros outweigh the cons and I’ll buy another pair (but dang the price point hurts).

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and giving your input on the shoe! The shoe is sooooo close to being amazing, but that dang outsole is the limiting factor. I agree for this first generation of GS:TAM it's just barely good enough, but definitely wouldn't be good enough if it carried over to a 2nd gen model.

@irunovermountains Жыл бұрын

I have the PDX and liked the shoe, but it wasn't accurately priced for what you got. The Michelin rubber was surprisingly not grippy when I ran Gorge 100k last year, so I welcome the new stickier compound. That all said, why stick with Michelin? All the Speedland shoes would benefit from Vibram Lite-base or Mega-grip outsole. Finn, send yours to Vibram. It's $50 to get them re-soled 🤙

@runsingletrack Жыл бұрын

I learned something new today! Gonna get that re-sole for Run Rabbit run.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

I have a hunch that the SL owners have a relationship with Michelin from previous brands that they worked with, which is why they work with them. It is also an opportunity to differentiate from Vibram soled shoes, but the thing there is that it would be nice if the Michelin rubber was in fact as good or better!

@ne14dirt Жыл бұрын

This is awesome. Never knew that a trail runner could be re-soled.

@jeremydoan4099 Жыл бұрын

@@runsingletrackwere you able to get them resoled? The durability of the outsole is the only thing keeping me from snagging a pair at this point.

@catherinehinton3184 7 ай бұрын

Hi I just found this review. Thanks for putting it together. I am hooked to your reviews. So I just got a pair of the GS: CAMeron ones. Any thoughts on how to put in arch support? Or do you find that the default insole will mold as needed?

@ConversationalPace 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching! This is definitely a tough shoe for adding additional arch support. There is the possibility of trimming down the sidewalls of the drop in midsole so that something would fit, but that definitely would carry a fair amount of risk. There's a chance trimming down the drop in midsole could negatively affect the fit of the shoe. It might just be worth trying to slowly get the feed to adapt to the support that is built into the shoe before trying any additional modifications

@rshoff14 Жыл бұрын

I’ve been running in these shoes for the past month. I will agree on the point that these shoes run almost a half size large. Also, the outsole has worn quite a bit with only limited road runs. I’ve put a little over 50 miles on this shoe, with around 15 of those being road and asphalt. I love the comfort and the stiffness of the shoe, and also the BOA. I do run on the balls of my feet, so I’ve seen the majority of the outsole wear on the outside forward section of the sole. I’ve never ran any kind of marathon or ultra, but as a hobby runner, I’d own another pair for sure.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Now if there was a way to re-sole the shoe after 300 miles, I think the Midsole and upper could go over 1000. I wonder if shoe cobblers still exist 🤔

@CoolInOlympia 8 ай бұрын

Great and interesting review! Disappointing about the outsole!

@ConversationalPace 8 ай бұрын

If only it could hold up like the rest of the shoe. It performed great while it lasted. There is always the option of getting a new sole put on it when the first one wears out. Thanks for watching!

@CoolInOlympia 8 ай бұрын

@ConversationalPace I have the same problem with my beloved Hoka Bondi 8's. The outside SUCKS! It started wearing down on my first short run with it! Appalling for such an expensive shoe! But I love the comfort of it, otherwise!

@christopherhillam7286 Жыл бұрын

Have been considering these shoes but will not be buying now having seen the lug wear after 200 miles. I love my Speedgoats but want a shoe with more durability as I have an issue in the same area as the lug wear you have experienced. May look in more depth at the Inov8s with graphite grips. Maybe they will last more than 200 miles. Thanks for the review - very helpful.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Yeah I would say that the Vibram Megagrip on the Speedgoat has proven to be more durable than the Michelin rubber on the GS:TAM. I have heard that the Inov8 Graphite rubber is extremely durable also. The Hoka Mafate Speed 4 also has the same rubber as the Speedgoat, but it's a little beefier. It might be worth looking into a Topo model as well. I've been quite fond of their outsole patterns.

@rokrun 10 ай бұрын

Haven't tried them yet. I didn't like my speedgoat 5... and the lugs wore out so quick. It was ok for non tech easy runs though. So I'm curious about this one... and that nipple on the heel insert... can u feel that? U mentioned the norda. I'll be going Canada this fall.. so I'll pick up a pair.. maybe the 002

@ConversationalPace 10 ай бұрын

These are firmer and a bit stiffer than the Speedgoat, which for me was helpful on technical terrain. I couldn't feel anything on the heel insert. It's all pretty soft, so I imagine just squishes down when y foot is in the shoe. Thanks for watching!

@KHodPinedale 5 ай бұрын

I’ve run over 1,000 miles in a single pair of GS:TAM’s. I’ve also purchased another three pairs. In love.

@ConversationalPace 5 ай бұрын

That's so awesome to hear! Finding a shoe that just works and you don't have to worry about is so nice

@codyjackson7355 10 ай бұрын

I'm really back and forth on the sizing. Picked up my normal size and a half size down and I like the overall fit on the smaller shoe but in a longer race I could see ther being issues with my toes. Larger size I feel I move around a bit more in the shoe but so far no issues.

@ConversationalPace 10 ай бұрын

hmm yeah that's a tough call for sure. I guess the decision to make is whether the shorter size will bug your toes more, or if the larger size will risk too much movement and cause blisters.

@matthewvanleeuwen9086 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for another great shoe review, but that is definitely a lot of money for a pair of shoes!

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Agreed, it is definitely a lot of money for some footwear. I do like seeing the price of their shoes coming down though, and it makes sense that if they sell more of this GS:TAM than their last model, there's a chance the next one will be cheaper due to being able to produce more 🤞

@TrailrunnerTroy Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your review. An excellent shoe, but not the breakthrough of the PDX or HSV. The Hoka Tecton X was my 200-mile shoe last fall and didn’t disappoint. The X2 is even better, especially when your feet swell. In contrast, the GS:TAM somehow manages to have a worse fit despite the dual BOA, which works so well in the more tailored PDX and HSV. The lockdown just isn’t there. Sizing down might help. Wish I had, but I plan to use my pair on the back end of the ‘24 Cocodona when my feet swell beyond reason. Another disappointment is the plate. It doesn’t work, in sharp contrast to the Tecton or the Naked T/r. It’s just much too harsh a ride unless the plate is removed. Finally, it’s presumably so wide because of the high stack height. But it’s too wide for serious alpine or rocky trails here in Colorado. I admire Speedland and its founders, including Dylan Bowman and Freetrail, and promoters and look forward to continuing to buy their innovations. But if the next Naked T/r could get a zipper or other means to remove it when your feet swell, I would use it or the Tecton X2 instead of the TAM for 50 milers and beyond. Keep up your great reviews! I have 4 pairs of Norda 001s and they are go-to for training, but the heel counter sucks as much as I love them.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your take on the shoe! I did go down a half size between the PDX and the TAM and they then felt like the same size, which helped me with the lockdown. I'm still not sure where I stand with the plate, as I like the way it makes the structure of the shoe feel, but I don't love the firmer feel. I would love to see the GS:TAM with a softer midsole. For the type of running I do, I don't need it to be stellar on technical terrain, but I do need it to absorb a ton of shock as these Ashland trails get mighty hard.

@thepatternforms859 10 ай бұрын

How do you feel about the Speedgoat 5 or Mafate speed 4 for a 200 mile race shoe?

@TrailRunnerReviews 9 ай бұрын

How did Fin do in RRR? Did he end up using the Tam? I’ve got the PGH coming this week, excited to try them out!

@ConversationalPace 9 ай бұрын

Finn ended up doing a solo attempt of the hundred mile wilderness section of the AT instead of RRR. He did use the GS:TAM though and it worked well on what ended up being a more grueling trail than the RRR course

@TrailRunnerReviews 9 ай бұрын

Awesome! 🙌

@timpfluger Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the video. How is it on technical, rocky, uneven, terrain?

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

i didn't get to test the shoes on any technical terrain while it was wet out, but on dry rocks and uneven terrain they were pretty nice. The added stiffness of the shoe is the only spots where I would personally knock a few points off for technical running. But protection underfoot and grip seemed great. Upper locked my foot down fantastically as well.

@TrailrunnerTroy Жыл бұрын

Unstable. A superb California shoe (west of the Sierras).

@timpfluger Жыл бұрын

@@ConversationalPace Thanks for the reply. I haven’t tried the other shoes from Speedland, but love what they are doing. I know these were created as a max cushion shoe for flowing West Coast style trails. Living in PA though, I’ve been running on all types of trails with them. I actually think they are pretty stable over the rocky terrain here in PA. I do think a Vibram outsole would make this shoe even better, but hopefully they continue to improve on their outsole. Otherwise, the only other negative is that I can feel the Boa dials against my foot if wearing thin socks and/or going down steep downhills where my foot applies more pressure to the outer part of the shoe.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

I've also had no issues with technical terrain. Sure there are some shoes that are better, but for a max stack shoe this is one of the better ones I've worn. I have also had the occasional step here and there where I felt a BOA dial. Worried me a bit at first, but it was never more than a once or twice a run thing and never caused any issues. Agreed on the outsole front, Vibram would be nice, but is just soooooo expensive to license out, and I bet they got a better deal with Michelin. I bet they are able to make adjustments, as Michelin has killer rubber compounds across their bike line.

@stevenshorten6184 4 ай бұрын

Minor tip for you guys: Pebax is like saying Kleenex. It's Arkema's proprietary peba blend. If the peba isn't supplied by Arkema, it's not technically 'Pebax'. Peba is the safer, more accurate callout.

@ConversationalPace 4 ай бұрын

Appreciate the heads up!

@matthewmyers7826 Жыл бұрын

Is it worth it over similar stacked shoes: Trabuco Max 2, Zegama, Speedgoat, etc. ? Obviously very subjective, but I haven't seen anyone rave about this shoe, mostly feedback just seems to be "solid".

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

I think so much whether it is worth it or not is if you want your dollars to back a smaller company that is willing to push boundaries and try new things. In terms of dollars per mile, there are definitely better value shoes out there, but companies like Speedland are necessary to be disruptors in this industry. I really enjoy running in them though! Snappier than most of the other max stack trail shoes I have run in.

@tommilam6320 Жыл бұрын

Fancinating review. Glad to hear it’s firmer that SG and Mafate. Looking forward to more reviews from micro brands. I know I mentioned this in another review but the Kjerag is def a worthy contender to check out. Cheers!

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Hoping that the Kjerag gets into our review studio soon! But yes, the GS:TAM is definitely firmer than the SG and Mafate

@tommilam6320 Жыл бұрын

@@ConversationalPace awesome! Sounds good. The only thing I would mention is the sizing. I had to go from my reg 10.5 size down to 9.5. So a full size to get the fit right. Prob could do a 10 maybe…but 9.5 has been working good. Some I’ve heard have gone down just 1/2 size….so kinda tricky.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Oh wow you had to go a full size down?? Super interesting. a full size down would have been too short for me. I wonder if the sizing can be somewhat dependent on how far back the heel sits into the heel cup in conjunction with the boa system.

@berry5954 6 ай бұрын

since I am a caldera 6 fanboy, and want something a tad wider in mid/front foot, is this the Caldera 6 upgrade I am looking for?? (considering the GS:OAK since I assume it is the same with some micro improvements). How much stiffer/harder is it than the Loft v3?

@ConversationalPace 6 ай бұрын

The GS:TAM and OAK definitely doesn't feel narrower to me than the Caldera 6. Our Calder 7 review will drop within the next month and I'll be sure to compare the fit. The Speedland is pretty round across the mid and forefoot. The cushioning might feel a tad firmer at first, but being a PEBA/PEBAX blend, it is much more resilient and for that reason, I really like how it didn't ever pack out on me. It felt soft enough for me for any distance, and I really enjoyed how the cushion stayed the same the whole time. Hope this helps!

@berry5954 6 ай бұрын

@@ConversationalPace I'll have to import the speedlands, their distribution to Europe is non existent. Will look into forwarding services. You need an affiliate link to Speedland ,-)

@ConversationalPace 6 ай бұрын

Yeah I can imagine managing distribution for a brand with such limited quantities would be tough to offer to many other countries. There are a few Speedland dealers around the world. Perhaps there is one near(ish) to you and you'd be able to order through them?

@berry5954 6 ай бұрын

THX!! I looked at that before but i missed the spanish retailer. The shoes are insanely expensive, but based on all the reviews these seem to be wider Calderas on steroids with a kick.@@ConversationalPace

@ConversationalPace 6 ай бұрын

hah that's definitely a great way to describe them! Well I hope availability expands and you're able to get your hands on a pair in the future

@sloppynig1 Жыл бұрын

are these shoes good for road or track as well?

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't say this shoe would be good for road or track. As far as trail shoes go, this GS:TAM did feel fine on the roads, and I imagine it would feel fine on the track, but it is definitely best suited for dirt. Hope this helps!

@JustAdude93 10 ай бұрын

Not sure if it’s just me but it seems the video and audio isn’t meshing well. Like it’s a 1/4 second delayed 🤔 solid review though, keep up to good content

@ConversationalPace 10 ай бұрын

Yeah it very well could be off by a little bit. When we recorded in person, we had a monstrosity of technical issues, as we had never recorded a review in one place before. I was just happy the audio was audible 😅 Thanks for watching!

@djclass005 Жыл бұрын

Clear review, but as mentioned above, if I can’t try them, I don’t buy anymore, some missed gambles, to large or to small, both not fun to run in.

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Yeah and while I think Speedland has a solid return or exchange policy, it's also super hard to tell if the shoe is the right size just wearing it around the house

@ericperramond3463 Жыл бұрын

Nice work, guys, and I'll admit I'm already in Locodona250 withdrawal...

@ConversationalPace Жыл бұрын

Agreed, I'm ready to get back in the Dona'400 booth!

@dprco1 8 ай бұрын

guys with respect Video was 3 times as long as it should be, who has that kind of time??? Please

@ConversationalPace 8 ай бұрын

When this channel was created, our goal was to have a conversation about the shoes, and make sure to leave no stone unturned in our reviews. In the video notes, I separated the video out into all the different chapters, so you can flip through the sections that bring the most value to you. These shoes are expensive and a big investment, and I want to make sure that as much information is provided to the consumer before they make a purchasing decision.