bmai 21k lite running shoes be like the wind
First of all, I need to explain to the Codoon gear enthusiasts: I had surgery on the evening of September 13, 2017. The doctor said I couldn't run for at least a month. So, when I received my beloved shoes, I felt guilty for fear of not being able to complete this review by the deadline. However, through my efforts, I didn't let myself down, which made me very happy. I'm also delighted to return to my energetic, lively self!
Speaking of the Bmai brand, I first encountered it in the summer of 2015 at the East Gate 5 of Chaoyang Park. At that time, I chatted with Bmai's operations director for an hour. The running craze was gradually rising, and the boss saw this trend and was determined to make the Bmai brand famous nationwide and even internationally. To this day, I am very grateful to Codoon for giving me this opportunity to meet and closely interact with Bmai again.
Although these are professional road running shoes, I will now summarize and analyze the shoes from several aspects: my actual testing environment, the shoe upper, the shoe sole, the wearer's experience, and some minor drawbacks.
Testing environment:
Test surface: Stone pavement in Tiantan Park
General environment: Daytime (around 10:30 AM, cloudy)
Test distance: 7 km
Tester: Normal feet/normal weight
(Below is the running distance and pace overview recorded by Codoon)
Shoe upper:
PU film: The sides of the shoe upper have a 3D PU film that provides a good sense of stability to the shoe body. It also reduces lateral wear from external forces, making the shoes more durable and offering consumers a more valuable choice.
Mesh upper: The mesh allows sweat generated during running to be effectively expelled, providing good breathability. Although mesh is common in any brand and shoe, the size of the gaps in Bmai's mesh design is well-considered.
Reflective strips: There are two locations: one is very noticeable on the back of the shoe, consisting of two wide reflective strips; the second is on the toe area, forming an inverted U shape. This ensures that night runners can be seen by pedestrians and vehicles from behind and also by oncoming people, fully serving the purpose of nighttime visibility and ensuring safety.
Shoelaces: The color of the shoelaces matches well with the shoe upper. Importantly, the shoelaces are made of non-slip material, allowing you to tie them comfortably once without worrying about them coming loose during the run.
Logo: The logo on the tongue is very prominent. The design is relatively retro, giving a subtle sense of ancient culture. I interpret it as: health requires you to move your feet!
Shoe sole
EVA midsole:
Now let me explain EVA: Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. Generally, the vinyl acetate (VA) content is between 5% and 40%. Compared to polyethylene, EVA has introduced vinyl acetate monomers into the molecular chain, reducing high crystallinity and improving flexibility and impact resistance. I only understood this term after looking it up on Baidu. Bmai is so professional! Usually, I don't understand these technicalities; I just feel comfortable wearing and running in them. I didn't realize there was so much thought put into it.
Rubber outsole: Based on my understanding, the rubber outsole is the part that actually contacts the ground. The entire sole is made of rubber and features a lightweight, wear-resistant serrated design. Previously, I saw shoes that omitted the rubber anti-slip function to emphasize lightness, especially on rainy days. Bmai's user experience is very high.
Insole: It fits well with the inner edge of the shoe sole, preventing the insole from becoming skewed or slipping out.
Performance analysis: After a morning of running and walking around Tiantan Park, the shoe sole has strong grip. Because they are lightweight, they offer good flexibility, moderate hardness, and stability at the heel, making them less prone to side slippage.
Wearing experience
After more than a month without running, my first post-surgery run was in the Bmai Mile21K Lite running shoes. I was extremely excited. Accompanied by the cool autumn wind and falling leaves, I easily completed a 7 km run in the long-missed Tiantan, as the long-missed running girl and Codoon. Indeed, you are as light as a leaf, and I am as light as a swallow. It was the Bmai Mile21K Lite that made me run wildly and fly, bringing me back to being a woman like the wind! It was a great experience!
Minor drawbacks
① During actual testing, the forefoot felt a bit constrained. I hope there will be enough space for the forefoot to move side to side while running.
② The hardness of the inverted U-shaped reflective strip at the toe is relatively harder than the mesh upper. During the test experience, it caused some friction, especially on the backs of the middle and ring toes, leading to blisters.
③ The feedback from the shoe when stepping down is not very noticeable. The cushioning is relatively inferior compared to Nike's air cushion.
Conclusion:
Every product embodies the wisdom of its developers and designers. While serving runners, it strives to showcase its value. No product is perfect at birth. Its minor flaws drive its producers and users to pursue a better experience. Runners are willing to try more new equipment for the long-term pursuit of running. Therefore, everyone who gets this public test qualification is very lucky. Thanks again to Bmai and Codoon for this opportunity!