I hope you enjoy the latest articles we have included in this week’s newsletter. Your overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding the new newsletter format was well received and yes, we will continue to keep the informative articles coming.
As many of you know, we have started filming our new Low Impact, High Intensity series last week and we wore the RYKA Transition shoe pictured here for the Slide and Glide disc workout. I honestly couldn’t be more pleased and therefore chose to share my experience wearing these shoes with you. Before receiving our RYKA’s I was rehearsing in my running shoes and at the time didn’t think too much about the relation of the shoe to the workout. But when our RYKA shoes arrived, we all kicked off our old sneaks and popped on these new Ryka Transitions. Our first immediate reaction upon taking them out of the box was the fantastic color combo. They just looked refreshingly Spring like…happy, bright, and the color just popped! Hard to explain, ha.
Then we started our rehearsal and it was funny how each one of us at different times would say things like “I’m really liking this shoe” or “this shoe is so comfortable”. The first thing I noticed was the ease at which my foot grasped the disc. That’s not to say that my running shoe wasn’t doing the job, but rather that the RYKA shoe did the job better. When you slide and glide you want the ball of your foot on the center of the disc while your heel hangs off the edge of the disc. If your shoe has a thicker, less flexible base, it’s harder to feel where your foot is in relation to the disc. While you can certainly do this workout with any fitness shoe, I just somehow felt the flexible fit of the RYKA shoe allowed me to enjoy my workout so much more verses making sure my foot was in the right place on the disc. If I had to share other great features that I noticed, it would be that the RYKA Transition’s are very comfortable from the minute you slip your foot into them. There is no adjustment period. They conform right to your foot and feel so lightweight and breathable. In fact I was so impressed with these Transitions that I asked RYKA to send a photo and info on the shoe in case you wanted to know more about it.
Here is what they sent:
The Ryka Transition is a low-profile trend-right fitness cross training performance shoe. The extra side-to-side support is perfect for all fitness class instructors & devotees! This shoe features an anti-bacterial Ortholite insole that fights odors, is washable, breathable, and will quickly air-dry. That means it’s going to keep feet from getting soaked with sweat, even during the toughest workouts! There is plenty of lateral stability through the heel and midfoot, plus the Ryka compression-foam midsole provides excellent cushioning for plyometrics. The diamond-shaped treads keeps your feet from slipping on the studio floor, and the mesh upper wraps around the shape of your foot to give a comfortable & snug fit.
Thanks for your review of this particular Ryka shoe. I have been wearing all types of Ryka shoes for years, and have found them to be wonderful walking and exercise shoes. They have Mary Janes, shoes for wet weather, etc., and they run in regular and wide sizes. I highly recommend this line as they make shoes that fit a woman’s foot (our ankles and heels are much slimmer than a man’s, so no more walking out of your shoes! Give them a try. I buy mine from QVC and have never had a problem.
I have been wearing these for several months now and love them! They don’t have quite as much of a “barefoot” feel as my Nike Frees, which I use for weight training, but they are pretty close to that, just a tad more structure, which I like for step, circuit, kickboxing, and plyo workouts. I would (and will) buy these again.
I’ve always wondered how Ryka’s held up against other shoes like Nike and Asics, so I really appreciate your review. I try not to use my running shoes for cross-training and don’t feel like I’ve found a good alternative shoe yet… but it looks like I’ll be trying the Rykas now! And good thing b/c I’m a fitness instructor and need a nice, comfy, flexible shoe that’s still cute 🙂
I love Rykas. They are the only shoes I wear when working out and I’ve been wearing them for over 5 years. Currently, I’m using the Ultima Run for running and the Studio Flex Mid for training and aerobics. I really like having the extra ankle support for high intensity workouts, but now that I’ve read this review, I may try the Transition (or the Synergy) for my lower impact workouts. Thanks Cathe! RYKA ROCKS.
I have been wearing Rykas forever. I love how they fit my feet, they are so comfortable. I have a pair for walking and a pair for aerobics and I wear my old ones for yard work. I will definately be looking at purchasing a pair of these new ones and I can’t wait to wear them with Cathes new program!
I too am a Ryka enthusiast…but now that they have stopped making size 5 1/2 I can’t buy their shoes. I am having a lot of problems trying to find a shoe that works for me (I have used the Mid N Gage or Rhythm) and need the extra ankle support because I had a severely broken ankle), Nike has come the closest but in the end their cross training shoe turned out not to have enough padding.
Can anyone recommend another shoe I can try? I am so desperate I started using my old Ryka’s to work out in. It was either that or I could not work out at all. Please help! Thanks.
I have been wearing Ryka’s exclusively for years. I love the studio shoe with the higher ankle support, and have recently used the assist also. I can’t say enough good things about the shoes. I order right from the Ryka company online and have always experienced great customer service from them. Ryka are my go to workout shoe. For every day wear, I choose asics. I have orthotics and ryka shoes are very orthotic friendly. I am very glad to see that Cathe and her team are using Ryka shoes. Back in the day, when I used to take step aerobic class (15 years ago) , my instructor wore Rykas…they sent them to her for free to wear! That is how I learned about Ryka. I like that they are exclusively for women too.
Thanks so much for reviewing these Cathe! I thought that’s what I saw on your feet in the preview pic on Facebook! I currently wear the Assist XT 2 but they are getting near replacement and plan on replacing them with these. Love the low profile look of them!
Ryka makes great shoes. I had to stop wearing Nike’s almost nine years ago when a brand new pair I wore once gave me plantar fascitis after I taught a class. Since then, it has only been Rykas and they haven’t disappointed me yet. I currently wear Ultima Run 2 for running shoes, Studio Flex Mid for teaching group fitness and my personal cardio workouts (I like the ankle support a mid gives in studios), and recently purchased a pair of black Sync’s which are so comfortable I want to buy another pair in white. I recommend them. I’m glad to see Cathe still wearing them and now she’s tempting me to buy yet another pair!
Hi Deborah. I have the same problem. I used to swear by Ryka but then they stopped the 5 1/2 sizes. So difficult to find good aerobics shoes for that size… 🙁