Review of Ryka Intensity XT3 and Studio Flex Low
Hey everybody,
Just thought I'd chime in here with a couple of reviews.
I have recently had to retire my last pair of beloved Enlight II's and have been looking for weeks for a good new "studio" shoe for my Cathe step and hi/lo work. I have tried and returned Nike, Asics and New Balance cross-trainers. Last week I got a pair of Ryka Studio Flex LOW and a pair of Intensity XT3's from Zappos. I liked the way the Studio Flex looked in the Low-profile version and the reviewers praised the support even in the Low version. So I thought I'd give that Low version a whirl and compare it to the Intensity XT3, which I believe is a slightly older model.
For info purposes, I should add that my feet used to be quite narrow but now (middle age, ugh) are on the slim side of a B width. My ankles are thin and my knees are famously unstable, so I usually prefer the feel and support of a Mid studio shoe, even though I much prefer low-rise shoes for running and kickboxing.
Out of the box I thought I was going to like the Studio Flex and not like the Intensity XT3's, because the Studio Flex's simply looked much cuter and fresher. The Intensity XT3's visually reminded me very much of my Enlight II's -- which is to say, that solid-white, all-leather, boxier "RYKA" look. They just looked more dated.
But guess what, I was wrong. I have tried both pair now for a workout, and the Intensity XT3's (which I wore today for Body Max 2's hour-long Cardio Blast premix) are VERY reminiscent of the Enlight II's in the best ways. I have room to move my foot in the toebox, but not too much, and my ankles are supported but not restricted. I also felt that there was ample lateral support and mid-foot support. This shoe isn't labeled a "Mid" shoe and it's really kind of somewhere in between -- it's not as tall as the Enlight II on my foot, but taller than a "Low" shoe. Whatever they'd call it -- "Low-Mid" maybe -- all that high-impact stuff and lateral movement in BM2 was a great test. My feet and ankles and knees felt well-loved. Terrific shoe.
Now, the Studio Flex on the other hand was a disappointment. I wore it several days ago to do IMax 2, and my legs and feet weren't happy with me the next day. The Low profile doesn't offer the ankle support that a higher shoe would, of course, but I felt that generally the shoe lacked support and cushioning all the way around. It's a mesh shoe (it reminded me of an Asics running shoe), so maybe that affects the way my foot felt, but even with thicker socks this shoe felt too wide in the toebox. I even tried thicker socks, to no avail. My foot felt like it was sliding around horizontally. So, NO lateral support. I also felt that this shoe had less cushioning for high impact, propulsion moves.
I am sending back the Studio Flex's and I'm not even sure I'm going to try that shoe in the Mid version, given how it felt overall.
And I'm keeping those old-school-style Intensity XT3's, dated look or not.
Here are links if y'all want to take a look:
Intensity XT3: (This does come with some color accents, althought I got the plain old white/silver which no doubt added to the "datedness" of the look.)
http://www.zappos.com/product/7344767/color/113278
Studio Flex Low:
http://www.zappos.com/product/7510799/color/187248
Hope y'all find this helpful!!!
