Qiaodan Plaid 3 initial review
This is more of initial review because I only did about 60km so far, ranging from 4:30 to 6:00 min/km pace.
Mostly on concrete and in dry conditions.
About me:
181cm, ~90kg, heel striker, running 70-100km per week.
Upper:
Well fitting, breathable, knit upper.
I am usually not a fan of knit but this one is built in a way that does not create bunching with laced.
Plenty of heel padding to ensure comfort and good lockdown. A bit of padding on the tongue where laces put more pressure.
Colour could be less aggressive but I appreciate that the "jumpman" logo is very small on this model.
Outsole:
Plenty of solid coverage, especially compared to most racing shoes. No signs of wear but it is very early.
No traction issues so far.
Midsole:
This one is quite special.
It is a triple-layer, PEBA construction with a full-length carbon plate. There is also a small window in the middle, but I doubt it does much. The middle layer in the forefoot supposedly improves running efficiency by 3%.
This is very low-density PEBA, which results in an overall low weight (~213-214g for EU size 44) with 40mm in the heel and 33mm in the forefoot.
I typically prefer more squishy ride (Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 type) but I really enjoy the energetic bounce this shoe offers. Last time I felt something like this from the shoe was in Hoka Cielo X1 (which was noticably heavier).
I had no issues with stability, even on U-turns.
I don't really have anything negative to say at this stage.
Durability is something to be tested but the manufacturer claims that they can last 1000km and so far even the foam in the heel looks better than many of my other racing shoes after 50-60km.
For me, this may be the best racing shoe available currently, even before taking into account the 160USD price.
I have not tried Plaid 1.5 or 2 so can't compared but I will likely get 1.5 as many people say it's also an amazing shoe, especially for heel strikers.
Compared to Li-ning Feidan 6 Elite, they are less squishy but more energetic and bouncy.
I also feel like 6 Elite is a bit too fast for me at the moment and it works a bit against me unless I go sub 4:30min/km.