• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Wanderlust and Lipstick

Travel tips and inspiration for women

  • Start
    • Ready to BE BOLD?
    • Travel Tips
    • Gear
  • Tours
  • Blog
  • Stories
  • About
    • About Beth
    • Speaking
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Media Kit

Pearl Izumi N1 Shoes ~ WanderGear Wednesday

| POSTED IN:> Gear

Pearl Azumi n1 running shoesNow that I’ve really gotten into the habit of running and am training for the Honolulu Marathon, I’m learning a lot about my body, the sport and the gear that works best for me.

My recent “aha” moment was realizing that, depending on conditions and the length of my run, my gear needs might change. An obvious example is wearing a long sleeve shirt in the winter, a tank top in the summer.

What I wasn’t expecting was that my feet might have different needs based on the length of my runs.

For the past few years, I’ve been running in Vibram five-finger shoes. I really like these. Not only are they easy to pack (the main reason for me joining the “barefoot” running craze to begin with) but I like running close to the ground and don’t mind feeling the pavement or odd pebble underneath my foot.

Having said that, once I started running long distances (10+ miles), I noticed my feet and calves were getting fatigued after those long runs. So, I switched over to Pearl Izumi N1 shoes. While these aren’t minimalist or barefoot shoes, they are relatively close to the ground with just a difference of 1mm – 4.5mm from heel to mid-stance.

This seems to have provided just enough cushioning for me that I no longer have soreness after my long runs.

The uppers are made of a mesh which allows my feet to breath if I’m running in warm weather. Even though these might initially feel cool during a run in moderate to cool temperatures, my feet will quickly warm up and I appreciate the breathability these provide.

While these don’t pack down nearly as much as my Vibrams, they are lightweight (7.4 ounces) so at least they aren’t weighing down my luggage. And I just stuff items inside the shoes to save space.

There really are so many styles of running shoes out there and no one style that’s perfect for everyone. Therefore, I encourage you to at least check these out and see if they are a good fit for you.

By the way, they’re excellent as walking shoes, too. I actually spent a lot of time just taking long walks in these before I started running in them.

The Pearl Izumi N1s come in two color combinations: Aruba Blue/Deep Peacock (pictured) and Living Coral/Rose Violet.

Available on Amazon for various prices depending on color and size.

Be Bold,

Beth

Want to stay up-to-date on all things Wanderlust? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or RSS/email.

Disclosure: Pearl Izumi provided these shoes to me for review. Regardless, everything I have said in the post reflects my honest opinions.

Amazon Banner Ad

Previous Post: « The ABC’s of TSA Precheck
Next Post: The ABC’s of Global Entry »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Beth

About Beth I wear many hats as the founder of Wanderlust and Lipstick and WanderTours. I lead small group adventures to off-the-beaten-path destinations, am the author of the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers and the publisher of this website. Read More…

Recent blog posts

  • Workshop ~ How to Use an eSIM for Travel
  • Win a Travel Yoga Mat from Yogo!
  • Win a Puffy Stuffer Pillowcase!
  • Win a Pair of Pick-Pocket Proof Pants!

Popular Tips

  • How to lose weight on vacation
  • Your 6th Sense
  • Opting out at the airport

Categories

  • Books
  • Fitness
  • Gear
  • Giving Back
  • Podcast
  • Thoughts
  • Tours
  • Travel Tips
  • All the Rest

Footer

BE BOLD

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE MY TOP TRAVEL TIPS
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2025 Wanderlust and Lipstick .::. Website by WordPress Barista