Road Test: New PUMA Cell Voltras don't make me love running but they don't make me hate it any more

I've wanted to be a runner for a long, long time. That desire is fueled by a fantasy that I will one day wake up, pull on some spandex, wicking socks, and brand new running shoes and hammer out a few miles through my neighborhood. My fantasy does not require my run to be effortless, but it does include a desire to keep running.

The reality is, I've had a lot of first runs. I've gotten the inspiration -- by blood-pumping music or some human interest feature on an Olympic athlete narrated by Bob Costas or a personal trainer or by catching a glimpse of my thighs in the mirror -- and it has sometimes caused me to leap into action. Since I know enough about my body and the bad, bad things that can happen when you exercise at an inappropriately high level, I've always done interval runs. Walk a block. Run two blocks. Walk two blocks. Run four blocks.

I've never loved it, but I've always made it through. I've never gotten a high from it, but I've certainly felt good...when I'm done. My problem is getting out there the next day and doing it all over again. As much as I want to be a runner, I usually let so much time lapse in between runs, I end up starting all over each time I get out there.

That means I don't progress. That means I don't develop the muscles or Zen or endurance or whatever it is that will make me love running, that will call me back out to go at it again.

When the PUMA people sent me a pair of their new Cell Voltra training shoes, I thought they might lend some new inspiration to my waning workouts. I knew they'd work just fine for interval run-walks and may even prompt me to do a few sets of squats and lunges after my cool-down.

Of course, my cardiovascular fitness and stress relief should be enough to inspire me. I've got to tell you, though, I love the way these shoes look. If lacing them up and trying them out got me out the door, so be it.

PUMA says these shoes are special because they employ 10CELL technology, the bubbly looking cushion that runs from the forefoot back to the heel. Inside that bubble is actually two layers, one to absorb shock as the foot comes down and the other to help the foot rebound. The upper is made of mesh and supports that stretch across the top of the foot.

These are one of the most comfortable cross-training shoes I've ever worn. They are cushiony and lightweight and kept my foot cool, even when I got extra sweaty on hot days. I admit that I was skeptical, but I could definitely feel the difference the 10CELL technology made during the walking portions of my workouts.

I personally need more arch support than the Cell Voltra's provide (which I can add in using inserts). I also didn't love that there wasn't an extra eye so the top of the shoe can be snug without pulling the rest of the laces too tight. This meant sometimes I had to choose between my heel slipping a bit or my toes getting numb. Although this only happened while I was running, it was enough to make me decide the Cell Voltra cross-trainers are best for the walking and strength training I'm doing.

The good thing is, I really do love wearing them and this has been an inspiration to me to worry less about being a runner and just walk more. And I have walked more, taking many long, invigorating walks in my target heart rate zone in the last few weeks.

It's not running but it does feel good. Maybe this walking interval is just going to last a lot longer than a few blocks. Maybe it will last a few months. Regardless, I will keep on walking while I foster my fantasy about somehow becoming a runner overnight. But at least I'll be wearing cool shoes in the meantime.

PUMA Cell Voltra cross-trainers retail for about a hundred bucks and they come in a range of sleek colors from white to silver to a Jamaican-themed green, black, and yellow scheme.


Have you ever been inspired to run by the gear? Are cool new shoes enough to make you want to exercise?


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