I think the best think we can do to avoid wrong kinds of cameras, lenses, shoes, computers, phones, clothes , wines, etc. is stop listening to the hype and reviewers.
I learned it the hardest way possible....now I ignore all forum consensus on anything.. I find every forum I go or read is dominated and dictated by some brand fanboys and it is hard to argue with them in any logical way as they never accept any different opinions.
For example at Sneaker forum, you cannot trash Adidas Boost, which I really hate and think super overrated, I cannot even post anything like that mildly criticizing it.
Or I cannot write about how/why I prefer the look of Reebok Pump or Puma Alien or even Saucony Azura to Adidas Boost or Yeezy.. if I do I will be crucified, get a huge backlash from a group of Adidas fanboys.
It is the same in camera forum, you cannot even mildly say anything good about Nikon Z , if you say you'd be crucified by Sony fanboys at at FM. I am not saying Sony is worse than Nikon, but just saying there are a few good features /qualities and I simply envy Nikon guys having those.
In other forums like LL is dominated by a group of Nikon guys and we can never criticize Nikon...talk good things about Canon or Sony. So it is really wasting of my time to go over there to read anything those fundamentalists talk about their beloved camera systems.
Those fanboys take everything personally.....some even stalk you.. I think sneaker and PC forums are a bit better than camera forums as they are not as desperate as these camera fundamentalists at FM or LL, but still extremely biased towards hyped brands.......they cannot see out side of the box.
In some way they are extremely parochial like old Christian fundamentalists. Now Alpha is the new religion and Miranda is the Jesus in FM. world...and no one can logically argue against them in any way. IMHO, that is the worst type of fundamentalist forum in the ILC world.....I think DPR is far more liberal and technically honest.
I think Zeiss , Voigtlander, Puma and Reebok have taught me a couple of things in this spring(updated):
I was a quite big fan of the GM series lenses until recently I decided to sell all of their expensive lenses for manual lenses that work not just on the Sony bodies but on many other companies bodies. I also sold many of Zeiss Loxia and Voigtlander APO primes in last month......as I thought about I would never miss them much......
I really thought never I would miss my Zeiss and Voigt primes much..........but I actually did miss them very much......that I am now trying to buy them back.
I really though I would never miss it......never realized I 'd miss them as much as I did...., now I honestly feel as though I lost my long time best friends... I will definitely buy them back as soon as I get some extra income in next week..I think I should not have sold it in the first place, though.
Now I really miss my Loxia and Voigtlander APO primes, but I am not missing any of my Batis 85, 135mm and 18mm that I also sold with my Loxia and Voigtlanders.
To be honest the only one Batis I have decided to keep in my back is the 40mm CF for its extreme versatility, but all the other Batis and Sony GM primes I do not miss them at all. I thought I may miss the FE24mm GM and FE20mm f1.8G, but I never miss them and found them very boring. I guess I'll never buy Sony or Tamron lenses any more.
These are extremely boring lenses......I much prefer the Zeiss and Voigt lenses and even the Samyang 85mm f1.4 and the Sigma 28mm f1.4.
In last months I bought total 24 pairs of sneakers from a various brands: NB, Adidas, Reebok, Saucony, Nike, Zara(embarrassing but I loved the look of it on their site), Brooks, Asics, Hoka and some Puma........
I 'd never thought I 'd buy any Puma or Reebok running shoes , I always loved their classic casual dad shoes, but I never thought I would buy their serious RUNNING shoes and training shoes for weights.
To my surprise, I loved them very very much, actually I prefer Puma Speed 600 2, Puma Speed Racer 300 version 2 and Reebok Fover Floatride Energy 2 and Fast Run 2.
Those are not much hyped compared to the expensive Nikons , Adidas Boosts , Hoka , Brooks, or even compared to Asics or NB they are pretty much ignored by those so-called experts. I compared my Reebok and Puma to Adidas Ultraboost SL , Nikon Pegasus 36, Ne Balance 1080V10, Brooks Ghost 12, Hoka Clifton 6, Saucony Guide 13(I miss their ISO) and Asics Glideride and Adidas Boston 8, which is my normal shoe......for 5km run or like that.
I honestly prefer the Puma to everything else now, I never thought I would say or write that but I do prefer Puma.........or Reebok to everything else.. for me many Puma fit great maybe because I have a pair of narrow feet.......my size is usually US 11 or 28.5cm for Adidas, 10.5 for NB, 11 for Asics and Nike too......for Saucony 10.......but for Reebok 10, for Puma 11.5......
And this is my first time to buy such a huge size.........I always thought my size is 10 US or 9.5 UK.
Many many Reddit guys and other experts told me Puma Hybrid foam sucks compared to the Boost of Adidas.......no no......they just do not know what they are preaching about, the Puma is better at least for fast paced running , IMHO.
But the Reebok Floatride foam seems even better, it is very cushy and comfy but not too soft like the Adidas UB.......
It is very responsive and super light.........and I can go faster in them than in most of other brand shoes.
Also, the outer sole is great on the Reebok......very durable, even after 2 months of running , no sign of any wear down.
The Saucony Guide 13 is also great, but I prefer their older ones like Omni ISO 5 or Guide ISO2.......as I loved their ISO fit system.... So I may not buy any more new Saucony serious performance shoes....I still get their classic shoes like Shadow 6000 or Grid 9000, though.
But for running or training I definitely prefer my new Reebok and Puma pairs.
I thought I loved my Nike Air zoom and Pegasus 36, but I hate the 37....so no more Nike for me......they are over-hyped, over priced over rated any way. All their PRO shoes are super , but for me Nike trainers are not so great any more as they do not sell the Pegasus 36 any more.
And I must admit , for my needs the worst shoes were the Hoka Clifton 6 and NB 1080v10..........I do not admit that as I am huge fan of NB brand.....but it does not fit me well, and it hurts me.........and the low quality soft foam like out sole of the NB 1080V10 lasted only 4 months.
My Adidas Boston lasted 10 months easily , so you see how weak the new NB is.
But many mags webs and forum experts rate it better than the Adidas Boston 8 or the Reebok Floatride Run fast 2....
I also tried the Asics Glideride , which was an expensive pair.
I think I paid 160 US or near that for these at Amazon........I got a size 11 as many guys told me Asics runs a bit small.....yeah it was small, in fact very small.....11 was too small...for me who usually wear a pair of 10 or 10.5.
So I returned it and used that money to get a pair of Adidas Alphaboost Grey Alien something , I liked the look and it felt very durable at a shop and so I ordered 11 online at Adidas site. Well it is a bit too big for me.....I never had any sizing issue with Adidas before , but this Alphaboost was really different....quite wide...the length was right, though.
But it is a great shoe, it is tough, well made with great Continental rubber sole, so I may keep it for gym and casual walk..........but as a running pair these are too heavy.
It has great traction to it as the sole is quite grippy, and like some review sites said it has a bit better traction than the UB.
So it may be a good shoe for running in the rain.
My point? Well I guess there are many great pairs of running shoes online for cheap and many running sites or forums like Reddit or other Quora, which I really hate as there are too many super opinionated fake experts especially in their fashion section...Reddit is childish but at least honest.
Quora experts always prefer Nike and Adidas, I like Adidas too , but is it always better than Puma or Reebok for every one for everything?
Nooooooooo. Seriously Adidas Ultraboost and Nike in general are all hyper overrated, they are good for sure, but not for every one for every use case.........
IMHO, NB is now also very overrated, their shoes are honestly very fragile , easy to wear down , their 1080 V10 and 997H were literally the only two shoes I have ever personally owned and literally fell apart just in 4 weeks or so.
Hoka is also super overrated in terms of durability, these are super weak, for me the cushioning tech alone easily justify the price, but all reviews should point how weak these shoes are out as normal people cannot try and buy a pair of running shoes.
In contrast Puma, Adidas, Reebok and Saucony last really long , at least my pairs....my Adidas Falcon Original (Star Wars edition) lasted 4 years and I wore them almost 3 times or 4 times every month for 4 years.
My Adidas Boston 8 is now 3 years old and still going very strong.....no sign of falling apart any time soon.
My Reebok Club C Star Wars one is still fine and it is also 4 years old. My Nike Airmax 200 and 90 are 3 years old and no sign of falling apart either...I think Hoka and NB are too weak, Asics too narrow.
So these do not work for me and I will have to return very soon.
I also need to return Adidas adidas NMD R1 V2 as they are too small and not very comfortable.....
I also disliked their Niejogger....and returned them.
I also returned NB 993 made in UK......sure it was well made , but well made does not mean durable.
It is same as camera, many Nikon fanboys think the Sony A7X is cheaply made plastic toy, but all of my Sony A7X have outlasted any of my supposed to be much better built Nikons......sure they and Fuji, etc. are well made , have a bit more quality feel to it, but that does not mean it lasts long or takes lots of abuse. My Sonys look cheap , very plastky (maybe), but they last long , very tough reliable.
I think NB is like Nikon or Fuji, these shoes look nice and look like made well and some are even made in USA or UK, but these do not last long.......any of my Nike , Adidas, Puma, or Reebok outlast these expensive Made In the first class country models.
I think many sneakerheads do not know it as they do not actually wear them as they are mostly collectors.
But if you abuse or even tax your shoes to their limit, then you may realize that these NB shoes are very weak.......maybe they do not use sweatshops like Nike , Asics, Adidas,etc......and these are a bit more ethical shoes than typical Nike or Adidas shoes, but still they are too weak for the price they ask for their made in the USA or the UK series..
I feel sorry for those sweatshop labors but they may appreciate Nikon , Adidas, Puma,etc. for providing decent jobs in that region of the SE Asia, maybe without the sweatshops they may not be able to live or make any money , who knows?
Nike is always criticized for that, but I know many people there actually appreciate them for providing actual JOBS.
Honestly, I was really really disappointed to figure it out....after all NB was my favorite shoe company.
I love the look of their Made in the USA series shoes....especially the 997 and 993.
So what my COVID-19 online shopping and return experience has taught me now ?
I think I have learned two things this time:
1 what internet reviewers call build quality is actually how they perceived the products they are reviewing or testing in a very short review period. so they just rate something feels great in their hands more durable or better build......it is nothing to do with actual build quality or durability of any product they claim they review.
2 do not trust internet reviews too much. we must try it on or out ourselves to see if it really works for us...as big brands like Sony, Canon, Leica for cameras , Nike , Adidas and NB for shoes always get most hype.........
And the Internet search engine is sometimes not very reliable....for example , if I type Reebok vs Puma, then many "Nike vs Puma or Reebok" articles or blogs come out on the first two three pages, not many of actual subject I want to know read about. I do not care about Nike, I do want to read about REEBOK vs PUMA.......but they do not allow me to read it...
So I ask it in some forums, but most of people there are Nike biased or Boost fanboys.....and tell me how Adidas or Nike blows these minor sneaker brands out of the water....
Well maybe for you, but for me Adidas, Nike , NB ,etc. are nothing special or better than Reebok, Puma or Sucony. In fact, I find Reebok and Puma quality better than the same or similar class Nike or Adidas(in general, of course).
In camera forums it is the same , exactly the same.......most of them are super biased and always love something they have and hate the rival brand and even belittle or mock them.
Many FM GM fanboys love the FE24mm f1.4 GM and hate the Loxia 25 2.4 or Voigtlander 21mm f1.4. And even we show them how much the Loxia is sharper in the corners at f5.6 and on for landscape type of use with some comparison images, they still argue against it......
So I stopped arguing or try to tell them how much Loxia 25mm is sharper than their beloved Sony 24mm GM, I just gave up......
I think actually trying as many things as you can buy and return yourself at your house actually worth the effort, as it is the only one way to know what will actually work or not for you.....everybody has a different set of needs for everything, everybody has different preferences for everything.
I have learned it the hard way(maybe the hardest way possible).
After I realized that Puma, Adidas and Reebok work for me, I have bought many many pairs of their so-called DAD shoes and more modern shoes too.
And I found most of their stuffs work great for me.
In this March I bought my first pair of Adidas Ozweego and these worked very well.....so I bought three more pairs of these in different colorways.
I also bought Adidas Haiwee , which , IMHO, is really underrated shoe....not much hyped and many reviewers trash it........but I think the gold Haiwee is beautiful.
And I got it very cheap at Adidas site. I think I paid only 4000 yen and free shipping. I also used 10 percent off coupon and the final price was like 2980 yen, about 25 USD.
I also bought a couple of blue pairs of Haiwee.
It is super comfortable and seems quite durable.
In this April, I bought a couple of pairs of NB 997h, a pair of made in the US 993, a pair of 997(I think it is also a made in the US pair).
But like I already said it fell apart just in a several weeks or so......and I did not abuse these...as these were not running or training pairs.
I also bought a pair of NB 1080 V10 and Propel shoes and these also fell apart in just a couple of months or so.
So now I know NB shoes do not work for me although I love their made in the USA series.
I think in this March , I tried a couple of ASICS Glideride running shoes and these are quite expensive ones, not like the cheap Adidas Ozweego or Haiwee.....the first pair costed me about 170 US, the second one costed me about 165 dollars. They too fell apart in a several weeks and I returned these to Amazon and still asking refund.
In the same month or maybe a month before that, I bought a couple of Adidas UB SL models in Rainbow pride color, I loved the look of the shoes , I planed to use these for upcoming this October's GLBTQ parade here, but these did not fit right and I had to return these to Adidas. Adidas return center is still closed here and they are asking to wait for a few more weeks to process my case.
So now, I know the much hyped so-called most comfortable pair UB do not work for me. But similar (but not much hyped) Adidas Alphaboost special edition worked for me..it was about 65 dollars or 6800 yen (I got it in the super clearance sale period in this Spring and I also used a coupon).
After that, I bought a few pairs of Puma Future Riders and Puma Cell Alien OG in red and rainbow like color(I think it is Japan limited version).
These are great for my feet. The Alien series seem to be very similar looking to my high school shoes in the 90's.
I also love their Thunder Fashion 2.0 shoes and bought these in many color ways.
I also loved Puma RSX Chinatown and RSX3 Toys.
I think Puma LQD Cell is a bit better than Nike Air or NB's similar tech.......but still the Reebok DMX moving air tech works the best for me.
I can literally walk 30 miles or more in them....I can never do the same in any other shoes. So I have 6 pairs of Reebok Ultra DMX walking shoes.
I also tried Hoka Clifton 6 , I think 3 pairs. I initially loved them. I loved these shoes a lot although I found these super ugly.
But after 3 weeks of light running , I found that these were already worn completely , usually it takes me a few years or a couple of years to get my Adidas Bostons to become as wornout look as the Hoka.
So I returned these....these super soft shoes do not work for me. The foam based super soft outsole design do not work, does not give me any sort of assurance.....wearing these Hokas make me feel weak.
So no more Hoka for me.
After I got money back from Amazon for my Hoaka Cliftons , I bought a couple of new Reebok Zig-kinetica in Rainbow color, which I did not get yet and in Green and magenta like colorway... I think these are very underrated workout shoes.
It may not be a great long distance running shoes, but it works great for gym or treadmill sessions.
I also bought a new pair of Club C and Classic Nylon (I prefer lighter nylon to leather) sneakers.
I also find their tees and shorts fit better on me than Adidas ones I used wear.
So why am I writing this?
Well reviews are sometimes good to some extent, but if you really want to know if it actually works for you you must try it yourself....
I think if you want to know about a pair of shoes, you must walk in it or run in it a lot , or at least use it for a few serious work out sessions........that is the only way to really know these...
Walking in these for a long distance, or running or working out in them for a few sessions really tell you if these actually work for you or not.....I tried many lenses , many cameras and many shoes myself in this spring (because I cannot work normally now), and now I know what brand of cameras , lenses, or what types of shoes actually work great for me.
I never thought I would miss my Loxia and Voigtlander as much as I did(after selling most of these lenses I owned).
I never thought Puma running shoes actually work great for me, although I was always a big fan of their casual lifestyle sneakers and I always felt they were super underrated....
And I never knew Reebok shoes are better built than similar class Adidas brand shoes(Adidas owns Reebok so).
In my hundred percent humble opinion, the Reebok Floaride energy foam is the most underrated sneaker tech in the sneaker history.
I think the main issue here is that most of super coveted collectors' sneakers are Basket ball shoes like Jordan something or Air Force One something , and therefore US sites and US opinions dominate the internet search engine.....and thus Nike always come up top on the google search lists (even when I search Reebok vs Adidas or Reebok vs Puma, Nike comes up on top, and that is super annoying).
But Asia, UK or EU not many people actually care about Basketball or BB shoes.......so the search results are not really accurate.......I think Adidas is actually way more popular than Nike except in the US, China and Japan.
When I visited Russia in last winter, I saw many more Adidas guys and girls than Nike people. Nike seems to be an old men brand there. It was the same in German, UK, Australia and Austria. I do not know anything about Italian sneaker market or like that , but I think it is the same or similar to the big German market.
So I must wonder if Nike's popularity online, or in internet forums really accurately reflecting the current sell trend of the market...
UPDATE: As I wrote this a few people sent me emails criticizing me of anti-Nike or Adidas.
They seem to be misunderstanding me, I never said I hate Adidas or Nike. I like some of their products, but I find some of their very popular products are not for me.....and many of their products are overrated or overhyped as they use lots of marketing money to feed the review community just like Sony or Fuji does in the camera world.
And the best way to find what actually works for you is to try as many shoes or cameras or lenses as you can , in case of shoes you just buy many pairs from Amazon or like that even if you just intend to keep one of these(as Amazon return policy is quite good always).
And many of Ultraboost fanboys accused me of my inability to appreciate the Adidas' groundbreaking tech in shoe industry.......and thus I am a moron.
Well I did not say I do not appreciate it or like that, but I just said it is overrated.........and super overpriced and only the morons buy it at the retail price.
Sure they might say UB is worth the price as the tech is really exclusive for Adidas, no.
I found a 60 US Puma Neko (means cat in Japanese)uses the same tech. If you are interested you can read an excellent review on the Puma Neko at Solereview.com.....
They said the Puma NRG foam they tested felt exactly like the Adidas Boost......and maybe even a bit better as it was a bit firmer and thus a bit more responsive.
However it did not feel as soft as UB as the sole outsole of the Puma as soft and grippy as the Adidas Continental rubber.
But in case of the Reebok Foever Floatride Energy 2 , you can get even better, with a bit more upbeat and responsive ride quality, and to our all surprise the Reebok pair cost only 65 US(or in Japan less than that like 45 US).......
I mean for 65US or less it is a steal......it is better than any Adidas except the Boston or serious line..but the Boston 8 or similar Adizero pro costs about 150 US, so.........
The Ultraboost shoes are fine shoes for emergency doctors or nurses , simply for long walk , but for running it is too soft.
I think those who cannot understand the ride differences between the UB and the say Reebok Forever Floatride Energy 2 are the Adidas boost fanboys who never tried any other brands shoes. In fact even the Nike React foam is better than the Adidas Boost.......as the Nike new foam is very cushy but not too soft like the Ultraboost.
Personally, I like the Saucony Ride and Guide series in terms of responsiveness, I think it is the best balance of plushy cushioning feel and secure stability in mid sole tech.
It is not very mushy or soft , but very comfortable, I think after about 10km run I feel less tired with the Saucony than with Adidas UB type of shoes..
Also, the Boost tech is not Adidas original........it is from German chemical company called BASF.
And Puma, Nike, ASICS, NB, Saucony,etc. all have the similar tech.
And I am sure those who love their UB and insist these are the most comfortable pair they ever had never tried the Reebok or the Hoka Bandi...if they did they know there are many equal or better than the UB in terms of cushion and overall comfortability.
That said , I have many Adidas shoes, and emphasize this again I am not bashing them....their CS is horrible, they are rude but I like many of their Original line shoes.
I love my Haiwee, Ozweego , I have lime green , grey and pink ones. I also love their Boston 8 and SL20......sure they make serious running shoes......but most of their serious shoes are racing type of shoes and not Ultraboost kind of super mushy shoes.......you cannot be stable in them while running fast or lifting heavy at a gym.
And IMHO, the Yeezys are the most overrated shoes........I think it is ugly.....even free I do not get these.....did I try it in person. Yeah I did. I just did not like these.
I also hate Nike Jordans , ugly and IMHO, all Basketball shoes (except Adidas Superstar) are super ugly.
Some Reebok Questions are great looking but heavy.
But I love Nike Airmax line shoes. I have Air Max 95, 200, 270, 90 and many others. I also like their Pegasus or Structure line, but the 37 iteration disappoints me as they put React in the midsole.
I like React , but I do not need it in addition to the Zoom Air.
So I may get a few pairs of their Pegasus 36.
I think I am not bashing or trashing any brand shoe or lens or camera, just telling you some are overrated and some are underrated and many reviews are not honest or accurate enough.......so the best way to know any of these is try as many as you can and just return the ones you dislike or less like..
