361 Flame Carbon Plate Shoe Review

Hello there, Tom here from The Run Testers with another first run review. In this video me and Nick are going to be talking through the 361 Flame Carbon Plate Running Shoe. Let's take a look. The 361 Flame costs around £150 in the UK or $160 in the US. It weighs 233g or 8.2oz for men in a size 8 and the drop is 8mm. The 361 Flame is a lightweight carbon plate race shoe designed to produce a fast heel to toe transition, high energy return and more efficient running at speed. The upper is made from a lightweight mono mesh with reinforced sections for added structure. There's a modest level of padding around the ankle collar for comfort, lean tongue design and a healthy level of outsole rubber to protect the midsole foam. So the fit for me in the Flames was true to size, definitely true to size, but what I would say is that it's quite a narrow shoe. I did a half marathon in it the other day and by the end of the race... My little toe had rubbed against the side of the shoe quite a bit so I'd go true to size but I'd probably say wear thicker socks with it just to protect your feet against the rubbing of the upper fabric. So fit for me is good true to size like it may be slightly longer the toe box but in a way I like like there's enough room there that means I have enough room for my toe over long runs at speed good lockdown fit around the heel of the midfoot so far after that kind of first run around 16k i did have to kind of fiddle the laces quite a lot to get a good kind of clamping fit around the midfoot but felt fine on the run uh so yeah all good i'd say true to size so i tested the 361 flame out at the lisbon half marathon over the weekend there's a race video up where you can see how that that race went so the first time i ever wore these was for that that 21 kilometer distance race and what I would say is that it's a shoe that myself and Nick have been looking forward to trying for a while because as you probably know we like testing new carbon plate shoes and comparing them with other carbon plate shoes out at the moment and this this shoe's been a bit elusive for us so we've only just got around to testing it now it's been out for a while so I didn't do the Lisbon half marathon at my usual race place because I've recently been injured and I'm trying to be a bit careful when I do races. just to make sure that I don't cause any more problems as I'm currently in recovery. But I did the race at probably a little bit faster than my base pace so I ran that race. I got 1.45 but my PB is about 1.27 so you can see it's about 20 minutes difference in there so I wasn't going all out on it. But I did pick up the pace in a few of those kilometers to sort of see how the delivered when running at what would be my usual faster pace. So what I found was that It's a really interesting shoe and I actually really enjoyed wearing it. Whenever you see one of these carbon plate shoes that doesn't have the sort of momentum behind it as shoes like the Vaporfly or the Outfly or the Metaspeed Sky, it's all a bit of an unknown and you don't really know how it's going to fare. Sometimes we try carbon plate shoes out that a brand has made that just don't deliver really and the 361 Flame could have been that shoe because We don't know a lot about it or didn't know a lot about it until now. There's not been a lot of marketing especially in the UK about the shoe. But what I found was that I was really impressed. I really enjoyed running in this shoe. I think it's a fantastic lightweight race shoe really. I would say that it doesn't feel like the Vaporfly. It's just a little bit harder, a little bit firmer. It doesn't have that same bounce that you get from the Vaporfly. but it's not miles off so it's not like a completely different type of shoe like something like the Hoka Carbon X2 or Carbon X3. It feels more like the Sockany Endorphin Pro 2 for me and definitely I think the shoe it feels the most like is the Nike Zoomfly. It has the feel of some of those carbon plate shoes. You can definitely feel the carbon plate in it when you're running it. does feel like there's a little bit of flex in it it does feel like it's pushing you forward and it is a thoroughly enjoyable run I think it I think you can definitely run quite a bit faster in this and for me I would say it delivers up there with some of the the best carbon plate shoes available at the moment I think that's also down to preference as well because I prefer running it in the Vaporfly I like the really soft bouncy ZoomX foam that's in there you I like the lightweight feel of it. I like having a little bit of cushioning in my carbon plate shoes. I also like the Alpha Fly but I prefer the Vaporfly. I don't like the Sockany Endorphin Pro 2. It's too firm for me and I just don't get anything from that foam and that carbon plate. It's just a very subtle plate in there that doesn't really give me anything that I like from a run. But what I found about the 361 Flame is that it has elements of all of those things. It feels to me like a Zoomfly, Nike Zoomfly, but with a little bit more... very lightweight feel to it. So it feels better than the Zoomfly for racing. And I think that shoe's very good for temporary training. And a few years ago, I'd probably say it was one of the better fast trainers out there, but now the competitors in the carbon plate market are just far better than that shoe. So this shoe, I think it was a very enjoyable run. I felt like I could run a lot further in it. Definitely felt comfortable to wear. It felt like it was propelling me forward. So yeah I think overall it's a very solid good option if you're looking for a carbon plate shoe and don't really want to spend the sorts of you know 220 pounds and above for some of the leading carbon plate shoes. This sits around the 160 pound mark I think. I just need to check that but I'll pop it up on screen if it's slightly different. Which I think is a good price for this. I'd probably say maybe 140 would be a better price for it. There are other shoes out there which have carbon plates which probably are in the same area of the shoe. I'd say something like the Hocker Rocket X is another good example. But for me, I think this is better than that shoe for what the carbon plate delivers. The Rocket X is a little bit less noticeable for me when it comes to the carbon plate. So overall, that half marathon first run test, I found it to be a very good shoe, very pleased with it so far. Delivers a lot better than I thought it might deliver. based on the fact that I didn't know anything about it. And yeah, really enjoyed that half marathon that I did. So I've about to head off and do my first run in the 3-6-1 Flame. I've got a tough workout lined up this morning. I'm going to be doing two sets of 3K in 10 minutes plus five 30-second hill reps. Should be a good tough test of the shoe. See how it holds up to kind of, you know, hard sessions that you might do in the week like this. All right then, let's go run. So I am back home again about 15 and a half k total including the workout which was very hard but good yeah first I've done that workout a few times this year it's the first time I've really nailed it um ran I think something like 9.48 and 9.55 for the 3ks the hill reps in the middle obviously just really accelerate fatigue so the second 3k just feels brutal by the end but yeah all good all good today and I'm gonna say the shoe felt really good I was um I think surprised I think honest is the word like I thought it'd be okay but It felt very impressive on the foot. It's got a lightning quick transition but it's not aggressive, it's not so snappy that it starts to you know hit you create a bit of foot fatigue. Well not in that run today obviously only 15 and a half k but you know with the with some long stints at hard paces I did wonder if it would get a bit uncomfortable but no it's got really fast and a smooth transition to it. A bit of cushioning but it just feels quick generally it feels lighter than it is. and it does the classic kind of carbon shoe thing whereas at the end of that second 3k just clinging on kind of for dear life um i it's one of those ones you're running and you look down and the pace is just better than you expect and shoes just kind of helping you hold on to the kind of 320k pace for the rep um so yeah all in all i was really impressed i think you've got to ease into it like with the shoe like if you're it is quite a um an intrusive ride in a sense like it is trying to make you almost run in a certain way and i think if you relax into that and just start ticking over it really works well and um i was very impressed also on a very mild downhill it really felt good and fast in the shoe like it was tipping you forward a bit so all in all 361 flame yeah was was great today like um i look forward to doing some more running in it i want to get a nice long hard run in it to see if it does get you know a little bit firm after a while but i don't think it will that foam isn't like soft and cushy and springy like some super shoes but it's got enough cushioning protection there it is reminiscent of kind of the feel of the endorphin pro and speeds foam the power on pb but the ride is less kind of rolly and smooth like you know the speed roll tech in those shoes it's more kind of snappy but it is a good amount of cushioning without feeling overly squishy and soft so all in all a very very good first impression only no only negative there's negative here it's loud it's definitely a loud shoe for me um yeah quite slappy and loud but today that was good because I was running around like suburban streets very fast and people hearing me coming as it's actually a bit of an advantage. So yeah very strong first impression of the 361 Flame, it's a shoe I look forward to doing a lot more running in. It's a very interesting and compelling shoe for me given the relatively low price, $160 kind of 180 euros, it puts it up against really the things like the Saucony Endorphin Speed, Hoka Rocket X, you know cheaper plated shoes that have always been you know offer good value for training whilst also being pretty good racers and so far it feels like it's going to hold its own against those shoes and obviously the endorphin speed is my favorite it's just the best shoe really i think so if it can hold its own against that then that really is a very good and encouraging thing um it's obviously not got quite the same ride it's a bit kind of snappier kind of traditional style to it as opposed to the smooth roll of the endorphin speed and actually the hoka rocket x as well has got a bit of a rocker going on. So yeah actually it might pair very nicely with another carbon plate racer in a very expensive rotation or it does look like it could be a very solid kind of trainer racer for your speed work intervals and races but I would say on the easier end of things and kind of steadier in tempo runs it's not quite as comfortable for me I'd say and natural on the foot as the endorphin speed like the 361 Flame today felt a lot better once you started moving at pace didn't feel bad at easy paces but yeah it's not a shoe that. It's not unstable because it's not crazy soft or anything, but yeah, it doesn't have the most natural ride when you're moving slowly, which is fair enough. It's, you know, it's built for speed and when you do start running at a pace, it's got a very, very nice ride to it. But a snappy, but kind of comfortable transition that I think should work pretty well for hard sessions and races. So, yeah, excited to get out on it again for some more training, maybe try and get a race in. I know Tom's going to race in it. So, yeah, we'll keep coming back at you with more thoughts about the 361 Flame once we've had a chance to do some more fast running in it. So my verdict on the 361 Flame after a first run is that it's a very interesting and exciting shoe. I think there's a lot of promise in this shoe. I'm definitely looking forward to testing it out on more races. At half marathon distance, I think it delivers really well. I think it's a shoe that's more designed for, well, just designed for all distances, really. I'd definitely like to give it a go at 5k distance. I think it'd be brilliant for 5k and 10k. But also equally, I think it'd be fine for a marathon as well. midsole is comfortable it's not too um too firm over marathon distance so i think there's enough cushioning in that to cover you for that distance and overall it's just a solid good carbon plate shoe which um i have high hopes for over the coming weeks as i test out in a couple more races that i've got coming up thanks a lot for watching don't forget to like and subscribe and click the little bell and check the channel out for all the other videos we've got from latest road and trail shoes to the latest watches and running headphones out at the moment thanks a lot for watching

Hello there, Tom here from The Run Testers with another first run review. In this video me and Nick are going to be talking through the 361 Flame Carbon Plate Running Shoe. Let's take a look.

The 361 Flame costs around £150 in the UK or $160 in the US. It weighs 233g or 8.2oz for men in a size 8 and the drop is 8mm. The 361 Flame is a lightweight carbon plate race shoe designed to produce a fast heel to toe transition, high energy return and more efficient running at speed. The upper is made from a lightweight mono mesh with reinforced sections for added structure.

There's a modest level of padding around the ankle collar for comfort, lean tongue design and a healthy level of outsole rubber to protect the midsole foam. So the fit for me in the Flames was true to size, definitely true to size, but what I would say is that it's quite a narrow shoe. I did a half marathon in it the other day and by the end of the race... My little toe had rubbed against the side of the shoe quite a bit so I'd go true to size but I'd probably say wear thicker socks with it just to protect your feet against the rubbing of the upper fabric. So fit for me is good true to size like it may be slightly longer the toe box but in a way I like like there's enough room there that means I have enough room for my toe over long runs at speed good lockdown fit around the heel of the midfoot so far after that kind of first run around 16k i did have to kind of fiddle the laces quite a lot to get a good kind of clamping fit around the midfoot but felt fine on the run uh so yeah all good i'd say true to size so i tested the 361 flame out at the lisbon half marathon over the weekend there's a race video up where you can see how that that race went so the first time i ever wore these was for that that 21 kilometer distance race and what I would say is that it's a shoe that myself and Nick have been looking forward to trying for a while because as you probably know we like testing new carbon plate shoes and comparing them with other carbon plate shoes out at the moment and this this shoe's been a bit elusive for us so we've only just got around to testing it now it's been out for a while so I didn't do the Lisbon half marathon at my usual race place because I've recently been injured and I'm trying to be a bit careful when I do races.

just to make sure that I don't cause any more problems as I'm currently in recovery. But I did the race at probably a little bit faster than my base pace so I ran that race. I got 1.45 but my PB is about 1.27 so you can see it's about 20 minutes difference in there so I wasn't going all out on it. But I did pick up the pace in a few of those kilometers to sort of see how the delivered when running at what would be my usual faster pace.

So what I found was that It's a really interesting shoe and I actually really enjoyed wearing it. Whenever you see one of these carbon plate shoes that doesn't have the sort of momentum behind it as shoes like the Vaporfly or the Outfly or the Metaspeed Sky, it's all a bit of an unknown and you don't really know how it's going to fare. Sometimes we try carbon plate shoes out that a brand has made that just don't deliver really and the 361 Flame could have been that shoe because We don't know a lot about it or didn't know a lot about it until now.

There's not been a lot of marketing especially in the UK about the shoe. But what I found was that I was really impressed. I really enjoyed running in this shoe.

I think it's a fantastic lightweight race shoe really. I would say that it doesn't feel like the Vaporfly. It's just a little bit harder, a little bit firmer.

It doesn't have that same bounce that you get from the Vaporfly. but it's not miles off so it's not like a completely different type of shoe like something like the Hoka Carbon X2 or Carbon X3. It feels more like the Sockany Endorphin Pro 2 for me and definitely I think the shoe it feels the most like is the Nike Zoomfly.

It has the feel of some of those carbon plate shoes. You can definitely feel the carbon plate in it when you're running it. does feel like there's a little bit of flex in it it does feel like it's pushing you forward and it is a thoroughly enjoyable run I think it I think you can definitely run quite a bit faster in this and for me I would say it delivers up there with some of the the best carbon plate shoes available at the moment I think that's also down to preference as well because I prefer running it in the Vaporfly I like the really soft bouncy ZoomX foam that's in there you I like the lightweight feel of it.

I like having a little bit of cushioning in my carbon plate shoes. I also like the Alpha Fly but I prefer the Vaporfly. I don't like the Sockany Endorphin Pro 2. It's too firm for me and I just don't get anything from that foam and that carbon plate. It's just a very subtle plate in there that doesn't really give me anything that I like from a run.

But what I found about the 361 Flame is that it has elements of all of those things. It feels to me like a Zoomfly, Nike Zoomfly, but with a little bit more... very lightweight feel to it.

So it feels better than the Zoomfly for racing. And I think that shoe's very good for temporary training. And a few years ago, I'd probably say it was one of the better fast trainers out there, but now the competitors in the carbon plate market are just far better than that shoe. So this shoe, I think it was a very enjoyable run.

I felt like I could run a lot further in it. Definitely felt comfortable to wear. It felt like it was propelling me forward. So yeah I think overall it's a very solid good option if you're looking for a carbon plate shoe and don't really want to spend the sorts of you know 220 pounds and above for some of the leading carbon plate shoes. This sits around the 160 pound mark I think.

I just need to check that but I'll pop it up on screen if it's slightly different. Which I think is a good price for this. I'd probably say maybe 140 would be a better price for it.

There are other shoes out there which have carbon plates which probably are in the same area of the shoe. I'd say something like the Hocker Rocket X is another good example. But for me, I think this is better than that shoe for what the carbon plate delivers. The Rocket X is a little bit less noticeable for me when it comes to the carbon plate.

So overall, that half marathon first run test, I found it to be a very good shoe, very pleased with it so far. Delivers a lot better than I thought it might deliver. based on the fact that I didn't know anything about it. And yeah, really enjoyed that half marathon that I did.

So I've about to head off and do my first run in the 3-6-1 Flame. I've got a tough workout lined up this morning. I'm going to be doing two sets of 3K in 10 minutes plus five 30-second hill reps. Should be a good tough test of the shoe. See how it holds up to kind of, you know, hard sessions that you might do in the week like this. All right then, let's go run.

So I am back home again about 15 and a half k total including the workout which was very hard but good yeah first I've done that workout a few times this year it's the first time I've really nailed it um ran I think something like 9.48 and 9.55 for the 3ks the hill reps in the middle obviously just really accelerate fatigue so the second 3k just feels brutal by the end but yeah all good all good today and I'm gonna say the shoe felt really good I was um I think surprised I think honest is the word like I thought it'd be okay but It felt very impressive on the foot. It's got a lightning quick transition but it's not aggressive, it's not so snappy that it starts to you know hit you create a bit of foot fatigue. Well not in that run today obviously only 15 and a half k but you know with the with some long stints at hard paces I did wonder if it would get a bit uncomfortable but no it's got really fast and a smooth transition to it. A bit of cushioning but it just feels quick generally it feels lighter than it is. and it does the classic kind of carbon shoe thing whereas at the end of that second 3k just clinging on kind of for dear life um i it's one of those ones you're running and you look down and the pace is just better than you expect and shoes just kind of helping you hold on to the kind of 320k pace for the rep um so yeah all in all i was really impressed i think you've got to ease into it like with the shoe like if you're it is quite a um an intrusive ride in a sense like it is trying to make you almost run in a certain way and i think if you relax into that and just start ticking over it really works well and um i was very impressed also on a very mild downhill it really felt good and fast in the shoe like it was tipping you forward a bit so all in all 361 flame yeah was was great today like um i look forward to doing some more running in it i want to get a nice long hard run in it to see if it does get you know a little bit firm after a while but i don't think it will that foam isn't like soft and cushy and springy like some super shoes but it's got enough cushioning protection there it is reminiscent of kind of the feel of the endorphin pro and speeds foam the power on pb but the ride is less kind of rolly and smooth like you know the speed roll tech in those shoes it's more kind of snappy but it is a good amount of cushioning without feeling overly squishy and soft so all in all a very very good first impression only no only negative there's negative here it's loud it's definitely a loud shoe for me um yeah quite slappy and loud but today that was good because I was running around like suburban streets very fast and people hearing me coming as it's actually a bit of an advantage.

So yeah very strong first impression of the 361 Flame, it's a shoe I look forward to doing a lot more running in. It's a very interesting and compelling shoe for me given the relatively low price, $160 kind of 180 euros, it puts it up against really the things like the Saucony Endorphin Speed, Hoka Rocket X, you know cheaper plated shoes that have always been you know offer good value for training whilst also being pretty good racers and so far it feels like it's going to hold its own against those shoes and obviously the endorphin speed is my favorite it's just the best shoe really i think so if it can hold its own against that then that really is a very good and encouraging thing um it's obviously not got quite the same ride it's a bit kind of snappier kind of traditional style to it as opposed to the smooth roll of the endorphin speed and actually the hoka rocket x as well has got a bit of a rocker going on. So yeah actually it might pair very nicely with another carbon plate racer in a very expensive rotation or it does look like it could be a very solid kind of trainer racer for your speed work intervals and races but I would say on the easier end of things and kind of steadier in tempo runs it's not quite as comfortable for me I'd say and natural on the foot as the endorphin speed like the 361 Flame today felt a lot better once you started moving at pace didn't feel bad at easy paces but yeah it's not a shoe that.

It's not unstable because it's not crazy soft or anything, but yeah, it doesn't have the most natural ride when you're moving slowly, which is fair enough. It's, you know, it's built for speed and when you do start running at a pace, it's got a very, very nice ride to it. But a snappy, but kind of comfortable transition that I think should work pretty well for hard sessions and races. So, yeah, excited to get out on it again for some more training, maybe try and get a race in. I know Tom's going to race in it.

So, yeah, we'll keep coming back at you with more thoughts about the 361 Flame once we've had a chance to do some more fast running in it. So my verdict on the 361 Flame after a first run is that it's a very interesting and exciting shoe. I think there's a lot of promise in this shoe.

I'm definitely looking forward to testing it out on more races. At half marathon distance, I think it delivers really well. I think it's a shoe that's more designed for, well, just designed for all distances, really.

I'd definitely like to give it a go at 5k distance. I think it'd be brilliant for 5k and 10k. But also equally, I think it'd be fine for a marathon as well. midsole is comfortable it's not too um too firm over marathon distance so i think there's enough cushioning in that to cover you for that distance and overall it's just a solid good carbon plate shoe which um i have high hopes for over the coming weeks as i test out in a couple more races that i've got coming up thanks a lot for watching don't forget to like and subscribe and click the little bell and check the channel out for all the other videos we've got from latest road and trail shoes to the latest watches and running headphones out at the moment thanks a lot for watching

Transcript for:361 Flame Carbon Plate Shoe Review

Transcript for:
361 Flame Carbon Plate Shoe Review