Power Energy Run 500

The Power Energy Run 500 is a proper racing shoe sold in India under ₹5,000. I bought it on Flipkart for ₹5,000; the retail price is ₹6,000. I tested it with about 5 km of slow jogging at my usual 7:30 min/km pace, then about 2 km at tempo pace with sprints. At 4:00 and 3:30 min/km the foam really comes alive. It feels lively and helps you run. At 6 to 7 min/km it only protects you from impact. You do not feel softness or liveliness at slow paces. Bata does not say what the midsole foam is. To me it feels like Phylon, but softer and more responsive than the budget foams Nike uses, and not heavy. When I press it, it rebounds quickly. It is not a dead, cotton-like foam that hurts my knees. Of about 300 shoes under ₹5,000 I have bought and tested, this foam is unique for the Indian market. It is fairly dense, so I expect at least 500 km, and 600 to 800 km if you keep it for racing and speed work. My UK 8 weighs 260 g and feels lighter. The upper is a thick synthetic mesh, very breathable and spacious. There is room in the forefoot, a thumb's width at the toe and good toe box height, so nothing rubs. As in racing shoes, the tongue is not gusseted and there is no heel counter. The laces are not elastic. Overall the upper is above average, not good. The forefoot is wider than the heel, which I like. It feels stable. The heel is a bit wobbly for heel strikers, and I would never recommend it to beginners or anyone without ankle stability. If you use it as a daily trainer, the thin upper may tear by about 400 km, and the outsole will wear faster on tar roads. It suits runners under 80 kg who want a shoe for 5 km, 10 km and half marathon races, intervals, tempo and fast long runs at 3:30 to 5:00 min/km. Beginners should spend about ₹1,000 more on something like the ASICS Cumulus 27 instead. On Flipkart it is about ₹4,500 today, and sometimes under ₹4,000 in a sale. For the racing profile, I would definitely recommend it.