So I was all set to order the Leili 2's as a nice chill recovery shoe based on the rave reviews it's been getting for that purpose when I saw Qiaodan's social media teasing the specs for the 2GT. They claimed higher energy return (95%! doubtful...) and lighter weight (187g @ size 41) than the Leili 2. Since Qiaodan has built up a pretty decent reputation, even if the specs didn't quite fully pan out I thought they sounded good enough that I decided to give em a try - gasp - before any reviews had come out. Most importantly, I slightly preferred the general aesthetic a little bit over the standard Leli 2.
Ordered them via the Taobao app for $140 CAD shipped to door.
Some background:
5'7, 150lbs, ran a 3:55 marathon and 1:39 half, easy pace 5:15-5:45 min/km, thresholds around 4:20-4:30 min/km, intervals 3:50-4:00ish. In between blocks right now so just averaging 35-45km/week for base maintenance, doing some hiking and trail running over the summer.
First impressions are from a very slow and tired 6km run following a massive trail day, and a more recovered 13km run.
Fit & sizing
Ordered the 2GT's in true to size 41.
Other shoes:
- Adidas EVO SL, 7.5
- Adios Pro 4, 8
- Li Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra, 41
- Li Feidian Challenger 5, 41
I found these to fit reasonably well true to size, although they are definitely a little narrow in the forefoot - I definitely get some pinky toe pressure on both sides. On the other hand, they are comfortable through the midfoot and heel. I find on my RH9U's I get a little bit of arch/midfoot pressure which can start to feel crampy if I don't lace them just right. These are comfier in that regard, but yeah the narrowness is shifted more forward. No problems in the Evo SL or AP4 but I think those uppers are just so thin and pliable that they seem to be more forgiving. I did find the L2GT's to be pretty high volume in the front.
One interesting thing is I am finding the L2GT's upper to be a little meh. Theres some rigidity (compared to my adidas or 5 challenger) which highlights the forefoot narrowness for me. I also have been finding it to be noticeably less breathable than the other shoes I've listed above. Not a deal breaker but I just haven't noticed my feet getting warm in any other of my listed shoes, but I definitely did in these. I'm running in about ~mid 20s C, 60-70% humidity with fairly thin running socks.
The Run
Sometimes I have a bit of a gripe where reviewers will say this shoe is wild, I ran so much faster at a lower heart rate and it's so amazing! I feel like that's such an easily bias-able take, especially when you get a new shoe in and you're all excited for it. Well, eating my words now because I did my 13km easy run and was deliberately focusing on just keeping my heart rate low, and I still ended up 20s/km faster than my usual pace on the same route.
On first impression, it just seems like a very light, nicely cushioned shoe - it is generously cushioned stack wise and also width wise, with the wider base giving it a very nice stable feel. My route has a couple of hairpin turns that I always have to be quite mindful of and slow down in the RH9U's, but with these I could take them almost without breaking pace. At a very easy pace (for me, around 5:30-5:40/km), they just seem neutrally nicely cushioned - gives a nice rebound but not remarkably bouncy like the red hare's are at the same effort.
The second you go from easy to, still easy but with pep in the step, it starts giving you more and more in an addicting way. I did a few strides up to 3:50/km and it just felt like I could go faster and faster the more I put down. The rebound at higher effort is really incredible, I couldn't even get close to bottoming out the foam. It almost feels to be like they took the lightstrike pro in the Evo SL and made it thicker, wider, bouncier, without changing the weight at all. It never became mushy, but just less exciting when going really easy.
I'm not an experienced shoe reviewer so hopefully that all makes sense, lol. Basically, the more you give it, the more it gives back, which is probably why I ended up running faster - not that it's inherently forcing me to, but putting in just a little more force through it gives it an addicting bounce. It's similar in that sense to a fresh out of box Evo SL but even more so, and contrasts with the RH9U's, which are high bounce even at really chill paces - but maybe top out at the upper end.
Use Case
I could see these being a one shoe quiver. They're really great for anything from easy up to threshold. The only caveats I'd have to that are if you like a quiver, they're not the most exciting at really easy paces (although nicely cushioned, stable, and light), and if you run somewhere really hot, you might find them stuffy.
Overall, 0 regrets with buying these, and I'll be using these for everything from easy runs, long runs, tempos, thresholds, Really fast intervals I might keep using my Feidian 5 Challengers (partially to justify having bought them...) but I don't see why these couldn't handle those also. To have a shoe this good and this light for under $150 CAD shipped is just wild.