Hardwear
Product 2020
Woman, Man
We have tested many 361° but never the Strata. Until now, with these fourth generation road shoes.
Two points stood out for those testing these 361° Strata 4: the foot envelopment and great rear section comfort. You need to study the instep area to understand how 361° came up with a technical solution to provide such a good foothold. The brand calls it a “kimono” tongue (similar to how you overlap the garment), which is very similar to ski boots. We remember Rossignol’s overlap, which covered one side of the foot with a tongue that spread down to the very bottom of the foot’s opposite end. This same tongue is kitted with a complex mesh of mini straps which, in addition to the laces, give more tightening on the instep. The result is a really super foothold. It is really precise but not brutal, you still have comfort and flexibility despite the different materials and tiny folds that appear on the tongue. This assembly is so efficient that you can practically run with the 361° Strata 4 with the laces completely undone.
The heel-hold leans towards comfort with substantially thick foam padding. The Strata 4 are practically blister impossible! They are ideal for marathon distances where you aren’t looking for high-performance, but comfort.
The 361° Strata 4 have undeniable qualities, but their 320g weight (in size 42.5) does not classify them among the lightest. Even though these products don’t quite compete in the same category, the Hoka One One Clifton Edge weigh 240g, One Running Cloudflyer are 270g.
You can feel the extra grams at the back of the shoes, which is fine if you aren’t trying to beat the clock. This sensation is amplified by the sole, which does its job but doesn’t spring as much as certain models do. The recovery, spring, and desire (or the feeling) to project forward are less noticeable. To be honest, the 361° Strata 4 lean more towards comfort than performance.
The 8mm drop sole has deep heel cushioning and significantly less under the metatarsals. Once again, this cushioning is focused more on comfort than precision. By this we mean that you don’t need a lot of skill to run with these 361° Strata 4. Messy or fatigued foot strikes are acceptable. Contrary to what the brand states they aren’t very stable (especially laterally: slight roll). This isn’t a problem for most runners, but the results are lacking for those more aggressive runners They are also relatively flexible at the forefoot.
At any rate they are very pleasant to run with, extremely comfortable, yet could be a tiny bit more lively. They are beautifully manufactured, irreproachable with quality materials and carefully assembled. It is a bit early to say, but the shoes seem durable.
The 361° Strata 4 are distinguished by an extremely precise foot envelopment around the instep, great comfort and unmistakable manufacturing quality. They are more suited to enjoyment and long road runs. More experienced runners will complain about their weight and less dynamic sole than some competing products.
18 mm8 mm 
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
Receive your answers by mail. Do you have a particular question concerning the design, use, durability or other about a tested product? We will answer your question personally.
