BMAI 42k Turbo Jing Tan Review

Background

Following my positive thoughts on the Carbon-plated shoes: Xtep 160x and Qiao Dan Q-Kungfu-Pro Fei Ying, I chanced upon this shoe while browsing Taobao. Carbon Plate, Pebax Foam, and a Full Coverage DSP Outsole, I was pretty eager to try them out. There were no reviews out at that point but I decided to take the risk and fork out $185 SGD. I had no prior expectations whatsoever as I have never heard of the ‘BMAI’ brand before.

Upper

Breathable Engineered Mesh & minimal 3D-printed overlays.

Thoughts

The upper is very roomy and comfortable. This is perhaps the best upper I have worn for a carbon-plated shoe comfort wise. The fit is less performance oriented but felt so comfortable while being so thin.

The upper is very breathable. I took them out a couple of times in 30+ degree weather and I had no hotspots.

The fit is true-to-size. The width is just right if not slightly roomy for my slightly wide feet.

The laces compliment the upper really well and provides a very uniform pressure distribution while being nimble and easy to tie. I prefer these laces compared to many others in the market.

The tongue is very minimally padded and somehow merges in so well with the upper. It did not feel as if it was a separate unit from the upper.

Moving on to the ankle collar, it does not have any padding other than the two cushion pads in the heel that come into contact with the back of the ankle. The padding is very reminiscent of the Nike Tempo Next and the Alphafly but softer and kinder on my skin.

I noticed that I often have problems with heel lockdown on many of the carbon plated shoes due to my narrow heel. This was no exception in this case. It did not help that there were no extra eyelets at the back to allow me to perform a heel-lock lace technique. I had minor slippage when running at faster interval paces but had no problems at tempo. I let my friend try out the shoe and he had no issues with heel slippage.

The Heel Cup in this shoe is relatively sturdy and built up compared to the Nike Vaporfly Next%.

All in all, the upper is one of the most comfortable that I have tried but does not offer the most performance oriented feel and lockdown.

Midsole Technology & Ride

-        Pebax based ‘Nylon 12’ Cushioning

-        Full length Carbon Plate

Thoughts

I am quite certain that this ‘Nylon 12’ midsole is pebax. It has a very similar level of bounce and softness to the Saucony Endorphin Speed while only being firmer mainly due to the difference in outsole. To the touch, the midsoles feel very identical.

The ride, while similar to the Saucony Endorphin speed, feels slightly smoother to me at faster paces. This could be due to the increased stiffness in the carbon plate vs the more flexible nylon plate in the speed.

The ride was surprisingly smooth at slower paces. It does not flow as well as it does when the pace is picked up but flows well at easy paces.

While on the firmer side of carbon plated shoes (excluding the likes of the Asics Metaracer and a couple more), the ride is definitely more stable then say the Nike Vaporfly Next% or the New Balance Fuelcell RC Elite. Those who dislike the immense softness of the abovementioned shoes should definitely keep this as one of your options.

 

Outsole & Durability

Technology

Full Length DSP Outsole Rubber Coverage

Thoughts

DSP rubber is the little rubber nubs commonly used in Japanese racing flats such as the Asics Sortiemagic, Tatherzeal or the Adidas Takumi Sen. It provides incredible grip on the track and the road, much more so than traditional rubber outsoles.

The rubber used in the BMAI is slightly different. It is not as grippy as that of the abovementioned models but that is a good thing. Being full coverage, having the same amount of outsole grip and being applied to the entire outsole would be an overkill. This could potentially slow the runner down.

The outsole still performed really well in both wet and dry conditions on most road surfaces (though I have not tried running with it on metal drains).

The incredible part of the outsole is that it is marketed to last at least 500km. That is pretty impressive for carbon plate racer standards. So far, I have not noticed hardly any wear at all.

Areas for Improvement

·     -  Small tweaks to the upper to improve lockdown

Comparisons

Saucony Endorphin Speed

Both shoes have a really similar ride. The Endorphin Speed is about $40 more expensive (who would have thought!), 5 grams lighter and is slightly softer. The BMAI has more grip and is ever so slightly more responsive due to its stiffer carbon plate (nylon plate in the speed). It’s a matter of personal preference. Personally, I wouldn’t mind going with any of them because of the similarities.

 

Xtep 160X

The Xtep 160X is 20 grams lighter, has much better lockdown and similar durability and outsole grip.

The Nylon 12 midsole on the BMAI feels slightly more dynamic than the more muted feel of the Xtep 160x. The Xtep 160x uses a fork shaped carbon plated shank instead of a full plate so it is more flexible and has a less noticeable ‘falling forward’ feel.

Both shoes perform really well at all speeds. I would use the Xtep 160x for hard intervals due to the better lockdown but would prefer the more fun ride of the BMAI for longer tempos.

 

New Balance FuelCell RC Elite

It all comes down to midsole softness preference. The fuelcell foam is much softer than the Nylon 12 midsole. Both shoes have very similar grip. The rc elite does not work well for flat footed people due to the medial instability. Also, the carbon plate is angled more aggressively in the BMAI and flows through my stride faster than the rc elite. If you overpronate, save the $170 SGD and get the BMAI

 

Final Thoughts

The BMAI 42k Turbo Jing Tan joins the Xtep 160x and Qiao Dan Q-kungfu Pro Fei Ying as one of the best affordable carbon plated shoes. You’ve probably not heard or researched about these China brands. You should.