Anta PG7 an under $100 dollar running shoe?

Anta is among the top 3 sportswear companies world wide (Behind Nike and Adidas only) and the largest in China.  They have Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving with endorsements of their basketball shoes.  

They have opened a brick and mortar Anta shop in Los Angeles, have a US website that is active and also sell on Amazon.  At this point they are only selling a segment of their running shoes in the US. 

They have recently bought 29% shares in Puma, which makes them the majority owner from a shares perspective.  In addition they have partial ownership/joint ventures in other brands such as Amer Sports.  I mention that, because brands under Amer Sports include Arc'teryx, Salomon and Peak Performance.  

This may be the largest running shoe brand you have not heard of (it was for me). 

The Deets:
So, my first lesson in running shoes from the East is that they mostly don't provide the specification details that we are used to in the West. So, some of this is my best guess on compiled information from reviews and ChatGPT. 

My size 12's came in weighing: Left 12.9 Ounces, Right 13.5 Ounces
Sample size weight: No data found
Heel Stack: between 36mm and 40mm, my guess is 38mm.  I had them and a 38mm shoe (Saucony Ride) and they felt even
Drop: 8 MM
Upper: Engineered mesh with TPU overlays
Outsole: A-GRIP sole is not only light in material, but also has good elasticity and wear resistance

Midsole: The foam is an EVA based foam, potentially supercritical. 

MSRP: $70 to $90 (I bought for $70 on Amazon, it was $80 on the Anta site at that time and is now $90 on both sites.  Prices seem to fluctuate)

Use cases:

I ran 31 miles in mostly dry conditions on concrete as well as a test run of a couple miles in wet conditions.  I also walked 6-8 miles in them as I used them at the office and walked the parking lot at lunch and around the office area during the day.   I mainly did easy to steady pace in my runs.

PG7 ModelThis model looks fairly straight forward, but that is because they have kept all the other models from the US market at this point in time.  They have around 5 to 7 iterations of this model in other markets, so it can be a bit confusing when you start researching their models outside of what is offered in the US.  The models seem to vary quite a bit in foams, designs, outsoles and uppers from model to model.  

Laces: Nice strong laces with a grid pattern in the threading that did a great job of holding the laces in place
Tongue: The tongue is a lightly padded tongue with a full gusset system and lace loop.  The tongue and throat are spot on in their set up for a daily trainer type of shoe
Upper material: Engineered mesh with some TPU support.  The upper fairly thick, so may not be the best for hot summer days in Houston, but it is very comfortable, supportive and durable
Heel: The heel is a fairly rigid set up in combination with the collar that has a slight flare to it.  I had no issues with heel slippage.  The collar is slightly thicker than I normally like for summer usage, but is again very comfortable
Toe Room: I had no hot spots from the toe room and felt like I had good wiggle room without any slippage.  It feels like their is plenty of room in the toe box
Fit: The shoe fit perfectly true to size in my size 12's.  No adjustments needed at all, great fit. 

The outsole is a strong point of these shoes.  At first appearance I thought it was going to be a very hard rubber without flexibility, but it actually worked well with the underfoot feel as it was also performing well on it's design intentions (giving good protective grip).  

They have a nice later of slip resistant rubber on the shoe with some segregation points to allow flex.  At around 40 total miles on the shoes, I am showing very little wear at all.  I expect great than average durability from this outsole. 

The outsole performed very well in wet conditions and was quiet in the office environment (No squeaks). 

The midsole offers a fairly traditional EVA potentially supercritical EVA type of underfoot feel.  My gait and running style tend to flatten out EVA based foams and this experience was fairly in line with that history.  

For walking, the underfoot feel is very nice.  I walked in this shoe in the office, in the parking lot at lunch and walking my dog around my neighborhood.   If you are looking for an inexpensive shoe to take on travels or just use for everyday use that includes some running, this is a shoe you should consider based on the cost and ride. 

For running, it is a very protective ride without much rebound and feedback.  It does have a mid-high stack of foam with an 8mm drop, which allows for a nice mechanical ride when running and protect the feet.  It is a shoe that you can do longer runs in, but one I would probably use for just those daily grind miles.  It has the protection to do more, but my preference is to have a shoe that provides more sensory feedback on longer runs.  

In combination with the durability of the upper and outsole, I also believe this midsole will maintain durability for above average amount of miles.  

I walked with the Ride 18 and Glycern 21 around on one foot and the PG7 on the other.   I think this shoe feels like a combination of those 2 shoes.   The foam is mostly there for protection and to give back only what you put into it.  It feels like the mechanics of the Ride 18 with the foam of the Glycerin 21. 

In the current market, the closest direct comparison is probably the Brooks Revel Max at $120 USD

The price point of the Anta is a clear advantage

At the price point within the USD market, this shoe has an advantage over other shoes at it's price point.  It's going to offer durability, protection, multi-functional, a nice design with a price point at MSRP that is hard to find.  It is heavy and doesn't have the higher end foam in it, but if you are looking for a grinder shoe to use for some running miles, walking miles, to wear around town or walking the dog, maybe into the office with a few miles of running after then this shoe is a shoe I would consider. 

The question I now have, is if this price point makes it a good value proposition within the Eastern Market?  Stay tuned for future reviews coming that may offer additional options at under 100USD. 

Link to Anta US store: https://anta.com/collections/anta-running