rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 Review
By David Salas
rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0Price: $160 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.5 oz, g (men's size 10), 8.5 oz, g (women's size 7.5)
Stack Height: 37 mm heel / 32 mm forefoot
Drop: 5 mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily Training, Neutral Shoe
Pros: Well balanced midsole and geometry for easy mileage
Cons: Upper does run hot, midfoot wrap squeezes the sides of the foot some
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 is a neutral daily training shoe that aims to give a premium experience on the roads. The shoe uses an ETPU midsole and sock liner. There is some basic guidance with the Carbon Trax through the midfoot. The shoe uses a gentle rocker throughout the length of the platform and rides best at daily paces.
SIMILAR SHOES: HOKA Clifton 10, New Balance 880v15
PAST MODEL: rabbit Dream Chaser
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 fits true to size in my men's 9.5. The width of the shoe is slightly narrow in the heel, narrow through the midfoot, and normal through the forefoot. The upper uses a recycled polyester upper with ventilated holes throughout. The previous version of the shoe had a very stretchy upper that I did not love, and they reworked it to fix that. The material on the Dream Chaser 2.0 holds its structure much better, but does run a bit hot. Even with the ventilated holes, I feel the shoe warm up rather quickly. The wrap on the midfoot is also quite snug. Thankfully I did not develop any pain from it, but I can feel a dull pressure on the outside of my foot into my cuboid both standing and running. It is just fabric there, so I did not develop any major pressure issues, but it could be more comfortable through there. They made the midfoot more snug intentionally, but they may have gone a little too far in that direction on these. The length on the shoe is good and the dimensions in the heel and forefoot are pretty good otherwise.
I really hate to be that person, but I'm not sure that I am sold on the upper material on the Dream Chaser 2.0. There are better mesh materials out there and I think changing the material could make for a nicer experience. If they didn't change the material, then finding a way to make the midfoot less encroaching and the upper more breathable would be beneficial. In the current model, it almost feels like the upper was undercut on the lateral side of the shoe through the midfoot. In my opinion, there are better uppers out there, but thankfully the rest of the shoe does have a nice midsole and ride.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild to moderate
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: The rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 performed decently well for daily training efforts. The specifications of the shoe are relatively similar to many other shoes on the market, with a familiar rocker geometry as well. The ETPU based midsole gives a bouncy feel to the shoe as well. The midsole has some compliancy to it, but still maintains its structure pretty well. The result is a plush, but slightly firm element to it. The rocker geometry feels smoother in this version than the predecessor. The forefoot has a little bit of flexibility, but less than before (which feels like a good thing to me). This shoe runs very neutral throughout, with some very basic guidance features from the Carbon Trax that hug the medial and lateral sides of the shoe through the midfoot. The initial contact at the heel is not bad, and transitions over the midfoot pretty well. The forefoot has a rockered feel to it, but with a little bit of give thanks to the flexibility. The shoe definitely performs best at daily effort paces. The bounce in the shoe gives some life to easier efforts, but the pop stops there when you really start to pick up the pace. I have found that the shoe settles into rhythm surprisingly well, and this platform is something that I could definitely use for daily training.
The outsole configuration hugs the edges of the shoe, leaving an exposed midline. I do think that this makes the shoe feel a little more plush when landing, especially through the forefoot. I am still on the fence about the Carbon Trax. They feel better in this updated version than the previous, but they can still give some rigidity in ways that are not always welcome. I did have one situation where I accidentally stepped on a small rock on the road and I could feel the Carbon Trax resist it and give a snapping like sound and sensation to the underside of my foot. I checked my shoe after, and they seem to be intact, but I think I would have like for the shoe to just have some natural give in that situation. I do think they are integrated better in the second version though. The outsole traction is pretty average, but should serve your needs for road mileage. I had a little bit of quick wearing in my posterior lateral heel initially, but it seems to be holding pretty steady now.
Overall, I do like the ride of the rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 and could see the platform as a decent daily trainer (looking past the upper considerations).
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 is a very neutral shoe. The platform width is very normal and there is not any major use of sidewalls throughout the shoe. There is some mild sole flaring through the heel and forefoot. The Carbon Trax seem to provide some mild guidance, though this shoe still runs very neutral throughout. The ETPU midsole has a little bit of give to it and outside of the Carbon Trax, there really isn't much else to work on guidance. Outsole traction is pretty average throughout. Upper security is significantly better than the first version though, and for what its worth I did feel like I could trust my steps this time around in the shoe. The Dream Chaser 2.0 is a neutral shoe for settling into rhythm.
Thoughts as a DPT: Bony Foot Anatomy Considerations
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
Our feet are pretty amazing. They are one of the few things on our body that interact with the world around us constantly via touch. They also support our entire body weight, and with a little help, multiple times our body weight when we run. There are many components to the foot, and although I won't go into a full anatomy lesson here, I just wanted to touch on some basic considerations to look for when making a shoe.
In physical therapy, there is a phrase that many use for identifying specific bony locations. We call these "bony landmarks". These are areas where bones will have a slight extension off of their normal path for muscle/tendon, ligament, and other attachments or considerations. These are usually things that you can feel or see with palpation. In our foot/ankle, some notable bony prominences (areas of bone that are close to the skin's surface) come off of the calcaneus, navicular, tibia and fibula, the 5th metatarsal, and more. I want to focus on the 5th metatarsal and the cuboid here. These bones are on the outside of our foot. The cuboid is part of the midfoot, with the metatarsal being the long skinny bone that essentially sets the lever for your phalange (toe) at the next joint. Your 5th metatarsal at its proximal end (closer to the ankle vs. the toes) actually extends out laterally a bit. The head of the 5th metatarsal is visible on a lot of people. This blends in with your cuboid in the midfoot, where there is a lot of coordination at play for supination/pronation, and shock absorption. When making an upper, it is important to have a hold on the foot, but to not make it too narrow through the midfoot either. When you do, you can place excessive pressure on these regions and potentially create irritation with some of the movements listed above.
I have a pretty prominent metatarsal head and cuboid, and although I don't normally have issues with shoes fitting in those regions, I did feel some pressure from this model. A snug midfoot is not necessarily bad, but there are some basic considerations to look at when it comes to fit.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I was pretty happy with the midsole and ride of the shoe, but I definitely have some recommendations for the upper. The upper material definitely runs warm, even with some of the added ventilation. The midfoot wrap on the shoe also seems to be a little too snug. It feels like the shoe is undercut some on the lateral side, as I can feel the material pushing into my lateral midfoot on both sides. The dimensions otherwise are pretty good throughout. I hate to be that person, but I think it may be best to move forward from this upper material and move towards a more comfortable mesh or knit material. For walking and basic usage, this upper material seems to be okay, but it runs pretty warm quickly while running.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The rabbit Dream Chaser 2.0 is a daily training shoe for those that want a neutral gently rockered ride for easy road miles. The shoe does have a little bit of added rigidity through the midfoot with their Carbon Trax that line the medial and lateral sides of the midfoot. There is mild forefoot flexibility as well. For those that like rockers that give a touch of forefoot flexibility can have that experience here. The upper does synch down pretty snug through the midfoot. For me it is a little too much, but those that want a snug hold or have narrow feet, this could be worth looking into. The same goes for those that want warmer uppers. The Dream Chaser 2.0 does provide a nice geometry and ride, with some considerations for the runner on their upper preference.
GRADES
David
Fit: C+/B- (Heel and forefoot feel pretty good, midfoot too snug and upper material runs too warm for my liking)
Performance: B+ (I think I'd like to see the shoe without the Carbon Trax, but the ride is actually pleasant and gets into rhythm well, outsole traction very average)
Stability: B (A very neutral shoe throughout, but Carbon Trax and upper lockdown provide some basic stability)
Value: B- (At $160, I do think there are nicer options out there, but if this was at 145 I think its pretty reasonable)
Personal: B- (I genuinely like the ride and platform of the shoe. For me its the upper and fit that is the deal breaker.)
Overall Design: B-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORrabbit Dream Chaser 2.0Price: $160 at Running Warehouse
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