Zitanos 2.0
218 grams. 72% energy return in testing. Built to an 800km lifespan target across every surface a British training week throws at you. One shoe built for the whole day.
The running shoe for the ones who were counted out.
WHY IT MATTERS
This is a running shoe, built to do one thing properly. Take you further, mile after mile, season after season.
Light enough to feel fast on race day. Cushioned enough to protect you on the long Sunday effort. Durable enough to still be there when the training block is done. Made for runners who put in the work when no one is watching.
Designed through a collaboration between our team in Staffordshire and our designer in Brazil. Developed across 47 prototypes and more than 16,000km of testing. This is what happens when a brand builds a running shoe and refuses to cut a corner.
RUN WITH INTENT
At 218 grams, the Zitanos 2.0 disappears on foot. That is 14% lighter than the category average, not because we stripped it back, but because every component earns its place. The EVA midsole runs at 45C durometer, which means it is firm enough to feel fast and cushioned enough to protect you over distance. 72% energy return per stride in testing. That is the difference between a shoe that carries you and one that works with you.
The 6mm heel to toe drop promotes natural forefoot striking and reduces joint load whether you are chasing a personal best on race day or running easy on a Tuesday morning.
- Weight: 218g (UK 8)
- Energy return: 72% from responsive EVA compound, in development testing
- Drop: 6mm for natural gait and reduced joint stress
- Toe box: 102mm anatomical race fit with no cramping
BUILT FOR EVERY SURFACE
The carbon rubber outsole runs a 3mm lug depth and is built to an 800km lifespan target across concrete, treadmill, gravel and wet tarmac. Fewer seams means less friction and more miles before you notice the shoe at all.
When the light drops, the 3M Scotchlite integrated yarn keeps you visible without changing how the shoe looks in daylight. Early morning starts should not come with risk.
Outsole: Carbon rubber, 800km lifespan target
Reflectivity: 3M Scotchlite integrated yarn
Upper: Hexagonal lock structure for breathability and a locked-in midfoot
Construction: Welded overlays, strobel board, fewer seams
BUILT RESPONSIBLY
We are building the Zitanos 2.0 with recycled and bio based materials, and choosing suppliers who work to recognised standards.
Performance and sustainability are not a trade off. We are building the Zitanos 2.0 to prove it.
For the full picture of where we stand, including what we have not solved yet, read our Sustainability and Ethics page.
LIGHTWEIGHT PRECISION
At 218 grams, every component earns its place. The Zitanos 2.0 is 14% lighter than the category average not because we stripped material but because we only built in what a serious runner actually needs. Less weight in the shoe means more energy in your legs. Mile after mile.
Stat: 14% lighter than category average
RESPONSIVE CUSHIONING
The EVA midsole runs at 45C durometer. Firm enough to feel fast. Cushioned enough to protect you into the later miles. 72% energy return means your push off comes back to you, every stride. Proven through development testing before we took it to production.
Stat: 72% energy return
BREATHABLE WAVE MESH UPPER
The hexagonal lock structure keeps the upper stable at speed while the engineered wave mesh manages airflow across every zone. Your feet stay cooler for longer, which means fewer reasons to slow down.
Stat: Engineered for airflow across the whole foot.
VISIBILITY IN MOTION
3M Scotchlite yarn is woven into the upper, not applied on top, so it sits clean in daylight and lights up at night. Because 5am starts should not come with a risk attached.
Stat: 3M reflective yarn, woven in
SUSTAINABILITY WITHOUT SACRIFICE
Performance and responsibility should never compete. We are building the Zitanos 2.0 so they do not have to.
RECYCLED AND BIO BASED MATERIALS
We are developing the upper and midsole with recycled and bio based components. The aim is real performance with a lower footprint, not one at the cost of the other.
DURABLE DESIGN
Built to an 800km lifespan target, not 300km. The most sustainable shoe is one you do not have to replace. A shoe that falls apart is not sustainable no matter what it is made from.
HONEST ABOUT WHERE WE ARE
We are pre-launch. We are not going to claim certifications we have not earned yet. We will publish the full material breakdown and supplier certifications, with the paperwork to back them, in our first responsibility report.
View our Sustainability and Ethics page →
The Zitanos 2.0 has thousands of kilometres of real world testing behind it. Run by seven runners from London to Nairobi, Manchester to Cape Town. Nathan B put in 1,500km in Iten, Kenya. Andre P ran 1,300km across Johannesburg. Daniel K, a marathoner from London, ran 1,200km and said the shoe held up into the final stages of a marathon. That is not a marketing line. That is the data.
Every pair ships with free UK returns. If the fit is not right we will sort it, no forms and no runaround.
This is a pre-order. 300 pairs. Ships January 2027. Your payment funds the production run. If we do not hit our target, every backer gets a full refund. First in line, before anyone else on earth.
More than 16,000km in development | Free UK returns | 300 pairs only | Ships January 2027
3M REFLECTIVE SAFETY DETAILS
3M Scotchlite yarn is woven directly into the upper, so it works in every wash and every weather. It catches light from every angle, the moment the light drops. Clean by day. Unmissable at night.
BREATHABLE WAVE MESH UPPER
The engineered wave mesh upper manages airflow across the whole foot. Whether you are running tempo intervals or grinding out the long Sunday miles, your feet stay cool and dry.
ZITANOS RESPONSIVE EVA FOAM MIDSOLE
The responsive EVA compound returns 72% of energy with every stride. Cushioned enough for your long run on Sunday. Firm enough for your track session on Wednesday. One midsole that handles both without compromise.
We did not send these shoes to influencers. We gave them to runners and asked them to run. Real distances, real conditions, real feedback. Here is what they found.
Seven runners. Real prototypes. Real miles
Daniel K. — London, UK
Sub-3 Marathoner
"I have run this shoe deep into marathon territory and it never gives up on you. The cushioning stayed consistent from mile one to mile twenty six. That is not something most shoes can say."
Marcus T. — Manchester, UK
Marathon Runner | 900+ km tested
"I used it for training and I raced in it on the day. It felt the same in both. That consistency is what you want from a marathon shoe and most do not deliver it."
Ethan R. — Birmingham, UK
Club Runner | 750+ km tested
"My club sessions go hard and my long runs go easy, and this shoe handles both without asking me to think about it. Good shoes disappear on your feet. This one does."
Jason M. — Cape Town, South Africa
Endurance Runner | 1,100+ km tested
"Over a thousand kilometres and the outsole still looks reasonable. I run on tarmac, gravel and track and it has taken all of it. I was not expecting that kind of durability from a first generation brand."
Caleb O. — Nairobi, Kenya
First-Time Marathoner | 600+ km tested
"My first marathon. I did not know what I needed in a shoe so I just ran in these and trusted them. They got me to the finish line without the foot issues I was warned about. That matters more than anything technical."
Andre P. — Johannesburg, South Africa
Long-Distance Runner | 1,300+ km tested
"I do back to back long runs most weekends. My legs used to feel it the next morning. With these on I recover better between the two. The cushioning seems to give rather than resist."
Nathan B. — Iten, Kenya
High-Mileage Runner | 1,500+ km tested
"Fifteen hundred kilometres is a real test of a shoe and this one passed it. The midsole has not collapsed. The upper has not started to pull away. I have run in shoes that cost twice as much and fallen apart faster."
Zitanos 2.0 Key Features
The three things we obsessed over so you do not have to think about them mid run.
3M™ Reflective Safety Details
Most shoes slap a bit of reflective tape on the back and call it done. This is different. The 3M yarn is actually part of the upper so it catches light from every angle. If you run before sunrise or after dark you will know how much that matters. Cars see you before you see them.
Breathable Wave-Mesh Upper
Your feet overheat before your legs give out. That is the part nobody talks about. The mesh on this shoe actually breathes and you feel it on longer runs when everything else starts to feel heavy and hot. Mile 18 feels different when your feet are not cooking inside the shoe.
Zitanos Responsive EVA Foam Midsole
There is a version of cushioned that feels like running on a mattress. Soft but slow. This is not that. You get the protection on landing and then it gives you something back. After 900km Marcus from Manchester said it still felt the same as the first week. That is the midsole doing its job quietly.
Detail
Proof Point
218 grams (UK Size 8)
14% lighter than category average (254g)
6mm
Optimal for forefoot strikers; reduced joint load
Engineered mesh with hexagonal lock structure
Built for breathability and a locked-in midfoot.
Responsive EVA compound, 45C durometer
Energy return: 72% in development testing.
High-abrasion carbon rubber, 3mm lug depth
800km lifespan target.
3M Scotchlite integrated yarn
3M reflective yarn woven into the upper, not applied on top.
Anatomical race fit
102mm toe box
Strobel board, welded overlays
Fewer seams than a traditional build.
