Whether it’s the use of carbon plates or deeper profiles of ‘super-foams’, these shoes use the latest innovation to empower your run
Mizuno – Neo Vista – £180.00
This new performance trainer from Mizuno is as exciting to run in as it is looking.
Bringing racing shoe technology to an everyday training shoe, you can now enjoy a light and highly responsive ride on every run.
A deep stack of new ENERZY NXT cushioning combined with a glass-fibre plate ensures a soft, smooth and highly responsive feel that energises every mile. Despite the 45mm stack height, the shoes feel very stable and that’s thanks to a broader base and refined geometry.
There are some styling cues from the brand’s Rebellion Pro racing shoe and these only enhance the ride, with a smooth feeling heel-to-toe transition and toe-off that adds a spring to your stride.
The bootie upper provides a great fit and with its sock-like design, it wraps around the foot neatly and provides a close yet breathable fit.
For those wanting something a little different, the Neo Vista provides in terms of both looks and performance and is an exciting daily trainer at any pace!
Mizuno Neo Vista
HOKA – Skyward X – £185.00
Another high-stack model, this time from HOKA, the Skyward X packs a carbon plate into a combination of PEBA and supercritical EVA foam. The former gives a soft, springy feel directly under the foot, while the latter takes care of stability.
The rockered geometry and carbon plate help this high-stack shoe progress smoothly while at the same time adding a propulsive feel.
A carbon plate naturally leads us to think of shoes as racing models and while the brand does classify the Skyward as such, it’s as much a daily, ‘performance trainer’ thanks to a greater stack of cushioning and its heavier weight.
The weight isn’t really a negative, just consider this a very durable, high-performance shoe and it will serve you well for those faster-paced miles.
HOKA Skyward X
New Balance – FuelCell Rebel v4 – £140.00
With a new blend of FuelCell foam mixed with PEBA, New Balance has made the latest version of the Rebel a more ‘race-day’ feeling model. Of course, the brand has carbon-plated shoes specifically for racing and here, the Rebel goes without carbon, but it simply means we get a good value, high-performance model that is great for both racing and speedwork, tempo runs and intervals at a fraction of carbon shoe money.
The shoe has a higher stack of foam than the previous Rebel but it’s a broader base to add stability to the soft cushioning. It feels light and responsive with just a touch of ‘spring’ that’s perfect for more regular use.
The no-sew upper ensures a seamless fit and it’s a light and breathable design that minimises weight and is in perfect keeping for the shoe.
For a good value and versatile performance shoe, it’s a great choice.
Brooks – Exhilarate-BL
The BL (BlueLine Labs) shoes from Brooks are the brand’s prototype models aimed at showcasing the latest and future technologies. Although this model isn’t available to buy, it gives us the best glimpse yet of the use of 3D-printed midsoles in running shoes.
Having previously tried shoes from other brands using 3D technology, the Exhilarate is the best yet in terms of cushioning, flexibility and comfort.
Here the shoe demonstrates the capabilities of 3D printing in order to create a shoe that can adapt to various foot types.
Future developments could lead to highly personalised shoes with tailored cushioning and support built into the 3D printing process. 3D printing also means more efficient manufacturing, with less waste and better sustainability.
Watch this space, the future is nearer than you think!
Brooks Exhilarate BL
Lululemon – Men’s Beyond Feel Run – £148.00
Better known for their women’s range of workout apparel, Lululemon recently ventured into the footwear arena with a ladies-specific running and trail shoe. Those models focussed on the unique shape of the female foot. Now with a men’s version, this model focuses on the male foot form, being broader in the heel and forefoot.
The fit of the shoe is as good as any, with a seamless mesh upper that has a degree of stretch to provide a snug, sock-like fit. A supercritical foam midsole provides a familiar soft and responsive ride and with the brand’s background in fitness and gym activities, the shoe is naturally very stable.
It’s a good first attempt at a running shoe in a very competitive market with much better-known run-specific brands, but this shoe is a good all-rounder perfect for a mixture of both running and gym training.
Lululemon
Mount to Coast – R1 – $160.00 / S1 – $150.00
Coming to the UK soon, Mount to Coast is a brand focused on creating shoes for the Ultra and Multi-Day event runner.
Their range consists of two models a daily trainer, the S1 and a race shoe, the R1. Both shoes use a ZeroSag foam midsole crafted in collaboration with chemical company, BASF. Originally designed to work in the shock absorbers of racing cars, the foam provides consistent cushioning and stability; great for cars and great for running shoes worn day after day!
Mount to Coast R1
Combining this ZeroSag foam with a PEBA-based supercritical foam adds further ‘spring’ to the ride and makes for highly cushioning yet responsive shoes that feel comfortable and offer up to 10 times the anti-degradation capacity of traditional midsoles.
The shoe’s uppers offer a broader toe-box to allow the toes to spread during multi-day events and a twin lace fastening design allows further fine-tuning to the fit.
Spacious upper for ultra runners and dual fastening laces to allow for swelling in the forefoot over longer distances.
The uppers are constructed with 100% recycled yarns to add sustainability to the mix.
Probably the best ‘new brand’ we’ve tried in recent years, these shoes are bound to become a more common sight from Mount to Coast.
Mount to Coast S1
SUDU – SRM 01 – £125.00
A new UK-born brand, the Sudu SRM 01 is designed for faster-paced running.
The shoe has a somewhat traditional feel to it in today’s market of high-stack models but features a responsive Spring Foam+ in a low to medium stack height reminiscent of racer/trainers of a few years ago.
The overall design is rather simple, offering a neatly engineered knit upper with a good fit around the heel and ankle collar.
Sudu
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