Whatever your ability, there’s a great selection of new running shoes available
Mizuno – Wave inspire 19 – £140.00.
Being well-established in the support shoe category, the Wave Inspire 19 didn’t need any major reworking for the latest edition. It’s always been among the best everyday support type shoes around and this, the nineteenth version carries on in the same manner.
The Wave plate that provides the support and control as well as contributing to the cushioning, has been slightly modified but it still works as effectively as ever in controlling overpronation. If anything it’s slightly better and at the same time has a very natural feel that blends nicely into the overall ride of the shoe.
Mizuno Wave Inspire 19
The cushioning now features a full-length Enerzy foam midsole, which adds a lighter and more responsive feel and adds to the versatility of the shoe. As well as being an everyday mileage shoe, the Wave Inspire 19 is happy at any speed for easy miles-to-tempo sessions, providing support at any pace.
The upper feels typical Mizuno, well-made and neatly holding the foot in place without any fuss.
Overall the Inspire 19 is a great choice of shoe for overpronators of any level.
Saucony – Kinvara Pro – £200.00
One of several new ‘super-trainers’ now available from brands, the Kinvara Pro takes Saucony’s previous more ‘normal’ road racing shoe and gives it a massive boost. The stack height of this model tops out at 42mm, so there’s no shortage of cushioning.
And what cushioning it is too, PWRRUN PB forms the top highly responsive layer while sitting below the shoe’s three-quarter length carbon plate in a base of the more durable PWRRUN foam.
Saucony Kinvara Pro
This combination creates a lightweight shoe that feels fast but can handle everyday miles.
The shoe is expensive, at £200 it’s most definitely in the super shoe price bracket, but for those that like to run in the new breed of footwear at least, this model adds a little durability to the mix.
New Balance – FuelCell SuperComp Trainer V2 – £210.00
Another high-stack training shoe that borrows many of the characteristics of its racing relation is the SuperComp Trainer. Now coming in within the World Athletics legal stack height, the second-generation model still feels as lively and responsive as the original.
The ‘energy-return’ comes from the shoe’s Energy Arc, a carbon plate with a specific geometry that sits strategically over a midsole void. This helps the cushioning compress and the plate to ‘store’ some energy before springing into life.
New Blalance SuperComp trainer
This update feels more stable than the original but hasn’t lost any of the ‘bounce’, so it’s an improvement all around.
For faster-paced runs and sessions of any distance, the shoe feels highly responsive with no loss of that sensation regardless of the distance covered.
Brooks – Hyperion / Hyperion GTS – £140.00
With a nitrogen-infused, DNA Flash midsole, the Hyperion (and its stability cousin, the Hyperion GTS) is one of the few more traditionally styled road racing shoes on the market.
That shoe still features the latest high-tech, super-responsive cushioning with that nitrogen injection midsole; a method that creates a naturally springier and responsive feel. There’s no carbon plate here, but that simply means the shoes sit at a more manageable price point and, to be honest, it demonstrates that it’s not all about the carbon.
The shoe is light, flexible and incredibly responsive in a very natural manner with nice feedback from the road.
If you want a fast shoe that’s uncomplicated, then this is the answer.
Nike – Air Zoom Structure 25 – £120 (TBC)
It’s hard to believe the Structure has been around for over 25 years! It’s slipped off the radar a little for many in recent years, but this twenty-fifth generation is back with improved support and cushioning that should see fans of earlier generations of the shoe return.
Nike Structure
The midsole features Cushlon 3.0, an updated foam for a softer ride and more energy return and of course, there’s Zoom Air cushioning to further enhance the ride. Re-engineered arch support and a bevel to the lateral side of the midsole complement each other to give a smooth and stable ride built for mile after mile.
The styling has touches of many early generations of the shoe and that’s fine, as it provides additional stability around the foot to complete the structured package.
Puma – Magnify Nitro 2 – £130.00
Puma’s ‘max-cushioned’ daily trainer packs in a massive amount of the brand’s Nitro foam, yet still retains a more mainstream price point. Where many brands see adding cushioning as an opportunity to pump up the price, the Magnify manages to remain competitively priced.
The Nitro foam offers a great, soft, bouncy and smile-inducing ride and it offers a remarkable amount of ‘energy-return’. This second-generation model has a slightly retooled design and offers a stable neutral ride to accommodate a wide range of athletes.
Puma Magnify Nitro 2
The knitted mesh upper has a premium feel and provides a great, wrap-around fit as well as being breathable in the summer months.
The Puma-grip outsole provides traction and is now established as one of the best outsole materials in terms of all-around grip on a variety of surfaces.
Mizuno – Skyrise 4 – £130.00
With a midsole made up of dual-density cushioning, the Skyrise gives a soft, plush and stable ride. The brand’s Enerzy foam is the magic ingredient here, with its responsive feel it gives a high degree of energy return. Sitting within a core of slightly firmer foam, the foot essentially ‘sinks’ into the centre of the shoe, cradled and stabilised.
Mizuno Skyrise 4
The upper has a high-quality knitted construction with a slightly stretch-like quality to it that wraps around the foot with neat padding for a very plush feel.
The shoe is capable of daily miles but thanks to the responsive feel it’s also happy when the pace picks up a touch and you want to push on.
HOKA – Mach X – £160.00
Hoka’s Mach model has always been a high-performance shoe but now it’s been taken to the next level!
Adding a Pebax midsole and highly propulsive Pebax plate the shoe is now a genuine competitor to the brand’s other competition models.
It’s situated in their range as a high-performance trainer, but it is quite capable of racing as it’s only a touch heavier than the race-specific Rocket X2.
The slightly higher stack of cushioning and combination of Pebax and EVA midsole foams make it a little more stable and versatile.
Hoka Mach X
The ride is as you’d expect; soft, smooth and responsive to positively bouncy levels. Perhaps the best part is that as it’s targeted as a performance trainer it sits in that price bracket as opposed to the carbon race point, making it a great value and adaptable shoe.
Vivobarefoot – Primus Lite Knit – £140.00
Designed to help build foot strength the Primus Lite Knit aims to place your foot as close to the ground as possible.
The Pro5 sole is puncture resistant and only 0.8mm thick meaning an ultra-minimalist feel yet highly protective.
Of course, adjusting to such a minimalist shoe takes a period of adaptation, so Vivobarefoot offers courses and training to guide you through this period to make the most from their footwear.
Vivobarefoot
Lululemon – Restfeel – £48.00
Formed specifically for the female foot, Lululemon provides a slide with as much focus on post-workout recovery as there is on training.
A dual-density midsole provides durable and balanced cushioning while the outsole features full-length rubber for enhanced traction and durability. The broad, soft strap keeps the foot in place and the anatomically shaped footbed adds important support to the foot after your training session for all-day support.
Lululemon
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