Summer speed – the latest running shoes
22/08/2024 13:20
We take a look at some of the best running shoes released in the past month
Podium Contenders: It's the time of year when new brands can line up against the big hitters with new and exciting products. Here we take a look at the latest and greatest in the footwear world and decide where your next shoe purchase could come from.
All these reviews are independent and unbiased views and are based on running real miles in these shoes. This piece contains affiliate links which means we may receive a small commission when you purchase using these links.
Unpause – Halley Light – approx. £80.00
Most people won't have heard of this brand before, being a new manufacturer based in Thailand.
Yet the Far East is home to many of the largest footwear manufacturing plants, so they've clearly picked up a few pointers. This shoe is their carbon-plated racing model and it's every bit as good as any other on the market right now. When you consider the price, the shoe is excellent value for money.
Unpause Halley Light
The shoe features a full-length plate as well as a super-critical, nitrogen-infused midsole for that now familiar highly responsive feel. The fit is rather slim and reminiscent of racers from the pre-supershoe era, but from the word go it feels fast and lively. Even with shipping to the UK at around £20, the shoe has to be one of the best-value racers around!
ASICS – Superblast 2 Paris – £200.00
Part of a collection of shoes carrying the timely 'Paris' name, the Superblast 2 builds on the success of the original and updates it with the same FF Turbo+ foam as used in the premium racing shoe, the Metaspeed Sky.
Here we have a non-legal 45mm stack of cushioning, so the shoe is aimed at faster-paced daily training. It's still a relatively lightweight model at 250g, which for a shoe with such a deep stack of cushioning is amazing. The new model is lighter, softer and now more responsive than its predecessor and almost feels like a new model rather than an update.
ASICS Superblast 2
There are improvements too to the upper, with a new engineered woven design, as well as the outsole which provides better traction and durability. This could be a one-stop shoe for many runner's weekly training, offering a nice balance of cushioning for the easy runs and a responsive yet lightweight feel for your faster efforts.
Get the ASICS Superblast 2 here
ALTRA – Vanish Carbon 2 – £220.00
Updated with more cushioning, the Vanish Carbon 2 features a full-length carbon-fibre plate and almost 10% more midsole foam for a real supershoe experience. The midsole is a new Altra EGO PRO foam that's over 30% lighter which allows an increase in stack height from 33 to 36mm. The foam feels softer and more flexible thanks to new flex grooves, so with a rocker forefoot, the shoe feels ultra-responsive.
Altra Vanish Carbon
The shoe remains a zero drop for a balanced ride and in a racing shoe allows you to run in a natural manner with the plate helping to add that ultra-responsive toe-off. The foot-shaped upper allows the foot to spread naturally and this also contributes to a balanced and efficient stride.
Fans of zero-drop shoes will find this model to be the fastest around and those unfamiliar with the feel of such shoes could discover that this shoe is an ideal introduction to the brand. Running at a faster pace naturally means the foot strikes the ground a little further forward making zero-drop models instantly feel more welcoming.
ON – Cloudboom Strike – £270.00
The shoe ON fans have been waiting for, this is the shoe that's been seen at several big-city marathons and triathlon run stages for the last six months. We are yet to try it as we went to press, but it promises to be the softest racing shoe yet from the brand and at the same time the one that delivers the most efficient level of energy return.
On Cloudboom Strike
The groundbreaking design features a drop-in midsole insert and a revolutionary new 'bounceboard'. CloudTec elements are present but now more of a nod to the brand's previous cushioning technology, with Helion Hyperfoam providing the midsole cushioning in a 39.5mm stack. The upper is a semi-transparent mesh wrapping around an inner cage to provide shape and support. The shoe looks striking and promises to be a top performer as we've already seen. Roll ON summer.
New Balance – Fresh Foam X 1080v13 – £160.00
New Balance says if they only made one shoe, the 1080 would be it. It's one of their most versatile models and certainly the most cushioned. With a deep Fresh Foam X midsole, cushioning is unsurpassed and the shoe is one of the softest and plushest feeling models on the market. This 'Grey Day' reimagined version of the 1080 once again provides top-of-the-range performance in a style which pays homage to the new sneaker culture taking sports styles to the street.
New Balance 1080v13
A YouTube short film explores the brand's running heritage as well as its popularity in style cultures and shows how this model as well as other running styles now cross over into subcultures. All this said the 1080v13 provides unrivalled cushioning for those daily miles on the roads.
Find the New Balance 1080v13 here
Saucony – Hurricane 24 – £165.00
The Hurricane name returns, now in its 24th generation and again provides a premium combination of cushioning and stability. As with many models, this update sees the use of a midsole foam previously used in a 'fast' shoe, PWRRUN PB. This takes care of cushioning as well as providing a lively, almost springy feel. Sitting alongside a layer of PWRRUN foam for stability, the combination is a smooth riding and stable shoe that's amongst the plushest feeling support shoes on the market.
Saucony Hurricane 24
Stability comes from the geometry of the shoe, the midsole combination and the higher sidewalls of cushioning that give the shoe a super high-stacked appearance. The stack is 'only' 37mm but provides more than enough cushioning for even the most demanding runners.
If you are looking for a supportive, daily trainer with a plush and lively ride then the Hurricane might just be the shoe for you.
Puma – Deviate NITRO Elite 3 – £195.00
Getting what feels like a more aggressive make-over, the Nitro Elite 3 remains a light and fast race day option. The carbon-fibre PWRPLATE rakes steeply into the forefoot and maximises the transfer of power into toe-off. Embedded within the NITROFOAM ELITE, this creates a soft and springy ride with a powerful ride into your next stride. It's a shoe that only wants to go fast, so it's race day and intervals only here to maximise the feel.
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3
A new upper has a four-way stretch, so locks the foot down well to keep everything under control while the Pumagrip outsole returns for unfaltering traction in any conditions. For one of the softest cushioned racing shoes that still provides an aggressive, track spike-like toe-off, the Puma delivers.
Buy the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 here
Nike – Air Zoom Pegasus 41 – £129.99
The relationship you have with the Pegasus is unlike anything else, or so Nike says. They add, “It's faithful, reliable and always there.” Let's face it, this is true. The Pegasus has been around for quite a while. More than 40 years and now we have the 41st generation model. While the shoe has changed significantly from the original, it still remains the brand's most iconic running shoe and the number one in terms of sales.
Nike Pegasus 41
This version sees a combination of Zoom Air placed within the ReactX foam. The shoe does have a nicely balanced ride and feel to it deals with impact well, but it still has one foot firmly placed in the past. This isn't a supershoe with a deep stack of cushioning, in fact in today's market it's almost low-profile. This is fine and makes the shoe great for a little more feel of the road and works well for tempo sessions.
The familiar waffle sole pattern is as good as ever and goes a long way into making this a versatile shoe for any surface thanks to that excellent traction. It's the classic we all know brought up to date with a reassuringly familiar feel.
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