Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2019 i Runner's World

Joshua Carlos “Crazy Goal” p.38 I make sure to manage my time better, hydrate throughout the day, eat in a timely manner, and tape my feet before workouts. One busy day, I scarfed down food and water a couple of hours before running. When I started my workout, I immediately felt that sloshing around in my stomach. ALSO: Mantras, mantras, and more mantras! I have different ones for different occasions. Long runs, tempo days, speed days, races, really any runs. The ones I use most would be “light, float, effortless,” and “Tokyo 2020.” One to keep me relaxed and another to keep me driven! George Etzweiler “Can’t Stop Running” p.82 I don’t feel unmotivated to run, and I don’t have many tough days because I run with my friends. If…

Both a bane to runners and—in some strange way—a badge of honor, the black toenail, or subungual hematoma, is actually blood collecting underneath your nail. It can occur from acute or chronic injury, explains Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports medicine doctor at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The chronic repetitive trauma can range from mild (think: a small, painless, black-and-blue discoloration beneath the nail) to severe (large, bloody blisters between nail and nail plate), adds podiatric surgeon Jacqueline Sutera, D.P.M. Other issues can cause discoloration, too, like fungal infections, which can come with a funky odor, and subungual melanoma, a type of skin cancer often causing a black or brown streak under your nail. Loop in your doctor if you notice those symptoms, but if you’re…

Every now and then I’ll get a blast of a particular strain of menthol and find myself transported back to Lehigh University’s austere, drably colored indoor track. I’m lacing up my racing flats, hearing the thud of stampeding feet and the whhhisssh, whhhisssh of my high school’s nylon warmup suits. They’re calling for my race, the 800 meter, to collect by the starting line. My heart is pounding, my stomach tightening. Nearby—and without fail—someone is applying IcyHot to his legs. That sharp, industrial-strength wintergreen scent will always be synonymous with an entire era of my running life. My most evocative scent memories of running are tied to high school, a time when, as a member of a close-knit team deeply invested in winning, the sport could feel like life or…

PRICE: $115 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 7.7 oz (M), 6.3 oz (W) DROP: 5 mm The Rincon is the best Hoka you can buy right now. Sure, there are other purpose-built and buzz-worthy shoes in the company’s stable, but this shoe does everything you could ask of it—and is insanely affordable. It’s like the popular Clifton, but lighter and better suited for speed days. In fact, that’s exactly why Hoka built this version—as the Clifton gained weight with each version and became a daily trainer, the company needed an option to fill the lightweight hole in the line. It has the same stack heights as the Clifton—29mm in the heel, 24mm in the forefoot, according to Hoka—and should fit like that everyday trainer. To help the shoe check in at 7.7…

THE FLAT LACES HAVE A LITTLE STRETCH FOR COMFORT AND STAY TIED TIGHT. PRICE: $140 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 8.6 oz (M), 7.2 oz (W) DROP: 4.5 mm Curious about trying a Newton shoe but wondering where to start? The Fate 5 is a lightweight and dependable pick that makes it the ideal gateway shoe into Newton’s line. It still sports the brand’s well-known forefoot lugs for swift, efficient toe-offs, but the edges are beveled for a slightly more relaxed ride than shoes like the Gravity. This shoe for neutral runners also has a slightly higher 4.5mm offset, making it more accessible to low-drop newbs. But the on-foot sensation remains zippy and responsive—even with added cushioning through the heel and midfoot. Top it all off with the 5’s open-weave mesh, and…

PRICE: $180 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 8.7 oz (M), 7.1 oz (W) DROP: 5 mm A RUBBERIZED FOAM SOLE HOLDS UP TO ROAD MILES. THE CUT-UP Beneath a thick layer of “Profly X” foam (the blue layer) is a Y-shaped carbon-fiber plate, which helps the shoe maintain its rockered shape. It’s split in the forefoot, with the thickest part under your big toe for a propulsive feeling on toe-off. The Carbon X snagged the 50-mile world record just three days after this shoe was unveiled. But despite that accomplishment, it’s difficult to nail down what this shoe is designed to do. Ultrarunners like Jim Walmsley, who broke the record, don’t spend a lot of time racing on pavement. The shoe’s rubberized foam outsole isn’t made for trails, and the model is…

THE COLLAR IS TALLER THAN ON MOST SHOES, SO WEAR CREW SOCKS TO PREVENT IRRITATION. PRICE: $140 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.9 oz (M), 9.3 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm Adidas is rolling out a new midsole called Boost HD. It’s lighter than Boost but delivers more stability, says Adidas—Boost and other TPUbased midsoles are extremely flexible and typically require components like an EVA top rim to help control movement. Our wear-testers who’ve previously run in Ultraboost shoes found no difference in underfoot comfort and bounce. It’s a curious use for the new foam—a shoe built for style as much as mileage, rather than a traditional performance trainer. To cater to the urban running crowd, Adidas gave the shoe a patchwork Continental rubber sole. It might look strange but it actually…

THE BLOWN-RUBBER OUTSOLE IS SOFT, GRIPPY, AND DURABLE. THE CUT-UP Mizuno’s softest shoes no longer have the signature Wave plate—a rigid plastic layer that transferred energy forward. It’s been replaced by these layers of foam. PRICE: $160 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.9 oz (M), 8.3 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm Mizuno rolled out a tsunami of new tech in this, the newest model in its Wave series. The Sky 3 gets the brand’s redesigned midsole, which swaps out Mizuno’s classic Pebax plate for two layers of foam joined in the shape of a wave. The shoe also debuts a never-before-seen foam from Mizuno called XPOP, which reminds us of bouncy, soft midsoles like Adidas’s Boost. These updates make the Sky 3 feel quite different from its predecessor—we found it to be…

“QUANTIC” FOAM ADDS BOUNCE TO YOUR STEP. THE CUT-UP Look under the sockliner in your own shoe and you’ll see a standard strobel layer, a thin piece of fabric or foam that binds the upper to the midsole. Altra replaced it with this thin, bouncy layer of TPU foam for an extra plush feel. PRICE: $140 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.1 oz (M), 8.2 oz (W) DROP: 0 mm The Torin 3.5 received special treatment last year—Altra made it available in two new uppers: a stylized mesh and a soft, stretchy knit. This year, the Torin again comes in two flavors, but with distinctly different underfoot experiences. The standard model is a racier shoe, stripped of its strobel layer, resulting in less cushioning, height, and weight. The Torin 4 Plush, on…

RUBBER UNDER THE MIDFOOT ADDS EVEN MORE STABILITY. PRICE: $130 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.7 oz (M), 8.8 oz (W) DROP: 12 mm This all-star support shoe has retained its responsive and cushioned ride, even after Brooks gave it a “holistic” makeover. Like a steady hand guiding a child on a bicycle, the guide rail system, introduced in the Adrenaline GTS 19, stabilizes your run without overcorrection or uncomfortable pressure under your arch. It has the same combination of BioMoGo DNA and DNA Loft in its midsole as its fraternal twin, the neutral Ghost, for plush cushioning and energy return. The 20 weighs about a half ounce less than its predecessor; Brooks shaved some weight by stripping away the stylistic overlays that decorated the 19’s engineered mesh. However, some runners with…

A SLIT IN EACH HEEL IS MEANT FOR A CARABINER, WHICH YOU CAN USE TO DANGLE THESE FROM YOUR DUFFEL BAG WHEN THEY GET MUDDY. PRICE: $150 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 6.5 oz (M), 5.7 oz (W) DROP: 7 mm Leave it to rock climbers to inspire the lightest trail shoe we’ve ever tested. After all, these are people who cut the tags out of their clothing just to shave grams. The Norvan SL (Arc’teryx code for “superlight”) was designed for rock climbers as a compact and lightweight shoe to quickly traverse between climbing routes. There’s visibly not a whole lot to this model, but the brand’s minimalist aesthetic hides a lot of tech that trail runners will appreciate. Like climbing shoes, the SL fits snugly. It’s narrow underfoot, especially below…

A ROCK PLATE PROTECTS THE BOTTOM OF YOUR FOOT FROM ROCKS AND ROOTS. PRICE: $110 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (Men’s only) DROP: 8 mm This is a no-frills, no-bull, men’s-only model with a firm EVA midsole, a TrailProtect rock plate in the forefoot, and a stabilizing counter at the heel. While the ride isn’t plush, the shoe still has plenty of off-road protection with a reinforced TPU upper and shock-dispersing insole. According to our testers, the shoe stayed light and breathable in wet conditions, and dried quickly without that lingering squishy feeling. One runner went as far to dub it the most comfortable pair of trail shoes he has ever tried. Vibram rubber and lugs are constructed in a variety of shapes and angles to grip whether you’re running…

PRICE: $110 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 10.9 oz (M), 9.5 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm The Supercross is essentially a budget-conscious version of the company’s Speedcross, a shoe designed to blaze over soft, sloppy trails. It has the same styling and aggressive lugs, but everything is built for better value. The outsole still has deep tread that bites into muddy trails, but it’s made with a more durable (read: harder) rubber compound than the Speedcross. It also has a ripstop upper similar to the Speedcross, but the tongue is different and you have to tuck the speed laces under an elastic strap—the Speedcross has a lace garage at the top of the tongue to tidy up loose ends. But, even so, this shoe costs just $110 and has plenty of cushioning…

TUTEE KPOU HAS SENIORITIS. ON A CRISP SATURDAY morning in late April, the 19-year-old from West Catholic Preparatory High School in West Philly shows up to the longest run of his life wearing a green cotton T-shirt from Moe’s Southwest Grill and a tattered pair of red New Balance sneakers. Kpou’s attitude toward this run, during which he’ll attempt to keep up with friends and mentors with thousands more miles in their legs than he has, is optimistically apathetic. “I missed an 8-mile practice last Saturday,” Kpou says, slipping off the back of the pack. He runs past the Philadelphia Zoo, 3 miles into the day’s 9-mile workout for next week’s Broad Street Run, a 10-miler. The skinny Kpou has a shoulders-winging, knock-kneed gait, but he’s got the natural bounce…

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Territory Run Co. The Long Haul Cap / $32 This hat was out of stock for a while—sad times. When I was finally able to snag one, I busted it out for a run at high noon. The brim is pretty wide and flat, which you’d think would look ridiculous on someone with a small head, like me. But it works. I love the smooth mesh that makes up most of the hat—it’s super soft, super light, and helps keep my head cool. —Amy Wolff Montane Allez Micro Hoodie / $100 If you run on trails in the mountains, you’ll want to bring along extra layers as early as September. This thin, lightweight hoodie is breathable enough to keep wearing when temperatures rise, and its deep half-length zipper gives you…

“I painted the skin with nail polish so it would kind of look like a nail.” “I wear sandals and use the sight of a missing toenail as a conversation starter—I’m a socially awkward guy.” “Saved it in a jar, as a trophy to the miles. (I know)” “Wore sandals anyway and then would yell loudly to children as they walked out of my classroom door, ‘OUCH, you stepped on my foot! Look what you did!’ and point to my black toenail. #meanteacherjoke”…

Eighty-one? I shook my head and surreptitiously leaned over to get a better look at the number Sharpie’d on the calf of the tall, lean, and considerably older woman setting down her running shoes in the transition area next to mine. Yep, I’d read right. She was 81 years old. I was 26, at my very first triathlon. My primary goal was just to survive. The next: grow up to be that woman, still lacing up and toeing the line in her ninth decade of life. Turns out, that’s not such a farfetched goal. Research on aging runners shows that you can not only stay in the game but also—contrary to popular belief—keep crushing it far longer than you may think. Here’s a decade-by-decade guide to keep you running strong…

NAME | JOSHUA CARLOS AGE | 25 FROM | LA CRESCENTA, CALIFORNIA JOB | ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AND ASSISTANT COACH RUNNER’S WORLD + MEMBER SINCE | MARCH 2019 WHEN I SAY I have been running all my life, I mean it almost literally. My father started a youth track and cross-country organization in 1990 called the Los Angeles Falcons, just before my older sister was born. I copied everything Stacy did, whether she approved or not. So naturally, when she was old enough to join (age 5), I began my running career (age 3). I wasn’t fast, fatiguing after only 50 meters. I wish I could say I was fast by the time I was old enough to join the team. I was not. But that didn’t matter, because I was…

PRICE: $130 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 7.3 oz (M), 6.1 oz (W) DROP: 6 mm Working with its elite middle-distance athletes, New Balance designed a wild-looking racing flat, the FuelCell 5280, for racing a mile on paved roads. But that has a limited audience, so it created a more versatile version, the Rebel, for the rest of us. Its DNA is similar to the 5280—it’s built to go fast at short distances on the road, but uses more budget-friendly materials and is a bit heavier. To help you go from midfoot landing to toeoff as quickly as possible, the shoe has some unusual geometry. Most obvious is the fin that sticks off the lateral side of the shoe. That’s where many of the fastest runners make initial contact. The beveled piece…

PRICE: $250 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 6.6 oz (M) DROP: 8 mm Two hundred and fifty dollars is a load of money to pay for a pair of racing shoes, but if you must have the best, spend it on the Vaporfly Next%. It has 15 percent more ZoomX foam underfoot than its predecessor, and the heel-toe offset is down from 11mm in the old shoe. Nike placed extra foam predominately in the forefoot to maximize toe-off efficiency. Compared to the old shoe’s forward-leaning orientation, the Next% feels a little flatter, but that makes it more comfortable when you’re not running fast with a forward lean. When you are running fast—I tried 800 meters at Kipchoge’s pace in both shoes—there’s more foam to press into as you toe-off, so the Next%…

PRICE: $130 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.4 oz (M), 9.3 oz (W) DROP: 12 mm This is the eighth Editors’ Choice award for the Ghost. Why does it keep winning? Because the shoe’s versatility is unmatched. Our testers used it for everything—speedwork on the track on Tuesdays, hilly tempo runs on Thursdays, and doubledigit long runs on the weekend. It’s the first shoe we point new runners to, because it works so well for so many. The 12th iteration maintains the same mix of foams that made the last version a winner: DNA Loft and BioMoGo DNA give you serious cushioning, but won’t slow you down when you pick up the pace. The DNA Loft in the heel has all-day softness, which our heel-striking wear-testers appreciated on long runs, while the…

PRICE: $120 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 7.7 oz (M), 6.6 oz (W) DROP: 6 mm I have a type, I’ll admit: soft, light, fast. The Beacon delivers all three. I loved the debut model a year ago because it reminded me of the original Hoka Clifton and Saucony Kinvara, two longtime favorites that also hit those marks. New Balance kept things largely the same this year, but really improved the fit. The original model ran short—up to a full size for some runners. This model dials the fit in, so you can order your traditional size online without worrying about return shipping policies. We appreciated the extra room in the forefoot, and really loved the new heel. It has a molded construction to cradle your foot without using rigid heel counters,…

PRICE: $130 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.2 oz (M), 8.4 oz (W) DROP: 5 mm Joining the ranks of the Brooks Glycerin, Altra Paradigm, and loads of Hoka One One shoes, the Phantom has a thick chunk of foam underfoot. It’s the brand’s most cushioned road shoe yet but it’s not overly plush; the new Zipfoam midsole provides a supportive ride with just enough ground-feel. “It was a comfortable ride but not artificial,” said one tester. The brand’s soft foam gives you the best of both worlds: You’re not running on a mushy marshmallow midsole that zaps your push-off power, nor puncturing the soles of your feet on a rocky stretch. Like on many Topo road shoes, the Phantom has rubber only on the high-abrasion areas to balance weight and durability.…

PRICE: $ 120 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.4 oz (M), 8.5 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm The redesigned GT-2000 8 feels much smoother than its stiff, less-forgiving predecessor. Asics used lighter-density foam for the new shoe; in the forefoot there’s a single, thicker layer of FlyteFoam instead of two. The rear half of the shoe uses a slab of slightly higher-density foam beneath the FlyteFoam, with a patch of gel cushioning under the heel. The lighter foam and single layer in the forefoot work wonders: Whereas the previous GT-2000 slapped the pavement as your foot hit the ground, the new shoe touches down softly and immediately sets you up for a smooth toe-off. Part of the easier transition comes from the additional flex grooves in the high-abrasion heel rubber; coupled with…

PRICE: $160 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (M), 9.2 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm Asics’s marquee stability shoe gets a few modest updates. The new shoe is engineered to be softer without sacrificing stability; our testers said the cushioning felt substantial but firm. The Flyte-Foam Propel material beneath the footbed is an EVA-rubber blend that provides rebound, and the visible gel in the heel is reshaped but still reduces the impact forces as you land, just like the previous versions. A plastic truss supports a high-density-foam medial post beneath your arch, which delivers effective stability but isn’t over-powering The upper features a new pattern for the engineered mesh and added reinforcement to the external heel counter; a diagonal support now secures the heel bone. The foam padding in the ankle…

PRICE: $110 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 10.4 oz (M), 9.1 oz (W) DROP: 4 mm STITCHING ON THE UPPER, INSTEAD OF OVERLAYS, DELIVERS EXTRA MIDFOOT SUPPORT. A running shoe is just a tool, so tweak it to make it work for you—don’t be afraid to punch an extra eyelet in the upper to change how you lace the shoe, or even take a knife to the mesh to relieve pressure. Saucony has taken that concept and calls out places where you might customize this shoe. Do you run a course with lots of stream crossings? Break out the power drill and poke holes in the outsole—obviously do so when the shoe is off your foot. Labels on the rubber even tell you what size drill bit to use. Or maybe you…

AVAILABLE WITH A GORE-TEX UPPER FOR AN EXTRA $30. PRICE: $130 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 11.2 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm This legendary trail shoe is as comfortable as the previous model, even more flexible, and weighs less. Brooks’s BioMoGo DNA midsole provides a supportive, firm platform over all surfaces. Our testers ran through gnarly technical trails and even ventured onto the road. The new rubber outsole is a major improvement to the Cascadia line; the treads are tackier on wet rock, grippier in mud, and still forgiving on the soles of your feet when you run over pavement. Brooks likens the shoe’s Pivot Post system—four points of stability at the corners of the shoe—to an SUV, for confident footing on uneven ground. If the Cascadia had a…

HEX-SHAPED LUGS GRIP, WHETHER YOU’RE GOING UP, DOWN, OR SIDEWAYS. PRICE: $139 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 9.0 oz (M), 7.9 oz (W) DROP: 6 mm You could set your own FKT on a mountain built from the sheer number of La Sportiva’s trail offerings—the brand’s 16 trail shoes are devoted to nearly every type of distance, weather, and terrain imaginable. But if you’re looking for the model that handles the widest range of conditions, it’s the Kaptiva. The shoe borrows the best bits from La Sportiva’s ultradistance arsenal (like firm cushioning to support you well past 25K) and its shortstretch picks (a 6mm drop with confident ground feel) onto a sole that works for most trails most of the time. On top, the Kaptiva has a skin-hugging compressive mesh upper with…

Our test team at Runner’s World has one job—pile miles onto the newest gear and tell you whether it’s worth your hard-earned buck. This year, we found that truly wireless headphones have matured and have batteries with enough juice to last through your longest runs. We also appreciate the foam war that’s happening in footwear, providing us lightweight, cushioned training shoes that add pep to our daily runs. And this is the year we didn’t have to sacrifice performance for stylish wear. After careful evaluation and discussion among our team of test editors, these 21 exceptional Gear of the Year products are the best you can get right now. BEST ALL-AROUND HEADPHONES Apple’s first true wireless earbuds for sport, the Beats Powerbeats Pro, pair excellent sound quality with a powerful…

EDITORS’ CHOICE WINNER JABRA ELITE ACTIVE 65T PRICE: $190 STYLE: Truly wireless STANDOUT FEATURE: Ambient sound mode The Elite Active 65t is everything we want in truly wireless earbuds. Our testers achieved a secure fit quickly with the included silicone inserts, and once secured in our ears, the buds’ sound quality beat out AirPods with a higher volume and better bass. The buds barely moved and seldom required adjustment on the run—the fit was uncommonly good for truly wireless buds—and we never lost a connection during normal use. The five-hour battery will cover you for most runs, and the included charging case gives you another 10 hours. For added safety, double-press the right earbud to turn on built-in microphones and enhance the noises around you—helping you run safely in traffic.…

Five weeks before the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5, my coach scheduled this workout: a 2-mile warmup, back-to-back mile repeats at sub-6-minute pace, 30 minutes at just around my marathon pace, and another pair of hellacious mile repeats. I laced up a test pair of orange Vaporfly 4% and drove to a nearby rail trail. The path was smooth and mostly flat, the late March air contained that bit of “perfect,” and my previous workouts gave me confidence that I wouldn’t be left dry-heaving. I nailed this run—there were 5:39 mile splits, and I felt good enough to hold some 6:30 miles for that steady-state running. Hopefully, it was a sign that I could finally break 3 hours in the marathon. The only key difference between this speed effort and…

We’ve all heard that athletes peak in their late 20s and early 30s and then it’s all downhill. But that’s based on dated data collected decades ago, explains Iñigo San Millán, Ph.D., associate research professor in Human Physiology and Nutrition at the University of Colorado. “We have to look at aging differently now,” he says. When scientists studied track athletes aged 50 to 85, they found only a small decline in performance—less than 2 percent—between the ages of 50 and 75. After 75, that decline grew to just 8 percent per year—more pronounced, but still not show-stopping. In fact, in 2004, Ed Whitlock, a 73-year-old Canadian, ran a record-setting 2:54:48 marathon, which beat the winning time at the first modern Olympic marathon in Athens: 2:58:50 by 23-year-old Spyros Louis in…

Whether you want to run farther and faster, or just want to cover your miles with fewer aches and pains, this season’s shoes boast the latest innovations in cushioning and comfort to help you keep running strong. We tested 78 pairs of shoes in our lab and on the feet of more than 300 wear-testers, who each logged more than 100 miles in their test pairs. We looked at how the shoes performed in key metrics like comfort, stability, and overall ride to identify the 30 best options. We grouped them into four categories—road shoes that are fast, soft, or stable, and trail shoes—to help you find the pair that best meets your needs. It’s time to make room in your closet for new shoes.…

THE POINTY HEEL COLLAR FLARES AWAY FROM YOUR ACHILLES TO PREVENT HOT SPOTS. PRICE: $120 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 8.9 oz (M), 8.0 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm With this latest version of the Peg, Nike didn’t mess with a good thing—minor tweaks improve fit, but the midsole and outsole remain unaltered. “I logged over 250 miles in the Pegasus 35, including two full marathon training cycles and one 26-mile run,” said one tester. “The first run in the 36 felt like sliding on a new pair of 35s.” The shoe’s firm but protective cushioning remains, along with the full-length air unit that gives you pop with each step. We appreciated the small changes in the upper, especially the new tongue design. Last year’s was thickly padded and went high up…

PRICE: $100 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.0 oz (M), 8.3 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm Poring over results postrace is the guilty pleasure of many data-obsessed runners. Thanks to the tracking chip in your race bib, you can analyze your splits, and at some races even see how many competitors you reeled in on the final stretch. Under Armor applies a similar idea to your training, but sticks the chip inside the Hovr Sonic 2. A Bluetooth sensor in the midsole syncs with UA’s MapMyRun app for a beat on all your running vitals, like distance, speed, cadence, and stride length (but it won’t replace your Garmin’s GPS). And you don’t feel it underfoot; all you notice is the speedy layer of Hovr Foam. A mesh web tightly wraps the material,…

THE STRETCHY UPPER FELT ROOMY FOR OUR TEST TEAM. PRICE: $180 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 14.1 oz (M), 12.0 oz (W) DROP: 10 mm Whether you’re burning through daily trainers, or just want a shoe that’s comfy for the long haul, this version of the Wave Creation has you covered. Instead of the classic plate used by shoes like the Wave Rider, the C1 has a pair of plates fused together in a figure-8 shape. The design gives the shoe that nice, responsive snap you expect from a Mizuno, but with better shock absorption and durability for high-mileage. The plates meet a hearty EVA-based foam that extends through the forefoot for responsive cushioning that has a firm feel. The shoe is a little heavier and pricier than many, but that might…

PRICE: $175 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 11.9 oz (M), 9.7 oz (W) DROP: 12 mm The midsole may look like a fun house ball pit, but there’s a reason for all that chaotic design around the border of the Speed Orbiter (and other shoes in Puma’s Hybrid line). Those colorful TPU pellets are Nrgy beads that Puma added for extra cushioning and responsiveness. They’re embedded in the PU-based Ignite Foam. Because of this hybrid platform, the shoe is considerably heftier than your average road shoe; probably too heavy for running intervals. In spite of its bulk, we were surprised by how much we liked the Speed Orbiter at an easy clip. We experienced a smooth ride with powerful toe-off. The Proplate is partially responsible for these surges; the Y-shaped plastic piece…

PRICE: $120 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.2 oz (M), 8.4 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm The 361-Fantom uses a combination of EVA foam and rubber to deliver some of the smoothest cushioning out there, while, above your foot, a padded tongue swaddles you once you tighten the laces. Such luxury would typically come with a weight penalty, but 361 Degrees sparingly uses outsole rubber to keep the heft within close range of neutral competitors like the Saucony Ride ISO 2 and Brooks Ricochet. A one-piece engineered mesh upper with TPU film gusseting the laces completes a shoe that looks quite good on paper. We found the 361-Fantom works quite well on the roads, too. The foam midsole and mostly foam outsole don’t generate much rebound, but the heel-toe transition feels smooth…

THE SEAMLESS JACQUARD MESH UPPER IS COMFY ON LONG RUNS. PRICE: $135 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 10.1 oz (M), 8.3 oz (W) DROP: 9 mm The 361-Sensation 4 is a simple but effective stability shoe. It’s simple because its midsole isn’t very thick and its EVA-rubber-blend foam doesn’t give you much rebound, so despite the shoe’s beefy profile, it feels neither overtly plush nor responsive. It’s effective because it’s also packed with supportive components, including a sturdy medial post and a carbon-fiber shank for torsional rigidity. You feel the arch support immediately, but the stability is more subtle, in part because of the shoe’s wide stance. The Sensation’s best part is its upper—there is plenty of collar padding and a stiff heel counter. The shoe also has a midfoot sleeve that…

PRICE: $130 TYPE: Road WEIGHT: 11.0 oz (M), 9.0 oz (W) DROP: 8 mm Is stability dead? Dying? Are more subtle features, like the guide rails that Brooks uses, the next best thing? Until shoe designers, biomechanists, and runners settle on an answer, some shoe companies, like Saucony, are sticking to the old formula with a medial post because they know some runners want and need extra support. The Omni is a stability trainer in the truest sense. Like the previous version, it has a flexible outsole with a lot of rubber for dependable traction, an ISOFit upper that adapts to your foot, and multilayer cushioning for a soft, supportive ride. The midsole has a thin top layer called Everun that adds a measure of rebound and comfort placed on…

PRICE: $140 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 9.9 oz (M), 7.7 oz (W) DROP: 5 mm DRAINAGE PORTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SHOE HELP KEEP YOU DRY AFTER STREAM CROSSINGS. When you think of all the trail conditions the MTN Racer can conquer, the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” comes to mind. The toothy Vibram Megagrip outsole—which our wear-testers found comfortable for short stretches of road to the trailhead—has excellent traction over all manner of dicey and groomed terrain. We found the shoe to excel on runnable flats, wicked climbs, technical descents, muddy spots, and more. The MTN Racer has Topo’s signature roomy toebox, which reduces the chances of crammed pinky toes and black toenails on long runs, and a slightly stiff upper. Drainage ports, gaiter attachments, and a thin…

BEST FOR DRY TRAILS; THE TREAD DOESN’T HOLD AS TIGHT TO WET ROCKS. PRICE: $110 TYPE: Trail WEIGHT: 8.0 oz (Women’s only) DROP: 8 mm The name reminds us of a sci-fi moon orbiting Alpha Centauri, and that’s fitting for a shoe like the Antora. This trail model has a techy new foam called QForm 2, a compression-molded EVA engineered for women, which places softer zones in the heel and forefoot to help keep form true as you fatigue. Combined with a solid heel counter and removable insole for extra cushioning, the Antora caters to neutral runners who want an extra pinch of stability with softness to spare. The shoe feels best on mild trails, but many of our testers liked the sticky Vibram outsole’s grip on tougher trails, as…

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Energy Return/ The first time we really started talking about energy return was because of Boost. At the time it was introduced, it was industry leading—wearing a Boost shoe, you waste less energy with every stride. The shoe actually feels springy. Durability/ Unlike standard EVA, which gets squished flat and loses its cushioning power over time, Boost compresses and rebounds with each stride, so you get the same soft cushioning at mile 500 as you do at mile 1. You’ll likely get more mileage from a single pair of shoes with a Boost midsole, too. Temperature Resistant/ Ever notice how your shoes feel hard on a cold day? That doesn’t happen with a midsole made of Boost. Instead, you get the same protection whether running in hot or cold conditions.…