RACE DAY RUN SHOES
Want some slick sneakers for tri racing? Here we test 10 for speed, nimbleness and multisport suitability
Like the race tri-suits reviewed on page 55, there’s something special about having a pair of race-specific shoes for big race days Slip them on and you should feel an instant skip in your post-bike stride, their mighty midsoles propelling you to that third discipline PB in front of a rapturous finishing chute.
That’s the dream, of course, but not all race-day shoes are created equal, as the assorted maximal/ minimal/supportive sneakers on the following pages testify. So, what kind of racer are you and what are your tri goals? Are you a heel striker who needs support or a toe-striking triathlete with a history of injuries? Is your domain 5km sprint-distance speed or surviving an Ironman marathon?
We’ll aim to help answer the above questions and more in the 10 reviews that follow, taking the unique demands of triathlon – transition speed, aeration, sockless appeal – into account, as well as their ability to navigate twists and turns, offer support for tired legs and high-performance prowess. Value and aesthetics, weight and durability will also be considered, with the top pumps being those that tick the boxes for the allimportant tri race day. Right, let testing commence!
Men’s
NIKE AIR ZOOM ALPHAFLY NEXT%
£279.95 The 207g (UK7) Air Zoom Alphafly Next% look and feel like no other trainer on Earth. We could write an essay on the visuals alone – part deer hoof with a smidgen of toothbrush on the forefoot’s outsole – that had us initially running under the cover of darkness. As for the performance? If the evident propulsion and bounce factor were good enough for Eliud Kipchoge when breaking the two-hour marathon barrier, they should be good enough for me. And yet we’re lukewarm to the idea of them being a tri race-day option. They struggle on the tight twists and turns of multi-lap circuits, while unruly surfaces are best avoided. It just feels like too many ideas – carbon plate, Zoom Air Bag and wedges of foam – have been fried up in Nike’s mind wok. The price is bonkers and they’re noisy devils but there is a wonderful upper. sportsshoes.com
80%
VERDICT AMBITIOUS AND OUTLANDISH, BUT WE’RE UNCONVINCED OF TRI APPEAL AND REELING FROM THAT PRICE
NEWTON DISTANCE ELITE 21
£150 Newton were a big deal in 2008, their innovative metatarsallugged soles leading Craig Alexander to multiple Ironman world titles. Those lugs became the brand’s USP and also its Achilles heel, and Newton soon became superseded by the minimalist and maximalist movements. Is it time for a genuine return from the margins? With minimal heel cushioning, the Distance Elites certainly encourage a forefoot strike, their 2mm heel-to-toe drop rewarding those with elite technique – sadly, we lost efficiency with tired legs especially. Those metatarsal lugs do cushion and propel landings, however, and the 213g weight (UK7), colour scheme and breathable upper shout tri race day. That mesh upper feels delicate and can shift laterally a little, while the £150 price tag for such a minimal shoe feels hard to take. newton-running.co.uk
74%
VERDICT ONE FOR PURE SPEEDSTERS BUT LIKELY TO BE TOO MINIMALIST FOR MANY AGE GROUPERS
KIPRUN ULTRALIGHT
£69.99 The Ultralights romp to the Best Buy title in this test. Put simply, they’re an absolute steal for the sub-£70 price tag and gave us utter joy every time we slipped them on for a speed set (sockless, thanks to a near seamless upper). Key to the thrills is the 185g (UK7) per shoe weight, a featherlight amount that adds to the forefootencouraging nimbleness, which had these leading the pack in interval sessions and race-day 5/10km prep (10km would be our limit). And yet we didn’t crock ourselves, using them day after day thanks to Decathlon’s Up’Bar technology in the midsole. Less positively, the grip isn’t great in the wet, the laces are due an instant upgrade and we do have concerns over the outsole’s longevity, but as a breathable, lean, swift and yet hugely affordable shoe, there are few better. decathlon.co.uk
86%
VERDICT AN ABSOLUTE BARGAIN BUY FOR SHORT COURSE SPEED; JUST WATCH OUT WHEN RUNNING IN THE WET
361° KAIROS
£124.99 Durable, supportive and stable, the Kairos really is a shoe that’s hard to fault. So why an anticlimactic air? Speed. These kicks are more suited to grinding out the training miles than pursuing PBs on race day. Granted, there’s what feels like a minimal heel-to-toe drop (the exact number is undisclosed) and tri ‘racing’ can involve Ironman run leg survival, but speed seekers should look elsewhere. Plus points include a classy mesh upper and a supple tongue that offers plenty of cosy coverage. There’s a shank running through the midfoot that successfully increases stability, yet the result is more efficiency rather than propulsion. We’re still unconvinced about the extended heel collar, but there’s plenty of evidence that the Kairos will make a long-lasting training shoe. Weight is a lofty 274g (UK7), price a happier £125. 361europe.com
77%
VERDICT A SOLID, DURABLE AND SUPPORTIVE SHOE THAT’S BEST SUITED FOR TRAINING RUNS
UNDER ARMOUR FLOW VELOCITI WIND 2
£140 The Flow Velociti 2 is a hugely fun shoe, and it’s one that we returned to more than any other on test. Triathlon friendliness comes in the breathable mesh upper and sockless comfort, and the visuals feel classic tri. In a bid to lose weight – the 236g (UK7) is pretty lean –a conventional rubber outsole is missing and we do have (currently unfounded) long-term concerns over the outsole material’s grip and durability. The feel is responsive yet cushioned (the heel height is a moderately high 28mm) and, though they lack the sheer toe-off propulsion of the Nikes or Kipruns here for sprint distance tri, Olympic and middle-distance feels about right. A smart linkup with MapMyRun also offers a host of metrics, including cadence and stride length to complete a versatile if slightly pricey package. underarmour.co.uk
87%
VERDICT CLASSY UPPER, MODERATE SPRING AND CLASSIC TRI STYLING MAKE THESE A WINNER
MEN’S VERDICT
Lightweight and supportive, strippedback and maximal, old school and new age… the whole gamut of tri racing run shoes are on display here. The 361° Kairos exist in a league of their own, not for being outstanding but because of the training shoe feel in a race-day test that make them for long-course completers only.
The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly Next% also exist in another world, possibly the 22nd century, looking and feeling like a shoe from no other brand. And yet, for all the tech on display and Kipchoge kudos, I just found them wanting in tri practice, suffering around tight turns and on city centre cobbles. And that £280 price tag also belongs in an era from the future.
It’s a journey from the future to the recent past with the Newtons, however, which haven’t evolved enough since their noughties heyday for us and are roundly trounced by the twice-as-cheap Kiprun Ultralights. Bar the lack of a heel loop, the latter feel designed for tri life and have pretty much everything you’d want in a 5/10km race shoe. They’re edged to the Best on Test title by the Under Armour Flow Velociti Wind 2, though, thanks to the UA’s versatility for longer distance racing amd ability to maintain high-speed tempos.
Women’s
ON CLOUDMONSTER
£150 A bit of an outlier in this test, On’s new Cloudmonster touts cushioning, max bounce and propulsion for logging long miles on the road. It may be the heaviest on test at 232g on our scales (UK5.5), but this comes with a host of advantages including ample cushioning and an extremely springy midsole made up of On’s ‘biggest CloudTec’ lugs ever. Unlike the Asics and Craft offerings, the Cloudmonster offers ample grip to tackle road running and cornering in all weather conditions. It’s also a roomier option, with the recycled mesh upper and toe-box offering plenty of space for the feet to expand and for those with wider feet. They’re a little clompy to run in at first, but you soon get used to the 30mm stack height and can then appreciate the impact absorption, coupled with the propulsion from the speedboard. on-running.com
80%
VERDICT A GREAT PAIR OF KICKS, BUT PRIMED FOR TRAINING RATHER THAN TRI RACE DAYS
ASICS METASPEED SKY
£225 The Metaspeed’s available in two almost identical looking variations. On test here is the Sky, which is for runners who extend their stride to increase pace. It has a carbon plate sandwiched within its midsole and a 5mm drop, both of which aim to help you conserve energy and maintain race pace. Like the Ons, they feature a recycled upper, while breathability is on par with the Crafts. The heel collar has a surprisingly luxurious amount of cushioning considering these are the lightest shoes on test at 166g. However, our UK5.5 ran considerably small, and we found our toes were squished forwards in the narrow toe-box. The curved sole’s best suited to midfoot or heel strikers as the outsole felt lacking in grip and left this forefoot striker feeling somewhat unstable in motion. Plus, they’re the coolest looking kicks on test. asics.com
82%
VERDICT A WELL THOUGHT OUT AND LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN, BUT WE JUST DIDN’T GEL WITH THESE SHOES
HOKA CARBON X3
£160 The Carbon X3 is pitched at athletes looking for ample support and propulsion for fast endurance road racing and training. It looks stylish, feels extremely light at 199g (UK5.5) and is flexible when on.
The material expands comfortably as the foot swells during long runs, while the sock liner and oversized heel tab makes it quick and easy to slip your foot into – ideal for a swift T2. The heel’s well supported, but the midfoot and forefoot must rely on the large sole and bevelled heel for stability. Meanwhile, the softer EVA midsole is great at absorbing impact and feels soft on the joints. There’s propulsion a-plenty thanks to the same carbon fibre plate and Meta-Rocker as seen in the X2. The curved geometry with 5mm drop encourages a smooth rolling movement from heelstrike to toe-off, helping to maintain an efficient foot strike. hoka.com
88%
VERDICT RESPONSIVE AND LIGHT; A RACE SHOE THAT’S WELL SUITED TO ANY DISTANCE
SALOMON S/LAB PHANTASM
£170 Bold, bright and daring, the Phantasm is designed to feel dirtyfast! The upper mesh is super-breathable and featherlight, helping to bring the weight down to only 199g (UK8). As a result, there’s minimal cushioning, but there’s still support where needed. The reverse camber design means you spend less time on the ground, while the midsole is designed to deliver a bouncy energy return, which, despite being a forefoot design, gives plenty of support around the midfoot and arch. The Contagrip sole has flat wide lugs, designed to grip on flat hard surfaces. Over the shorter distances, the Phantasm’s lightning fast, so if you’re looking for 5k PBs, this is the number one choice. But for training or above 10km, you’ll probably want something that’s a bit more forgiving.
86%
VERDICT IF YOU CAN JUSTIFY TWO SEPARATE SHOES FOR RACING AND TRAINING, THIS ONE WILL FLY
CRAFT CTM ULTRA CARBON RACE REBEL
£220 The Rebel is made for long, fast road miles. Weight saving’s the name of the game here, with the 170g (UK5.5) shoes featuring a simple upper made from ultra-thin and highly breathable polyester mesh. The theme continues into the lightweight midsole, with a high 33mm stack and 10mm drop that all but flung us forward into action during our 10km tempo sessions. Like the Asics, the Rebel offers a carbon plate to stabilise and propel the foot strike, but what’s unique about this plate is its y-shape form, which Craft says is to ‘provide ultra-rebound at all angles’, from both the medial and lateral side of the foot. The slight grip on the sole kept us upright, though we’re not sure how they’d fare in wet conditions. For 70.3 and above, we’d just prefer a tad more support, while the lack of sockliner could spell trouble in T2. craftsportswear.com
90%
VERDICT CLASSY AND ULTRA LIGHT RACE KICKS, WITH ALL THE TECH YOU WOULD WANT FOR SPEEDY PERFORMANCE
WOMEN’S VERDICT
From maximal to barely-there, the shoes on offer in this year’s race day runners test were each hugely different in make and purpose. The On Cloudmonsters are clearly primed for logging the long training miles and aren’t light or lean enough to fit the race-day bill, though we did love their support and bounce.
Though the firm favourites of many, the Asics Metaspeed Skys just didn’t fit us quite right, nor felt stable enough for us to power through those tempo efforts in confidence Meanwhile, the Salomons wowed in last year’s test and would be a propulsive and light option for short-course racing.
Sitting near the top of this test are the Hoka Carbon X3s, which we found the most versatile and supportive for a wide range of distances, completing distances from five kilometres to marathon-length with ease. They also sport plenty of features that’ll be of use on race day. Yet if you’ve got the extra £60 to spend, the Craft Rebels surprised with their responsive ride and ultra-light feel. The unassuming design carries a host of top tech, and they just felt swifter for fast racing than the Hokas.