We take a look at the latest shoe releases, each with a new offering for the road or trail.
Brooks – Ghost Trail – £135.00
Taking your best-selling everyday training shoe and giving it a trail makeover is sure to be a winning formula.
Here, Brooks keeps the excellent nitrogen-infused midsole of the Ghost road shoe, but upgrades the upper to a double jacquard mesh design with a 3D rubber toe cap and mudflat print for flexible support. The shoe’s 3mm outsole lugs are the perfect solution for a wide variety of trails, and with flex grooves that reflect the foot, it’s just as happy on the road as it is on the light trail.
The shocks and drop have been tweaked for a slightly more balanced off-road feel, but regular Ghost fans will find this a great option for winter and off-road racing.
Brooks – Glycerin Max 2 – £180.00
Brooks’ most effective everyday trainer, the Glycerin Max, returns with an updated and improved version that once again raises the comfort stakes in the cushioning game.
The midsole sees changes to the geometry as well as the DNA tension of the foam, making it even more comfortable. The nitrogen-infused midsole is softer in the heel and springier in the forefoot, which combined with the super-high layer creates a shoe that feels like it could last forever. the miles just soak in and the Glideroll Rocker front end encourages you along the way.
The upper now features a triple jacquard mesh design for the lightest fitted upper ever, with good midfoot lockdown and a perfect fit. From top to bottom, the new model wins on all fronts.
Mizuno – Wave Rider 29 – £140.00
With the new nitrogen-infused Mizuno Enerzy NXT midsole, the brand’s most popular athletic shoe has been transformed into a soft, squishy and super-springy everyday trainer. The latest model feels much lighter and more responsive than previous versions and is a joy to ride.
The brand’s Wave plate is still present and it gives the shoe a stable feel, but the model feels much more agile and versatile, making it a shoe that feels good at any speed. The 12mm heel-to-toe drop remains, making the Wave Rider one of the few shoes with this drop height, but it helps take the load off the calves and lower legs, making the shoe a good option for many runners.
The Wave Rider is now 29 years old, and with these updates, it’s the best yet, keeping pace with the competition.
Merrell – ProMorph – £140.00
Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, the ProMorph manages to do a great job on what can be a tough road to conquer on the trail.
The FloatPro+ midsole is a nitrogen-infused unit and with a full-length rocker unit creates a very smooth and easy ride on any surface. The unique Vibram XS Trek Evo sole features 2.2mm deep lugs that don’t sound too aggressive, but manage to hold up well enough on most light trails and forest tracks.
The brand may not be one of the most recognized in the professional running market, but once again, with the ProMorph, they’ve given us a very capable multi-purpose model at a very competitive price.
Mount to Coast – H1 – £150.00
The latest model from the new brand, Mount to Coast, the H1 is their versatile version designed to go from your front door to the trails. The unique midsole is created with an advanced supercritical foaming process that uses around 9 kilograms of organic waste and biomass to foam the CircleCELL unit. The result is a material with the energy return of PEBA, but with almost twice the durability.
The ride is soft and nimble, yet stable and balanced. Traction comes from the VersaGrip outsole, which, while not the most aggressive, handles incredibly well on a variety of surfaces.
The brand’s familiar dual lacing system allows for a custom fit as well as easy adjustment on the move, ideal for extreme athletes. If you want to try a new brand, H1 could be the perfect answer for this season anywhere.
Fast – Climb – $180.00
As a new brand, Veloci has taken what they believe are the perfect ingredients for a running shoe and blended them together to create the Ascent, their first model. The design aesthetic may be quite simple, but the fit, feel and ride are surprisingly good and as well-executed as anything else on the market.
The deep, 39mm stack of the brand’s unique foam combination has 10mm of drop and works very well on the roads. The forefoot smoothly and effortlessly rolls the foot forward, while the more arched last provides natural stability and balance.
The Ascent is a great first shoe from the brand and proves that you don’t need to be a big gamer to create a running shoe that’s comfortable and feels great.
New Balance – Fresh Foam X More V6 – £150.00
Do you feel like your shoes don’t provide enough cushioning? Then you need more, the New Balance More v6. With the deepest cushioning stack of any model in the brand’s lineup, the shoe features a deep, 44mm midsole made up of the brand’s Fresh Foam X material. The feel is soft and bouncy, but with a balanced feel thanks to the shoe’s wide base. A lower 4mm heel to drop promotes greater foot strike, which works well with the geometry of the shoe to give a natural yet incredibly cushioned ride.
The coverage may be too high, but the shoe is easy to pull on and go, and it ships in shipping pegs.
Saucony – Triumph 23 GTX – £190.00
The brand’s heaviest model gets a waterproof makeover in this Gore-Tex version. Perfect for winter miles, the shoe provides waterproof protection and extra warmth this season.
The cushioning is the same great PWRRUN PB foam and delivers a high level of energy return, yet a super durable feel that provides bounce mile after mile.
The Triumph 23 is probably the best version of the model to date and manages to be a stable, neutral model that feels light and fast in a long-distance package for high-mileage runners.
The redesigned XT-900 carbon rubber outsole is highly durable, flexible and provides excellent traction even in wet conditions to complete this winter-ready model.
Clarks – Pace – £99.00
Since many people wear running shoes for walking and, technically, the needs of your feet are different when you walk, walking brand Clarks has created a running-inspired walking shoe. The brand’s first performance shoe, the Pace, is specifically designed for all-day walking.
The sockliner uses the brand’s Infinity Energy pods for compression and rebound with every step, alongside a fully molded heel counter for support and stability. C-shaped rubber outsole provides maximum traction and grip on any surface.
As you might expect, the shoe fits very well and feels very stable and supportive around the foot. For those who spend a lot of time on their feet throughout the day, the shoes are very comfortable, durable and a great solution to saving your running shoes for your run.
