We take a look at the latest footwear launches, each with something new to offer for the road or trail.
Brooks – Ghost Trail – £135.00
Taking your best-selling daily training shoe and giving it a trail makeover is a sure-fire winning formula!
Here, Brooks retains the great, nitrogen-infused midsole from the Ghost road shoe, but upgrades the upper to a double-jacquard mesh design with 3D rubber toe and mudguard prints for flexible durability. The shoes’ 3mm outsole lugs provide the perfect solution for a wide variety of trails, and with flex grooves that mirror the foot, it is as happy on the road as it is on light trail.
The cushioning and drop have been adjusted a touch for a little more balanced off-road feel, but fans of the regular Ghost will find this a great option for winter and off-road running.
Brooks – Glycerin Max 2 – £180.00
Brooks’ maxed out daily trainer, the Glycerin Max, returns with an updated and refined version which ups the comfort stakes yet again in the cushioning game!
The midsole sees tweaks to the geometry as well as the DNA Tuned foam cushioning, making it even more comfortable. The nitrogen-infused midsole is softer in the heel and springier in the forefoot, which, along with the super-high stack, creates a shoe that feels like it could go forever. Miles are simply soaked up, and the Glideroll Rocker forefoot encourages you down the road.
The upper now has a triple jacquard engineered mesh design for the plushest fitting upper ever, with good midfoot lockdown the ability to find the perfect fit. From top to bottom, the new model wins on every front.
Mizuno – Wave Rider 29 – £140.00
With a new nitrogen-infused Mizuno Enerzy NXT midsole, the brand’s most popular training shoe has been transformed into a soft, plush and super-springy daily trainer. The latest model feels much lighter and more responsive than previous versions, and it’s a joy to run in.
The brand’s Wave plate is still present, and that gives the shoe a stable feel, but the model feels so much more energised and versatile, making it a shoe that feels good at any pace. The 12mm heel-to-toe drop remains, making the Wave Rider one of the few shoes with this height of drop, but that helps take the load from 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, this is the best yet, ensuring it keeps up with the pace of the competition.
Merrell – ProMorph – £140.00
Designed to be as at home on the trails as it is on the roads, the ProMorph manages to do a great job in what can be a difficult road-to-trail category to conquer.
The FloatPro+ midsole is a nitrogen-infused unit and, with a full-length rocker, creates a very smooth and easy-going ride on any surface. A unique Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole features 2.2mm deep lugs, which don’t sound too aggressive, but manage to cope well enough on most light trails and forest tracks.
The brand may not be one of the most widely recognised in the specialist running market, but once again, with the ProMorph, they’ve given us a very capable multi-surface model at a very competitive price point.
Mount to Coast – H1 – £150.00
The latest model from the new brand, Mount to Coast, the H1 is their multi-surface option designed to go from your front door to the trails. The unique midsole is created with an advanced supercritical foaming process, which 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 almost twice the lifespan!
The ride is soft and bouncy, but stable and balanced. Traction comes from a VersaGrip outsole that, despite not being the most aggressive, copes incredibly well on a wide variety of surfaces.
The brand’s familiar dual lacing system allows for a customised fit as well as easy adjustment on the go, which is ideal for ultra-athletes. If you want to try a new brand, the H1 could be the perfect go-anywhere answer this season.
Veloci – Ascent – $180.00
As a new brand, Veloci have taken what they feel are the perfect ingredients for a running shoe and mixed them together to create the Ascent, their first model. The design aesthetic may be quite simple, but the fit, feel and run are surprisingly good and as accomplished as anything else on the market right now.
The deep, 39mm stack of the brand’s unique foam combination has a 10mm drop and works very well on the roads. The rocker rolls the foot forward smoothly and effortlessly, while the more foot-shaped last provides natural stability and balance.
The Ascent is a great first shoe from the brand and proves you don’t need to be a big player to create a comfortable and accomplished feeling running shoe.
New Balance – Fresh Foam X More V6 – £150.00
Feel like your shoes aren’t offering enough cushioning? Then you need More, the New Balance More v6. With the deepest cushioning stack of any model in the brand’s range, the shoe provides 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 broad base of the shoe. The lower 4mm heel-to-drop encourages a more midfoot strike, which works well with the shoe’s geometry, giving a natural yet incredibly cushioned ride.
The cushioning may be extremely high, but the shoe feels easy to pull on and go, and in the cushioning stakes, it delivers by the boatload!
Saucony – Triumph 23 GTX – £190.00
The brand’s most cushioned model gets a waterproof makeover in this Gore-Tex version. Perfect for the winter miles, the shoe provides waterproof protection and an extra degree of warmth this season.
The cushioning is the same great PWRRUN PB foam and gives a high level of energy return, yet a super-durable feel that provides that bounce mile after mile.
The Triumph 23 is perhaps the best version of the model to date and manages to be a stable, neutral model that feels light and fast in a durable package for high-mileage runners.
A redesigned XT-900 carbon rubber outsole is highly durable, flexible and provides great traction even in the wet, to complete this winter-ready model.
Clarks – Pace – £99.00
Because many people wear running shoes for walking and, technically, your feet’s needs are different when walking, the walking brand, Clarks, has created a running-inspired shoe for walking. The brand’s first-ever performance shoe, the Pace, is specifically crafted for all-day walking.
The cushioning uses the brand’s Infinity Energy Capsules to compress and rebound with each step alongside a fully moulded heel to provide support and stability. A C-tread 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 long periods of time throughout the day on their feet, the shoes are very comfortable, durable and prove to be a great solution, saving your running shoes for your run.
