The 1080V10 is New Balance’s premium daily trainer, a competitor to the likes of Saucony’s Triumph 18 and Hoka’s Bondi, though it’s actually a very different beast. Though it boasts 30mm of New Balance’s revised Fresh Foam, the shoe’s rocker profile and relatively light weight make it well-suited for longer tempo runs. At the same…
A potential true allrounder, with a caveat. Saucony’s Freedom 3 is a relatively difficult shoe to categorize. It’s well cushioned without being plush, durable without being a tank, and light but not a featherweight. If I were to hazard a guess, this would be the Triumph’s wilder sibling, incorporating much of that premium shoe’s technology…
The 880 is New Balance’s answer to the likes of the Brooks Ghost, Nike’s Pegasus, Hoka’s Clifton, and Saucony’s Ride, i.e. a workhorse daily trainer with a moderate price tag. It’s one of New Balance’s most popular shoes that, until this year, lagged a bit behind some of the company’s more sophisticated technology, particularly the…
Peak Hoka Hoka’s Bondi is the essence of maximalism in shoe design—a highly cushioned shoe with a prodigious 37mm stack height. When people think of Hoka, this is probably the shoe they envision. “Moon shoe” would not be an inaccurate adjective. Stepping into a Bondi for the first time can be disorienting; the shoe’s thick…
New Balance’s popular 880 is a comfortable, durable daily trainer that could function as an all-around shoe for runners and walkers seeking to limit their shoe collection. Its waterproof incarnation is one of the comparatively few waterproof road shoes, and serves as an effective winter trainer on wet or sloppy days. This year’s model, the…
The Clifton is one of the shoes that elevated Hoka’s popularity. It has undergone significant changes since its introduction as a cushioned-yet-light shoe in 2014, gradually evolving into a more mainstream daily trainer that gracing the shelves of running shops around the county. Last year, the Rincon embodied many of the qualities of the original…
The Saucony Type A8 is a lightly cushioned racing shoe. Running the A8 is as close to running barefoot as I dare; these are fast, flat shoes probably best reserved for shorter races and speed work. Technical Information At 12.3 ounces per pair in a men’s size 10, these puppies are light. Saucony accomplished this…
With the exception of the Trainer, New Balance appears to have largely discontinued their Zante line, though the Pursuit sort of lives on in spirit in the form of the Tempo. The Pursuit remains available for a discount, which is how I got my hands on a pair over the winter. Designed as plusher shoes…
Triumph ISO 5 Saucony’s Triumph ISO 5 (replaced by the Triumph 17 reviewed below) was the company’s premier neutral trainer and the final model of the Triumph to use the ISO Fit system. These durable, comfortable, and well-cushioned shoes are my go-to trainers for long runs. Technical Information The ISO Fit system essentially consists of…
The Hokas One One Cavu 2 is one of the least “Hoka like” shoes in the company’s lineup. It’s a simple design with a comparatively simple look, low profile, and less obviously pronounced meta rocker, meaning that the forefoot has a less aggressively “upset” look to it compared to the Rincon or Clifton. This is…
I bought a pair of Hokas One One Rincons at the Syracuse Fleet Feet last July; they were. brand new model at the time, light, sleek, affordably priced, and as it turned out, an interesting choice for a first pair of shoes. As is my wont, I spent hours pouting over shoe reviews and recommendations,…