Super-Shoes They’ve never been more technologically advanced. Here are eight of the best.

FAST SOFT ENERGYSHOES LIGHT ISSUE 3 • 2021 RUNNER’S WORLD 81 VALIDATING CLAIMS Shoes have always promised performance; so the claims are nothing new. Actual evidence? For the most part, very little. But now, what has historically been a marketing claim is suddenly producing results. The breakthrough, as it were, was enabled by new midsole cushioning that was springier than anything on the market, returning more energy with each stride; and significantly, it was considerably less dense. Low density meant that the midsole could be built up in size, creating the large ‘stack height’ that is the most notable outwardly visible feature of the new shoes, without the negative increase in mass that this would usually cause. This turned the midsole into a kind of ‘scaffolding’ into which engineers could insert a carbonfibre plate that ran almost the full length of the shoe; and very importantly, they could curve that plate in a way that allowed even greater energy return, along with stiffness. The end result of this foam/plate interaction was a shoe that significantly reduced the energy cost of running. SAME SPEED, LESS OXYGEN Why does this matter? Simply because one of the crucial limiting factors during running is the amount of oxygen – and thus, energy – that the runner must consume to power their muscles to run a certain speed, according to RW’s Scientific Editor, Prof. Ross Tucker. If you can run at the same speed using less oxygen, then it stands to reason that you can increase your speed slightly before oxygen and energy consumption bump up against the glass ceiling imposed by your physiology, says Tucker. It’s analogous to running slightly downhill rather than uphill. Assisted by gravity, you use less energy to go downhill, and so you can run slightly faster at the same effort. Now imagine shoes doing the same thing. The Nike Vaporfly 4% was named when laboratory testing found that wearing them, runners were consuming 4% less oxygen than when they ran in other shoe models available at the time. RECALIBRATION Which brings us to the recalibration of running performances, and the philosophical dilemma now confronting the sport. Most of the major city marathons in the world are won in a time between 2:03 and 2:06. Those are now routine, rather than spectacular. In 2015, the year before the ‘super’ shoes emerged, 51 men broke 2:08. By 2019, that number had doubled to 100. The 100th best time among women marathon runners in 2015 was 2:28:35. In 2019, it was 2:25:38, almost three minutes faster. Authorities have had notice of this, and have had opportunities to step in since – much like swimming’s governing body said ‘enough’ when swimsuits undermined the integrity of swimming times in 2009. World Athletics finally created a policy that allows a maximum thickness for a shoe, and regulates the plate design. These new parameters, at least in terms of limiting performance advances within normal physiological levels, were too little too late. But today, most manufacturers are using some form of the new technologies, so the playing field has been levelled somewhat.

FAST

The heel- striker’s dream. ← Hoka One One Carbon X2

PRICE: R3 750 WEIGHT: 238 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: SPORTSMANSWAREHOUSE.CO.ZA

A YEAR AGO, THE CARBON X HAD ALL

OF US GOING FAST over mid- to longdistance runs.

But after our wear-testers had clocked hundreds of kilometres, we determined that midfoot-strikers got the most out of the shoe. A heel-totoe roll propelled by the early-stage Meta-Rocker (Hoka’s tech that curves the sole slightly, for a rocking motion) felt quite aggressive to some testers, especially heel-strikers.

Those runners won’t feel left out with this update, though. A protruding heel similar to that on Hoka’s TenNine (though not as massive) absorbs shock and provides stability for runners who touch down on the back of the foot.

“If I raced a marathon or less, I’d go with the Saucony Endorphin Pro.” said a heel-striking tester. “If I raced a 50K or more, I’d use the Carbon X 2.” Other heel-strikers and testers of the Endorphin Pro agreed.

As in the Endorphin Pro and Hoka’s other racing shoe, the Rocket X, a carbon-fibre plate in the midsole provides quick and snappy transitions. The X 2 feels hardy for longer mileage, as well as versatile enough for speed training. Our test team liked the refined upper – the reinforced lacing and engineered support zones made it feel more secure.

On trend with increased stack height.

IN 2020, NB PRESENTED THEIR FIRST SUPER-SHOE TO THE

↑ NB FuelCell RC Elite V2 WORLD in the form of the New Balance FuelCell RC Elite, combinPRICE: TBA ing a carbon-fibre plate and the best version of the FuelCell midsole WEIGHT: 219 GRAMS compound, which is light, airy and gives great energy return together WHERE TO BUY: NEWBALANCE.CO.ZA with the spoon-shaped carbon plate. With the V2 (available May 2021), we notice NB have taken advantage of the generous parameters laid down by the ruling bodies, and have increased the stack height significantly – up to 35mm. This provides what could have been overkill cushioning; but combined with the unique auto-plating process by which the carbon is inserted, the experience is one of cushioning that is soft, but still able to provide a pop on the toe-off.

Flipping that stack over, the outsole presents significant cut-out sections of midsole, exposing that fulllength carbon plate. Our testers got a thrill from it, every time.

The light and breathable upper is also new, and the designers have clearly got into the spirit of making a shoe that not only is fast, but looks fast too.

A rubberoutsole vanishing trick. ← Under Armour Flow Velociti Wind

PRICE: R3 499 WEIGHT: 241 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: UNDERARMOUR.CO.ZA

ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO EMBEDDED CARBON

FIBRE, we welcome the Velociti Flow as a super-shoe, due to an innovative new feature, effectively executed: a one-piece midsole and outsole, that – along with a 4mm-thick sock liner – gives the shoe a super-plush feel on the run.

So they’re cushioned enough for easy and long runs, but the weight is impressively low, thanks to dispensing with the heaviest part of the shoe: the rubber outsole. They’re also very responsive, meaning they’re perfect for tempo runs and faster sessions.

Our testers loved the upper; it was one of the features that almost everyone mentioned. Light but robust, it cradles the foot nicely while stretching and moving well in key areas. This is thanks to the supporting tapes (essentially, stringy overlays) which stiffen into tension when needed, and relax when not in play, instead of simply compressing the foot consistently.

The knitted ‘warp’ look led to fears that a) it would be hot, and b) there would be some friction, as can sometimes happen with a knitted-upper shoe – but neither situation occurred, and the breathability more than lived up to a shoe which has the word ‘wind’ in its name.

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Same record breakers as in 2020 – with a new colour.

↑ adidas Adizero Adios Pro THERE’S A FAIR WHACK OF SUPER-SHOE HERE, that’s for sure. The stack height comes in PRICE: R3 999 just under the legal maximum allowed of 40mm, at 39mm. It measures 30mm in the forefoot, WEIGHT: 224 GRAMS giving a heel drop of 9mm – not overly ‘stiletto-y’, but significant enough to get you through WHERE TO BUY: SHOP.ADIDAS.CO.ZA higher mileage runs without suffering issues your with calves and Achilles. Instead of a plate, the Adios Adizero Pro uses five carbon-fibre rods, placed in line with the metatarsal bones. This makes the ride a little more controlled than from shoes with a full plate, which can sometimes feel unpredictable at toe-off.

So even with its towering Lightstrike Pro foam midsole, the shoe feels quick, responsive and reliable. (Plus, a part-carbon-fibre, partnylon heel plate also boosts stability at the ankle joint, which can help when your form fatigues in those final marathon kays.)

Some have criticised the spartan outsole, which is but a sliver of covering. But our testers did not feel it compromised grip so much as to make it a minus, and found it very much in line with the innovative, brave new world of the super-shoe.

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The fastest Salomon road shoe available.

← Salomon THE S/LAB PHANTASM RECEIVED A LOT OF HYPE

S/Lab Phantasm late in 2020 as Kilian Jornet attempted to break PRICE: R2 999 Yiannis Kouros’s ultra-stout 24-hour world record. WEIGHT: 198 GRAMS It isn’t the first road-racing shoe from the company WHERE TO BUY: SALOMONSPORTS.CO.ZA better known for its trail runners, but it is Salomon’s most minimal. Ultimately, Kilian missed the record, but you can’t fault the shoe. The featherweight design gives you just enough material to keep the shoe stuck to your foot and go fast. One tester volunteered that even though there are lighter options out there, somehow this shoe feels like it weighs less. That lightweight design, however, makes the shoe better suited for shorter road races than marathons or ultras. The midsole is a thin slab of ‘Energy Surge’ foam, which combines EVA with a co-polymer compound that makes it more bouncy and softer than EVA alone. Even so, the Phantasm has a pretty harsh, if smooth-rolling, ride. And the single-layer mesh upper is so thin that we could look through the shoe and see the details on our socks. Of course, it breathes well – you’ll be cold on winter runs – and that lack of structure means you need to make sure the shoe fits.

↓ Puma Deviate Nitro Elite

PRICE: R3 999 WEIGHT: 263 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: ZA.PUMA.COM

BEHIND THE SCENES, Puma has been working to re-establish itself as a manufacturer of serious running shoes. The Deviate Nitro was the first indication that the company is on the right track.

Like just about every other brand, Puma wanted a shoe with a carbonfibre plate, to earn some cred. The Deviate Nitro is that shoe. It also has a lightweight, bouncy foam – but it’s TPE, not the pricier, springier Pebax that some other brands use, and which makes you really want to kick your heels to your butt. The foam is nitrogen-infused, however, giving it a responsive sensation underfoot, and it proved durable in our testing.

Originally the Puma Deviate Nitro was presented as the premium of four Puma Nitro cushioned shoes; a versatile option that you can use for both training and racing. Now they’ve managed to take 70 grams off, for this even more exclusive racing-flat version: the Deviate Nitro Elite.

“These shoes blew me away,” gushed one tester. “I wore them for everything from a 5:30-minute-per-kilometre cruise to a 10K PB, and they felt fully capable doing both.”

Besides the weight loss, the Elite has the most responsive cushioning, a singlelayer monomesh upper, and the same inner carbon-fibre plate.

Ready for race day.

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The nitrogeninfused midsole oozes speed.

↓ Asics MetaRacer Tokyo

PRICE: R3 449 WEIGHT: 189 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: THESWEATSHOP.CO.ZA

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT ASICS’ LEGACY would consist solely of stalwart daily trainers, the brand surprises with the MetaRacer, its first carbon-fibre-plated racer. This Tokyo version is a limited-edition release of the standard model and dons a crimson upper to celebrate the 2021 Olympic city, but the rest of the shoe is unchanged.

It pairs a rocker-style midsole with an aggressive toe spring that’s designed to help reduce excess movement of the ankle, saving runners some energy. That plus a carbon-fibre plate in the forefoot help improve your efficiency – increasing pace directly wasn’t Asics’ main priority. So when you’re digging for that second-half speed in a marathon, you’ll still have some gas in the tank to negative split.

It helps that the shoe is radically light as well, weighing about the same as the benchmark Nike Vaporfly. “Normally, Asics cushioning feels way too soft for me – but these were comfortable to go the marathon distance without becoming too cushy,” one tester said. “And wow, I felt fast – like I was ready to put a big race on my calendar.”

Limited edition for the Tokyo Olympics.

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A shoe that demands a cadence increase.

↑ Saucony Endorphin Pro

PRICE: R4 499 WEIGHT: 212 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: OMNI-SPORT.COM

SAUCONY’S ENTRY INTO THE

CARBON-FIBRE SUPER-SHOE speed wars was originally planned to have a 4mm drop, based on the geometry of the Kinvara, Saucony’s traditional fast flat. However, the product team noticed that the shoe required more effort at toe-off, when the lower offset was paired with the stiffer forefoot geometry of Saucony’s SpeedRoll technology.

An adaptation resulted in an 8mm offset, to allow the foot to roll forward and the toe spring to become more efficient. SpeedRoll tech also combines with an S-curved carbon-fibre plate in the midsole, and responsive PWRRUN cushioning. This midsole has a beaded construction, wherein the jellybean-like beads are pushed up against each other to create an internal lattice structure that stabilises the foam – making the shoe more durable, and lending that propulsive spring assistance that our testers are constantly looking out for in supershoe testing.

One tester validated the supershoe categorisation by explaining: “It demands that you run fast – aggressively fast. There’s a sudden rush when I take off; my cadence becomes quicker and my steps become peppier, probably due to the elevated cushioning in the heel.

“Try for an easy day in these shoes, and it’s likely you’ll be hard-pressed to slow down once you get going.”