fall shoe review 2012 2-pager:Spring Shoe Review 09 8/20/12 12:56 PM Page i
2012 FALL
ShoE REvIEW
look across the landscape of running shoes for Fall 2012 reveals more product diversity than in any season of the past decade. The potential for confusion points to the need for education, and we cannot stress this message enough: Runners need to know what their feet are like and get the shoes that meet those needs. This knowledge is not static. Rather, it’s a constantly changing equation where factors such as fitness, injuries, aging, and weight gain/loss, among other things, affect where you are on the running continuum. And you must monitor the role your shoes play in that equation.
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Two trends continue, both related to shoe weight. First, 20% of the shoes in this Review are new shoes—all of them in the Performance category—so we know that lightweight shoes are readily available. Second, more than 85% of the updated shoes are both lighter and a bit more expensive than the shoes they replaced. The maxim of the lightweight trend is apparently true: Less is more. That is, less weight costs more. The up-side is that the efforts to lighten these shoes have not compromised performance. Some of the new shoes follow the path of lower-profile geometry, allowing even more running footwear choices. It has never been more important to know the characteristics of your feet and what footwear choices will work for your current fitness level and your biomechanics. It’s our hope that this Review will help you make great choices!
RuNNING NEtWoRK LLC PARtNERS
—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer
American Track & Field www.american-trackandfield.com Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.com Athletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario.ca Austin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.com California Track & Running News www.caltrack.com Club Runningwww.rrca.org/publications/club-running Coaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.com Colorado Runnerwww.coloradorunnermag.com Get Active! www.healthclubs.com Greater Long Island Running Club s Footnoteswww.glirc.org Latinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.com MarathonGuidewww.marathonguide.com Michigan Runnerwww.michiganrunner.net Missouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri.com Running Journal & Racing South www.running.net RunMinnesotawww.runmdra.org RUNOHIO www.runohio.com Track & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.com USATF s Fast Forward www.usatf.org
Welcome to the Running Network’s 2012 Fall Shoe Review While History Never Repeats was a hit song for the New Zealand band Split Enz in 1981, that’s not exactly true in the saga of performance footwear. In fact, as Cregg Weinmann has shown in his reviews for you over the past 17 years, running footwear theories rise and fall in cycles of popularity. In 2005, I visited the University of Cologne in Germany to see some of the research on the Nike Free. It was fascinating to learn about the science and research that were going into shoes designed to mimic running barefoot. And though this barefoot or minimalist running focus has become increasingly prominent over the last decade, this thinking has been around before. In fact, I remember my coach, Steve Pensinger, having us do 300-meter repeats, circa 1975, in bare feet on the grass oval at DeAnza Community College, specifically to build and strengthen our feet. And Cregg recently reminded me of Herb Elliott’s training with coach Percy Cerutty, who espoused natural form and running barefoot. In fact, Elliott was pictured running barefoot on the cover of Sports Illustrated in late 1958 and again in May 1960. Lightweight or minimalist running shoes are here to stay. The innovations made in materials have enabled manufacturers to lighten shoes, even as their support and performance have been improved. It’s worth repeating that you must always factor your own fitness level and biomechanics into the process of choosing shoes. The lightest weight shoes aren’t necessarily the best for you. Consider your needs as you read the reviews put together by Cregg Weinmann and the weartesters who diligently put new shoes through their paces. Our reviews are the starting point of your search for your perfect shoe. Enjoy your running!
Larry Eder President, Running Network LLC AWARD WINNERS BEST SHOE
BEST SHOE
BEST SHOE
BEST SHOE
Neutral
Motion Stabilizing
Performance
Performance
F A LL 2 012
F A LL 2 012
F A LL 2 012
F A LL 2 012
Brooks Glycerin 10
adidas Supernova Sequence 5
K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light N
Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 3
BEST NEW SHOE
BEST VALUE
BEST RENOVATION
FALL 2012
FALL 2012
FALL 2012
ASICS Gel-Lyte 33
Puma Faas 350
Nike LunarGlide+ 4
Reviewer: Cregg Weinmann Project Coordinator/Editor: Christine Johnson Designer: Kristen Cerer Proofreader: Marg Sumner, Red Ink Editorial Services Shoe Photography: Daniel Saldaña, Cregg Weinmann Advertising Sales: Running Network LLC, Larry Eder, President, 608.239.3785, larry@runningnetwork.com Publisher: Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 Website: www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website. This 2012 Fall Shoe Review is produced independently by Running Network LLC for its partner publications. All shoes reviewed were tested by experienced, competitive runners who were matched to the biomechanical purpose of each shoe model. Copyright © 2012 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be stored, copied, or reprinted without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Running Network LLC and its partner publications suggest that, as with all fitness activities, you meet with a healthcare professional before beginning or changing your fitness regimen.
Running Network 2012 Fall Shoe Review—i
fall shoe review 2012 2-pager:Spring Shoe Review 09 8/20/12 12:56 PM Page ii
See the full review at www.runningnetwork.com $115
$115
$110
$145
BEST SHOE Motion Stabilizing F A LL 2 012
adidas Supernova Sequence 5 $120
Mizuno Wave Alchemy 12 $110
New Balance 870 v2 $110
New Balance 1260 v2 $100 BEST NEW SHOE FALL 2012
Saucony ProGrid omni 11 $135
adidas adiPure Motion $110
adidas adiZero tempo 5 $110
ASICS Gel-Lyte 33 $85
BEST SHOE
BEST RENOVATION
BEST VALUE
Performance
FALL 2012
FALL 2012
F A LL 2 012
K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light N $100
Mizuno Wave Precision 13 $110
Nike LunarGlide+ 4 $140
Puma Faas 350 $110
BEST SHOE Performance F A LL 2 012
Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 3 $110
ASICS Gel-Cumulus 14 $140
ASICS Gel-Nimbus 14 $135
Brooks Dyad 7 $100
BEST SHOE Neutral F A LL 2 012
Brooks Ghost 5
Brooks Glycerin 10
Mizuno Wave Enigma 2
Running Network 2012 Fall Shoe Review—ii
Nike Air Pegasus+ 29