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Wedge shoes fall 20194/8/2024 ![]() There’s plenty enough cushioning even when running down steep hills, but it’s light and responsive. The feeling underfoot is an odd sensation of firm but protective. This is another shoe that we’ve been testing here at Runner’s World already. There’s a load of science behind it, but what it means for runners is the foam has a different cellular structure that allows it to be durable and springy, without being heavy. Instead of being blown with chemicals, it’s made when CO2 is heated under pressure and becomes a supercritical fluid. Getting all that attention is Hyper Burst, a new form of EVA that’s created differently. ![]() Though most brands focused on fit and materials at the show, many were talking about Skechers. It doesn’t have the premium construction and plush build of pricier shoes, but it should be a real bargain for younger runners and those on a budget. The early results are exactly as Reebok describes: It’s a lightweight training shoe that feels quick when you want to run fast. I’ve been in the shoe a while now, and it’s currently on the feet of our wear-testers. Add to that a simple full-length rubber outsole that will give good durability and value. Reebok says it’s 30 percent lighter than traditional EVA and delivers better energy return, but it’s not as soft as the midsole material used in other Floatride shoes like the Run Fast. It’s a lightweight expanded TPE-essentially, small plastic beads are steam molded together. But, to reach more runners with a lower price, they’ve come up with a slightly different kind of foam they’re calling Floatride Energy. We’ve really loved the direction of Reebok the last couple years, and the team there has been cranking out some great shoes using a new Floatride midsole foam. It’s a thread that winds around the shoe’s upper and is stitched in place to add even more structure and support, much like traditional overlays would have but in a lighter execution. Saucony also added a “high tensile polyester fiber” to the heel and midfoot. The previous model had a simple plastic strap that wrapped around the heel but didn’t really offer much in the way of structure. It also bolstered support by adding a genuine heel counter inside the shoe to lock the back half of your foot in place. It did so by making it slightly longer and extending a few plastic ribs of the post farther into the midsole, basically firming up that region. Saucony beefed up the plastic post under the heel and arch a bit. So this shoe still gets the full-length layer of Everun as a midsole, making for a bouncy, cushioned ride. But how will its successor fare? Since it’s an off-year update, very little changed under the foot-manufacturers are largely on a two-year cycle for foam and rubber updates. The Liberty won our Best Debut award in early 2018 thanks to its versatile mix of comfort and support for long runs. The changes are reported to bring the shoe down an astonishing 1.2 ounces. ![]() To give extra protection, Brooks is using a Cordura mesh just above the midsole, where you’re likely to snag rocks and sticks on technical trail. The knit material is lightweight but secure thanks to its no-stretch design. ![]() It’s a sleek execution for a shoe that’s typically had a burly construction. Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the new knit upper. The company has also retooled the lugs underfoot for more secure footing and changed up the pivots-those triangle wedges of firm foam at the four corners that deliver extra stability on uneven ground. Brooks says it took the rebound out of the rubber, so when you hit rocks on the trail, the rubber sticks better, rather than deflecting off it. Under the foot, a new trail rubber has a wet-grip formulation for more secure footing. But the new version has been reworked top to bottom. If you’re the type to lace this one up, you’ll also like how you can loop the laces through nearly any hole in the upper to customize the fit to your foot.Ī big overhaul that caught our attention is the Cascadia-a trail titan that typically doesn’t see major changes. Altra athlete Zach Bitter wore it in November when he set the 100-mile trail world record, running 12:08:36-that’s 7:17 per mile, by the way. So, while many of us might use it as a training tool, more advanced runners will take it out for long speed sessions. If you build foot strength, you can more comfortably run in thinner, lightweight shoes. In introducing the shoe to us, Altra cofounder Golden Harper said “stronger feet equals less shoe needed,” and that’s wise advice to heed. But it can also be used for much the same purposes for the rest of us. Its X-shaped tread delivers grip on mild terrain. Initially, it’s intended to give young cross-country runners a tool to build foot strength and run fast in training over grass courses. A fishnet upper straps a thin, 14mm foam and rubber sole to your foot-and that’s about it. This shoe is about as minimal as it gets these days.
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