All the news that's fit to run
The first thing you’ll notice upon lacing up the Pure Nitro is the weight. It’s almost impossible to miss, because at an impressive 7.5 oz (213 g) for a men’s size 9 and 6.6 oz (187 g) for a women’s size 8, it’s not much heavier than the average super shoe.
Of course, the ride of the Pure Nitro doesn’t resemble that of a carbon-plated racer. They’re two very different shoes at two very different prices. But it’s also no slouch.
New Balance describes the SC Rebel as a “lightweight and responsive trainer engineered to bring race-inspired performance to everyday running.” But with a shoe this propulsive, you could say it also brings race-inspired performance to occasional racing. Because the SC Rebel isn’t much of a downgrade (if any) from New Balance’s true racing shoe, the SC Elite v6. Both have a carbon fiber plate, featherlight weights, and both share a version of the new Infinion foam.
Boasting a new midsole, upper, and outsole, Topo calls the Specter 3 an almost full reinvention of the Specter 2. That’s right: forget everything you knew about the Topo Specter! For many, that won’t be hard to do, considering you’ve likely never heard of the shoe…or the underrated Topo brand. It doesn’t help that the Specter hadn’t previously been made in size 15. That’s right! Exciting news for those of us with gargantuan tootsies: this is the first Specter we can run in! And it couldn’t have come at a better time–spoiler: the Specter 3 is my pick for trainer of the year, in case the title of this review didn’t already tip you off.
HOKA watched Brooks produce a combined 31 variations (and counting) of their flagship Glycerin and Ghost models and said “Hold my pair” by introducing the first modification to the popular Clifton line.
The Clifton Pro is the best Clifton ever, and not just because they added “PRO” to the name; although, that certainly doesn’t hurt. Just don’t mistake its PRO moniker for being a super shoe. Perhaps “PRO” wasn’t the best name?
Not long ago considered safe and predictable (see: boring), Mizuno continues to refresh their lineup with great results, significantly improving long-time pairs like the Wave Rider and introducing several innovative premium models within the past few years. One of many standouts is the Neo Vista, a nimble, plated super trainer designed to provide a bouncy, energetic ride. Did my first experience with the shoe live up to the hype?
Making it to the 30th edition of a running shoe is no small feat. Hell, there are some movie franchises that last longer than running shoes. Fittingly, Mizuno decided to celebrate the momentous occasion with a totally revamped iteration of their flagship trainer. Does the update move the needle?