New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 review
Shoe Reviews

New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 Review: Rebel With a Cause

Either running shoes have improved dramatically over the past few years or my continued growth as a runner has enabled me to enjoy running in more shoes than in the past. [Insert the “why not both” meme] The two statements aren’t mutually exclusive; both are true.

Case in point: The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v3 was one of my least favorite running shoes in recent memory. I only racked up about 30 miles in the shoe before I racked the shoe on my shoe rack, or, rather, in the heaping pile of other shoes on my closet floor. What a difference a yearly update makes! Find out why v4 has become one of my favorites, in this New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 review.

Saucony Ride 17 review
Shoe Reviews

Saucony Ride 17 Review: The Same Old Ride?

The Saucony Ride 17 has been completely overhauled from the 16, with the main update seeing the addition of the stellar PWRRUN+ in the midsole—the same great TPU foam found in the Triumph. Since the Triumph 20/21 is one of my all-time favorite shoes, I had a pretty good feeling I’d enjoy this shoe. But, I’m often wrong…about everything. So, was I right? Find out in my Saucony Ride 17 review.

HOKA Clifton 9 review
Shoe Reviews

HOKA Clifton 9 Review: First HOKA Was Worth the Wait

I’ve always been intrigued by HOKA. In many ways, they were among the originators of max cushion running shoes, launching the beefy Bondi back in 2011 amid the barefoot running craze. Three short years later came the Clifton in 2014. HOKA zigged when other companies were zagging. For that, they should be commended. As a max cushion fanatic, I, for one, am grateful. Hell, all six of my top shoes of 2023 were max cushion shoes. Read on for my HOKA Clifton 9 review.

top running shoes of 2023
Shoe Reviews Shoes

My Six Top Running Shoes of 2023

People sure love lists. There’s a list for everything: to-do, waiting, shopping, laundry, naughty, and nice, to name a few. My favorite lists are of the top running shoes. However, “top” is subjective. Running shoe reviews are flawed; experiences running in shoes vary wildly depending on body type, biomechanics, foot strike, and more. There are no top running shoes just like there are no best political candidates or no best investment strategies—ok, maybe those are bad examples. Instead of saying “top running shoes of 2023” these are my favorites of 2023. Admittedly, I sure am partial to max cushion shoes.