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Lightwright 6 tips5/1/2023 “I ran with a friend who was wearing the Spark up in the Adirondacks,” said deputy editor Jeff Dengate. You buy it for the grip to dodge roots and rocks at speed, or heck, even hop an OCR fire pit and scale a rope wall. But you don’t buy the Spark for its cushioning. No, the fairly standard dense EVA midsole isn’t on par with the latest bouncy nitrogen-injected TPU offerings out there. The shoe is designed to be super lightweight and fast, so while you won’t get cushioning for an ultra, the foam underfoot feels ample for trail runs and obstacle races. How? The Spark uses VJ’s 100 percent butyl rubber, which lets the outsole grip slick terrain due to its tacky hold and overall flexibility. “And wow, I felt fast-like I was ready to put a big race on my calendar.”Īt five millimeters, the Spark’s lugs aren’t super long, and they’re not sharp like a set of YakTrax, but this shoe offers some of the best traction we’ve tested. “Normally, Asics’s cushioning feels way too soft for me-but these were comfortable to go 26.2 miles without being too cushy,” one tester said. It helps that the shoe is radically light as well, weighing about the same as the benchmark Nike Vaporfly. So, when you’re digging for that second-half speed in a marathon, you’ll still have some gas left in the tank to negative split. That, plus a carbon-fiber plate in the forefoot, help improve your stride efficiency. 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. Just when you thought Asics’s legacy was solely stalwart daily trainers, the brand surprises with the MetaRacer, its first carbon-fiber-plated racing shoe. Some testers found the toe box could rub the pinky toes.“As someone who runs competitively, while also having extremely flat feet, some shoes can be uncomfortable when running,” one of our collegiate wear-testers said, “but I’ve gotten through all of my workouts without any problem in these shoes, even after putting 200 miles on them.” Some testers say, paradoxically, that it feels firm but delivers all the cushioning they require. (Check out Asics’s Gel-DS Trainer 26, Topo Athletic’s Ultrafly 3, and Saucony’s Fastwitch 9, too.) The first Prism was too soft, but the second iteration has been dialed in. While this type of lightweight stability shoe used to be more popular, some brands are still making good options. And they’re not just for plodding along, either: Just look at the Prism, a lightweight, stable speedster that’s well-suited for track sessions, tempo runs, and even racing. Stability shoes have been a dying breed, but they’re not dead yet. Not as bouncy as New Balance’s neutral FuelCell Rebel v2.In short, the latest developments in design, chemistry, and biomechanics have led to shoes that can help you run faster and farther-or at the very least, feel lighter on your feet while you’re doing it. Brands have further refined their newest lightweight running shoes by analyzing stride and gait patterns, using impact-measuring devices, and creating proprietary foams that return more energy with each footstrike. Carrying less weight on your feet can result in less energy expenditure and improved form and biomechanics, which similarly boosts stride economy and efficiency. The appeal of lightweight shoes is simply better running performance that feels more effortless. Most Cushioned: Skechers GOrun Maxroad 5.Best for Speedwork: Brooks Hyperion Tempo.Most Versatile: New Balance FuelCell Rebel v2.Most Stable: New Balance FuelCell Prism v2.Of the hundreds of pairs we test each year at Runner’s World, the 10 options below are the razor-thin racers, plush long-run-capable trainers, and trail shoes that most impressed our team with their feather-light weights and phenomenal performance. On this list, you’ll find pairs that cater to every preference for cushioning and support. Thanks to new midsole foams and upper materials, supportive and even maximally cushioned shoes can come in well under eight ounces. For instance, you used to have to sacrifice some cushioning to save ounces-that’s no longer the case. Lightweight running shoes have come a long way as both racing flats and daily trainers.
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