From the September/October issue of Canadian Running (on newsstands now), here’s a selection of the best new daily trainers (including stability models for runners who overpronate), updates and time-tested favourites for fall 2024.
ALTRA Experience Flow
Category Neutral cushioning
Men’s 238 g (8.4 oz.)
Women’s 204 g (7.2 oz.)
Offset/Drop 4 mm
Stack Height 32 mm/28 mm (men’s), 30 mm/26 mm (women’s)
$180
Experience Flow is the update to the shoe previously known as AltraFWD Experience, the brand’s first low-drop (as opposed to no-drop) shoe, which came out late last year. It’s the flagship model in the brand’s Experience family of shoes, which also includes a new stability model (Experience Form) and a trail shoe (Experience Wild).
Experience Flow is designed to be a smooth, efficient, light shoe for daily training, workouts and long runs. It’s for runners who like a lower-drop shoe and firm cushioning for 5K/10K training, and, while the brand is quick to reassure runners with narrow feet that the “foot-shaped toe box” does not exclude them, it’s definitely a boon for runners with wider feet, and the fit is true to size.
The specs are, for the most part, unchanged from the AltraFWD Experience, as is the general design of the shoe; it has a new, more breathable engineered mesh upper, with the same compression-moulded EVA midsole, a slight rocker for smooth transitions and the nice, roomy Altra toe box. The shoe is very light, if a little stiff in the toe area.
HOKA Skyflow
Editor’s Pick: Best Value
Category Neutral max cushioning
Men’s 280 g (10.0 oz.)
Women’s 244 g (8.6 oz.)
Offset/Drop 5 mm
Stack Height 40 mm/35 mm (men’s), 38 mm/33 mm (women’s)
$190
For Hoka fans, the new Skyflow is being described as a cross between the Clifton and the Mach; it has similar specs to the Clifton 9 (the brand’s very popular daily trainer), in terms of stack height and heel-toe offset, but the rocker geometry and midsole cushioning are more akin to the Mach series of fast trainers. You really do get the best of both worlds—a comfy ride in a shoe you can use for workouts and tempo runs, as well as easy runs and long runs.
The upper is a breathable jacquard mesh that hugs the foot and helps create a comfortably snug fit. It has plenty of padding and a gussetted tongue that won’t move around while you run. The wide base is very stable.
It should be noted that, while this shoe is priced considerably lower than the other max-stack models reviewed here, it lacks the others’ more advanced midsole cushioning materials and is a little heavier—but it’s a great option for the budget-conscious runner looking for a decent daily trainer. It’s also available in wider than standard widths, which may be welcome news for those who find Hoka too narrow.
The shoe is being marketed in specialty running stores only, to distinguish it as a serious running shoe, when so many of the brand’s other models seem to have been co-opted for athleisure.
ASICS Superblast 2
Editor’s Pick: Best Daily Trainer
Category Neutral max cushioning
Unisex 249 g (8.8 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 45 mm/37 mm
$260
The Superblast, introduced early last year, was a very successful max-stack trainer/racer for Asics, and all its best qualities have just been made even better. The shoe’s upper is a new, very breathable, comfortable and stretchy engineered woven mesh that works extremely well for long, late-summer training runs, as well as 10K, half-marathon and marathon races.
The FF Blast Turbo Plus midsole cushioning material (the same peba foam used in the brand’s Metaspeed plated racing shoes) is now lighter as well as more responsive, and the denser foam underneath (FF Blast Plus Eco) now has 24 per cent bio content.
This new midsole is lighter and slightly more aggressive/responsive than before, making the Superblast 2 the perfect trainer for runners who want something they can use for almost any kind of running, including workouts and racing, and who either aren’t sold on the merits of carbon-plated shoes, or who don’t want to spend the money on both a daily trainer and a high-end racing shoe.
The shoe has a wide base, and there’s really no issue with stability, despite the stack height (which is actually half a millimetre lower than in the previous version).
MIZUNO Wave Rider 28
Category Neutral cushioning
Men’s 275 g (9.7 oz.)
Women’s 235 g (8.3 oz.)
Offset/Drop 12 mm
Stack Height 38.5 mm/26.5 mm
$180
With its high drop and plush EVA cushioning, the Mizuno Wave Rider is a reliable, basic daily trainer for people who run two or three times a week to stay in shape, and it doesn’t change radically from version to version.
The midsole of the 28 is Mizuno Enerzy (EVA), with a layer of the new Mizuno Enerzy NXT under the (peba) wave plate in the heel—this new foam is also found in the Mizuno Neo Vista, reviewed on p.57. The brand has tweaked the geometry of the wave plate slightly and given the shoe a flared heel collar. The shoe looks great—it’s light, with a breathable mesh upper and lots of comfy padding around the collar and tongue, and the outsole is decently grippy and very durable.
Heel strikers will welcome the new foam in the heel and the high heel-toe offset; they’ll love it for easy runs and long runs. For workouts, you may want something with a little more pep. Our tester found the toe box slightly confining, despite an abundance of material in the upper, which led to some creasing and bunching.
ASICS GT 2000 13
Editor’s Pick: Best Update
Category Stability
Men’s 275 g (9.7 oz.)
Women’s 235 g (8.3 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 36.5 mm/28.5 mm (men’s), 35.5 mm/27.5 mm (women’s)
$180
The popular stability shoe from Asics is gently supportive while allowing a very plush, comfortable ride and is perfect for daily training. It’s gotten lighter and more responsive over time, while the brand’s 3D Guidance system introduced in the previous version, which involves foams of different densities in the midsole rather than traditional medial posting, provides gentle correction for runners who tend to roll inward.
The latest version is not a radical update. It’s been given a new, engineered mesh upper designed for better breathability (though some testers dispute whether it’s more or less breathable than before), which fits snugly and securely and has a fairly rigid heel counter. The wide platform offsets any instability from the high stack, and the midsole cushioning (FF Blast Plus under the midfoot and forefoot and PureGel in the heel), which has been used in other models, is very much a tried-and-true combination for decent daily-trainer-type responsiveness and cushioning.
The shoe retains the bevelled heel introduced in the 12, which heel strikers will appreciate. The shoe is appropriate for all your daily training needs, including long runs, easy runs, workouts and races—basically a “set it and forget it” type of shoe.
NEW BALANCE Fresh Foam X 860 v14
Editor’s Pick: Best Stability Shoe
Category Stability
Men’s 303 g (10.7 oz.)
Women’s 244 g (8.6 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 29 mm/21 mm
$180
The new 860, a stability shoe with a long pedigree, definitely fits the tried-and-true category as a reliable antidote for runners with moderate overpronation. The heel/toe offset has also been lowered from 10 mm to 8 mm to (this will appeal to more performance-oriented runners), and it’s been given a little more of a toe rocker, to make it roll more smoothly through the gait cycle.
The 860 has always been available in four widths, to accommodate just about any runner needing a little extra support. The memory foam heel collar and tongue further enhance the shoe’s comfort, as does the stretchy gussetting on either side of the tongue.
There are three different types of cushioning in the midsole: the top layer is the same EVA-based Fresh Foam X that’s used in the very bouncy 1080 trainer; the middle layer provides stability on the medial side; and the bottom layer is a denser, more responsive version of Fresh Foam X. The combination works well to provide a ride that’s mildly corrective, yet still feels softer than some stability shoes. Our only reservation is that it’s a little on the heavy side.
For the full review, pick up the September/October 2024 issue of Canadian Running (on newsstands now).
