Choosing the right running shoes for you is extremely important for getting the best results. This was the first shoe to feature Nike’s new midsole technology, React foam. This Adidas-Boost-bothering foam features a synthetic rubber compound that’s created by Nike’s clever chemical engineers to be light, responsive, durable and cushioned. What this means in practice is 20 per cent more mileage (that’s 600 miles instead of 500 if you were wondering) before your shoes need replacing, 13 per cent more energy return than any other Nike shoe and a midsole foam that’s 30 per cent lighter than Boost foam.
But there are certain shoes that I think have broad appeal and the Nike Zoom Streak XC is one of those shoes. I’ve been wearing the Streak XC for about three months and have run everything from a 5k race, duathlon, and track intervals ranging from 200m reps in 32 seconds to miles in 5:20. For any speed faster than a tempo effort, these racing shoes are perfect. With just the right blend of cushioning and responsiveness, I can run short intervals all the way to 10 mile races in comfort. Because of my over-pronation and tendency to get sore arches, I wouldn’t wear them for the half or marathon distance. Shorter races are a perfect candidate for this racer though.
Any runner can get injured, but over- and underpronation can lead to more problems if you don’t opt for the right shoe. Underpronators should look for a lot of cushioning on their shoe, neutral runners should be comfortable in most shoes, although neutral shoes are most suitable (unless your BMI is 27+, in which case some extra support might be advisable) and overpronators will likely be best off with stability running shoes.
Altra has been coming out with some really great models in recent years and the Altra Solstice is an excellent example of the direction they’ve been pushing their models. They use a top-level design that hits the sweet spot across all our measures and do it at a comparatively low price-point. For its price, it delivers the most value for performance out of our lineup, which is why we were happy to give them the Best Bang for the Buck Award. Aside from price, one of the most outstanding attributes of the Solstices is the weight. A pair of men’s 11 come in at just 17.2 ounces – that’s approaching track shoe weight. Perhaps the clincher here, is the comfort of the cushy high Abrasion EVA midsole. It’s a nice middle ground. It’s enough to let you put out some serious force (meaning tempo to sprint) without killing your feet, but not so much that it saps away momentum and gives you the mud-run feel.
Even after a lot of races and workouts, the Hyper Speeds are still kicking. Once in awhile I’ll even wear them casually (hey, I’m a running nerd). I credit the sole, which isn’t too stiff or too hard. If you’ve ever owned a pair of Saucony Kinvaras, you know that the soft sole deteriorates quickly. I only got about 250 miles on them before they were retired. For those looking for the most minimalist racing shoe on the market, look elsewhere. The Hyper Speed 4 has a substantially raised sole for a racing shoe and weighing in at 6.6 ounces it’s definitely not the lightest. See extra details on https://info4runners.com/.