Best Running Shoes For 2019 (Part 2)

3. New Balance FuelCell Rebel
Price: £ 120
Weight: 207 g (M), 175 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 6 mm

Although this is a racing shoe designed for a wide range of runners, it is not for everyone. New Balance designed this slim speedster as a few steps from the tip of a track. It wanted to offer the same fit, responsiveness, light weight and forefoot jump while providing enough lateral stability and cushioning to be accessible to most runners. It has largely succeeded. The forefoot contains part of the brand’s super-resilient Fuelcell foam, which is surrounded by a lighter, firmer foam.

According to Kacamata Rayban, our testers loved the responsiveness, firm feel, and push-off, and the knitted upper moved great when the foot flexed. However, the low weight has come up with some compromises – runners noticed a lack of midfoot support, especially at speed. In addition, the outline of the shoe is too narrow for everyone except the thinnest feet. This is a well-considered product – a racing shoe that is not elitist – and we hope that New Balance will make some important improvements for the next version.

4. Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo 2
Won: Best Update 2019
Price: £ 159.95
Weight: 220 g (M), 193 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 10 mm

If our review of the Zoom Pegasus 36 complains about the lack of innovation in such an avant-garde brand, we can hardly criticize it here. The Turbo 2 are wonderful shoes and sneakers. It is somewhere between a neutral shoe with high mileage and an absolute racing driver. Faster runners will love this for their longer trips and will appreciate the responsiveness and glove-like fit. Those who are slower will look forward to the feeling of speed while still feeling confident that they will be able to distance themselves without stabbing an Achilles tendon or rubbing their knee cartilage in dust.

In terms of updates, the weight has been reduced by around 14 grams, the tongue and heel collar has been made less spongy (which makes lacing for a secure fit) and the metatarsal wrap has been redesigned for a better fit. The unpopular, faster streak that ran over the toe box was also dropped. These sensible changes have improved the user experience and improved the already fantastic shoe.