Best Running Shoes For 2019 (Part 5)

9. New Balance 890 v7
Price: £ 110
Weight: 204 g (M), 158 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 6 mm

Slim, incredibly light, incredibly tight and fast – this shoe is aimed at the faster end of the market. The curved shape and high toe spring (the distance between the toe tip and the floor) help your foot roll faster through the gait cycle, and while the Revlite midsole padding feels moderately soft in the back to mid-foot area, it’s a bit tighter in the front, to encourage a biting bounce. The knitted upper is wonderfully breathable and envelops the foot perfectly, especially with the gusset tongue.

The whole thing reminds us of the Nike FreeFlyknit line. What keeps the 890v7 from being a laureate is the overly tight heel packaging, which some testers found to be bent too far inward and caused slight Achilles tendon irritation. Another trouble is the arch support’s lack – not a really bad thing in itself, but it takes this out of the mainstream market and into the realm of biomechanically efficient and fast runners looking for 5-10K shoes and sneakers.

10. Hoka One One Clifton 6
Price: £ 120
Weight: 255 g (M), 209 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 5 mm

Hoka likes to say that the Clifton was the shoe that drove the brand into mainstream running awareness when it was launched in 2014: we agree. The combination of speed, light cushioning, side stability and comfort appealed to more than just fans of maximum shoes. Further iterations did not disappoint the model, but with number 6 Hoka did something that was long overdue: it made the damping a little firmer. This makes it so much better to increase the pace and turns it from an exceptionally comfortable long-term shoe into a shoe that is adaptable enough for everyone except the fastest runs.

According to Kacamata Rayban, a beveled heel speeds up the transition from the heel to the midfoot, and the wide last gives a feeling of pleasant lateral stability without slowing down the effect. If you can’t afford to have different shoes for different sessions and are looking for the best price for your money in a pair, this is enough for a multitasker to be a strong competitor for your money.