Best Running Shoes For 2019 (Part 9)

17. Altra Torin 4.0 Plush
Price: £ 130
Weight: 268 g (M), 240 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 0 mm

Altra is a niche brand with a growing reputation. Only foot-shaped zero-drop shoes and sneakers (without height difference between heel and forefoot) are made (the outsoles have the outline of a foot and the toe area is more flat than rounded). It may sound unusual, but followers like RW Marathon runner Rick Pearson are evangelical about her. While many Altra shoes are relatively reduced, the Torin 4.0 Plush is a maximum shoe with a 28 mm high padding between the foot and the floor.

Slower, heavier runners raved about impact protection and shock absorption, while others complained about some kind of local anesthetic effect where they couldn’t feel much of what was going on under the ankle. One area for improvement is the forefoot, where lack of spring and overly soft feel meant that runners had to work hard to drive hills. If the priority is to feel as little of the road as possible, these are worth a look.

18. Saucony Omni ISO 2
Price: £ 125
Weight: 315 g (M), 281 g (W)
Heel / Toe Drop: 8 mm

This is a confusing shoe that appears to connect two eras of running shoe technology. It is a stability shoe for moderate overpronators and the upper half is a joy to the latest state of the art. The upper is soft and plush, the 3D-contoured footbed has created an “oooh” of bliss for a tester, and a harder fabric in the Heel can be easily combined with a lightweight plastic heel cap to safely weigh the heel. And the fit of the toebox – wide enough to easily spread your toes without being so wide that your tootsies are lost there – becomes a trademark of Saucony.

Overpronation control, however, is extremely primitive by today’s standards. The medial post – which prevents your foot from rolling inward – was extended further down compared to the first version, and the Kacamata Rayban testers felt that Saucony had gone too far here. it feels lumpy and restrictive rather than supportive. Add to that the overall weight of the shoe, and it’s hard to feel that Saucony hit the post rather than the back of the net.