Why two shoes in one review you ask? Well, they are kind of the same shoe but built for different people so I thought it made sense to review both at the same time. I’ll explain in a moment.

adidas, a brand with a long history in running, yet a complicated one in the recent world of run specialty retail so not familiar to many. adidas gets credit for changing the industry with the launch of Boost foam back in 2013 as it was the first trainer with a bouncy, high response foam, a foam created by BASF that had a higher rebound then regular EVA. When Boost launched every other brand realized they had to play catchup and fast.

At that time, adidas dedicated a lot of resources on being in run stores and getting on the feet of everyday runners and it worked, as Boost was very successful. Yes, it was kind of heavy, but man what a ride and so different from everything else at the time.

Then they did a corporate shift away from brick-and-mortar stores and changed to a direct-to-consumer focus and promptly lost the everyday runner as they also shifted away from Boost to newer foams and an elite level focus. They were still making some great shoes, but more in the niche/specialized category of high performance (adizero) and lost ground to every other brand that was outfitting the masses, and also launching their own new high rebound foams.

Enter 2024 and a complete re-focus for the product line, with dedicated models for the masses, while still making great high-end products. Think of Supernova as a collection of models for the everyman/women. The workhorse shoe that logs all the miles and doesn’t cost you your first born. Now why the two-shoe review? As I stated, they are very similar, Rise is the neutral daily trainer and Solution is the guidance version. Both feature Dreamstrike+ midsoles and very similar support rods between the Dreamstrike+ foam and the rubber outsole.

Those EVA rods on the Solution are aligned a bit more to the medial side by combining two rods together, offering more guidance/control, while on the Rise they remain more neutral providing transition assistance from heal to forefoot. Looking at the midsole, they are very similar with the Solution offering a higher stack height. Its in the midsole where you can easily see the difference between the two shoes Support Rods (the grey foam near the outsole), with the rods on the Solution being thicker and more sculpted, again to provide additional support/guidance.

So, how do they feel? Really nice. My foot pattern from midstance to toe off does best in a guidance shoe as my foot travels from lateral to medial going too far past neutral, losing me propulsion forces and causing my Achilles to be a mess. So, for me the Solution is a “better” option and between the upper, higher stack and extra guidance I got a really nice riding shoe for daily mileage. My heart, on the other hand ,preferred the Rise — a little lower to the ground, a slightly snappier, more alive ride and some extra flexibility. I do know long term for me that adds up to issues but if I had both I’d use Rise on shorter, quicker days and Solution on longer, slower days.

Overall, both shoes are really nice options. Great mesh on the upper that has a very good accommodating fit. Both are well cushioned without being overly soft and mushy and have some pop to them (Ride has more pop, Solution more cushion). It comes down to whether you need a little extra guidance in your stride but I’d say these are the 2 best daily trainers adidas has made in years. Add them to a rotation of faster models such as Boston 12 and adios Pro 3 and adidas has you covered.

Specifications

Supernova Rise
Cost: $140.00
Mens: 9.7oz (275g)
Womens: 8.6oz (243g)
Stack: 28.5mm/18.5mm
Drop: 10mm
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.7 oz (304g)

Supernova Solution
Cost: $140.00
Mens: 10.3oz (293g)
Womens: 8.6oz (245g)
Stack: 35mm/25mm
Drop: 10mm
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.7 oz (304g)

You can purchase either shoe here.

**I have no idea how my two pairs weigh exactly the same but they do, they shouldn’t but they do

The post Reviewed: adidas Supernova Rise & Solution first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Let's get it out of the way first: so far, most people hate the laces on HOKA's latest race offering, the Cielo X1. Triathletes are going to really hate them. They are stiff and not easy to tighten quickly. Once in place, they do provide serious, lock in place support if you can find your perfect fit. But for triathlon, just pull the laces out and replace with your favorite elastic lace.

OK, now for the rest of the shoe. First spotted on sponsored athletes in summer/fall 2023 (though with a Rocket X2 upper and often wrongly reported to be a Rocket X3), the Cielo X1 is the newest and highest energy return shoe HOKA have made. The 2-layer PEBA midsole with carbon fiber plate sandwiched in the middle features dynamic cutouts through the midsole to reduce weight, though the Cielo X1 is not the lightest racer on the market coming in at a listed weight of 9.3 oz.

Different from most Hoka over the years the Cielo X1 is a 7mm drop shoe, higher than what the brand has previously offered. Part of this is Hoka has changed how they measure drop, now including the Strobel and insole and part is yeah, it’s a slightly higher drop. If you’re the type that can notice 2mm it may feel higher, most won’t notice a thing. (Editor’s Note: to borrow the old phrase from Mizuno – focus on miles, not millimeters.)

When I first put these on, I wasn’t sure what to think. I have a fairly high arch and yet I could feel the midfoot filling up under my foot, almost like a bump. Then I walked around, still not really sure it is even going to be “like” let along “love” as they felt pretty unstable walking around. Next up was to run and there it is, a really nice pop of rebound with every foot strike. I land pretty midfoot and that is the sweet spot for the Cielo X1. The shoe has a very pronounced rocker shape and I don’t think landing rearfoot will work very well but that midfoot “fullness” I felt when I first put these on acted like a bounce house under full run force as it compressed and rebounded and I liked it.

I did have to stay focused on form as when I got a little lazy, I could feel the shoe being a little unstable as my foot landed a little further back and with more lateral sway. It seemed to be at least less stable compared to the New Balance SuperComp Elite v4 that I tested just before these. While running hard I really liked the feel, responsiveness, and the shoes’ ability to absorb a ton of impact.

The upper is very supportive with a unique ribbed knit upper that reminds me of Nike Aeroswift half tights. There is also a knit gusseted tongue that wraps the foot nicely and is forgiving enough for the high instep crowd. HOKA says the upper is very breathable but being in Western NY, aka, almost Canada, in February, I can’t easily test that out as my feet are not going to get warm here (though they also didn’t get cold, which honestly, they never do, years of running sockless all year round will do that) The material is a little on the thick/stiff/supportive side so those with wide feet may not fit too well here as I don’t think there will be much give.

A large pull tab is on the tongue to grab so the guested tongue doesn’t push down. A fairly firm yet low heel counter helps to really lock the rearfoot in place and should keep any slippage issues to a minimum as I’ve seen none so far. Between the upper material, the laces and the heel counter my foot was locked in over the midsole.

At the recent Orlando Marathon Trials, Hoka athletes were all in Cielo X1 from what I saw. Non-sponsored athletes wearing Hoka were in Rocket X2, most likely due to Cielo X1 releasing 2 days before the race. I expect to see people moving to Cielo X1 from Rocket X2 for its higher energy return and I won’t be surprised if a v2 somewhere in the future ends up being lighter weight as they find places to trim some grams.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed the ride and fit of the shoe. Weight weenies will find it heavy but it sure does soak up the miles and provides a lot of bounce. And remember, for triathlon, swap out the laces ASAP.

HOKA Cielo X1 Stats
Price: $275.00
Released February 1, 2024
Unisex: 9.3 oz (264g)
Stack: 40mm/33mm
Drop: 7mm
*My 10.5 US weighed 9.5oz (270g)

The post Reviewed: HOKA Cielo X1 first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

At over 125 years old Saucony has a long history in footwear. They also have a long history in triathlon through sponsorship of numerous legends of the sport and at one time even owned bike brand Quintana Roo. Needless to say, they know how to make some good running shoes and they remain a strong player in multisport.

Ride 17 is version 17 of the good old daily trainer from Saucony. Really it could be considered even older as it has DNA from the Trigon Series from the 90’s and you could go so far as say a bit of Jazz 3000 bloodline as a nicely cushioned, do a bit of everything for a moderately priced shoe.

Ride 17 updates

The biggest update is to the midsole as it now features PWRRUN+ foam, same as the current Triumph 21 (though with 2mm lower stack in the rearfoot). PWRRUN+ is a low-density PU based foam that allows for lower weight, softer feel and a bit more responsiveness than previously used foams. It doesn’t have the pop and rebound of say the Endorphin Speed but as an every day log some mileage shoe it has a very nice, lively ride to it.

Saucony is also gradually moving back to their traditional fit of a narrower heel and a slightly roomier toebox. For decades this is what made the brand so popular, especially with women, as the heel and midfoot was nice and secure and the forefoot gave the toes just a little extra space to wiggle. It's good to see this move from what has been a bit of a sloppy rearfoot fit.

The engineered mesh upper is soft and accommodating and as mentioned above the toes have some breathing room. Those with really narrow feet or those that like a snug fit would do better to look elsewhere as the front may feel too roomy.

Another highlight for me is that there is a nice amount of rubber on the outsole. A lot of shoes try to reduce weight by leaving the midsole foam exposed, resulting in a lighter shoe that will wear out faster. The Ride 17 has a nice nearly full outsole, which provides plenty of grip and will help the shoe last for many miles.

With my high instep I do feel a slight amount of pressure over the very top of my foot where the laces are tied. Some of that is the attached tongue but mostly is just my foot; the majority of people won’t have an issue and I can easily log miles with no issues. It’s just something I slightly felt if I had them on for a long time.

To me one thing that makes a really good shoe is when you don’t think about it at all during a run, it just works and does its job, that’s the Ride 17. It isn’t flashy, it doesn’t make you super excited. I could log miles and never really think about what was on my feet. I didn’t have to figure out lacing, or deal with any issues, you can just run.

Specs and Availability

$140.00
Men: 9.9 oz (282g)
Women: 8.4 oz (238g)
Stack: 35/27mm
Drop: 8mm
Standard and wide width options available
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.6 oz (300g)

The post Reviewed: Saucony Ride 17 first appeared on Slowtwitch News.

Editor's Note: We're happy to welcome Boots, AKA FF Boots on the forum, to our writing team. Boots co-owns, with his wife Ellen, Fleet Feet Rochester's three stores in upstate New York and the event company YellowJacket Racing.

First, before diving into the specifics of this shoe, I wanted to go through a bit of my history and philosophy when it comes to testing.

As the shoe buyer for my stores, I’ve been evaluating and testing shoes for decades now and also consult with brands on future product development. I’m known for being bluntly honest with brands, which is seen as a pro and a con depending on what the brand was hoping to hear.

In terms of fitting experience, I’ve personally fit everyone from young kids and senior citizens to professional athletes across numerous sports as well as Olympic Gold Medalists.

I also have a long history with launching new brands and products. My stores were one of the earliest HOKA dealers in the US, and the same with On Running. I’ve worked closely with Karhu and Diadora on their revitalization in to the marketplace. Essentially, I like new stuff and evolving the industry.

When it comes down to it, my “philosophy” when it comes to testing and evaluating product is as follows:

1. I test through the eyes of the intended customer, and NOT my personal preferences.
2. I take in to account the direction I may know a brand is headed with their product and where the current product falls within that journey.
3. I don’t adhere to going longer to make a shoe fit a wider foot, just get a shoe that fits correctly, both length and width.
4. The boring stuff is just as important as the cool flashy new toys. The majority of runners are wearing good, solid daily trainers, and not carbon plated, super foam shoes.
5. Shoe weight is not at the top of the list for me. How a shoe works with a person’s biomechanics is most important. An extra ounce for a shoe that might improve biomechanics, efficiency and power is worth it.

Now, with that. The shoe in question. Whether you call them super shoes, cheater shoes, KISS army platform racers, whatever you want; they are here to stay and only getting better (and faster).

What makes super shoes "super" — is it the Foam or is it the carbon plate? The answer is yes. The trend for high stack height racers was made possible by the use of super lightweight yet highly responsive foams for the midsole. This allowed for an increase in shock absorption that helps the legs and also for the shoe to “give back” more of the energy that is put into it with each foot strike. Add in a carbon plate that 1, helps stabilize all that tall squishy foam and 2, propels the foot through its gait cycle faster and presto, you have a really fast shoe.

With the introduction of version 4, New Balance has taken a big step up in performance with the SuperComp (hereafter, shortened to “SC”) Elite. The 100% PEBA midsole increases energy return and makes for a really nice, soft ride. The re-designed carbon plate with energy arc (where the plate and the void in the midsole are designed to work together to increase energy return) makes for an even faster transition to toe off.

I don’t have a ton of miles on mine yet but one thing I’ve always liked about the SC Elite is while being very fast it is also fairly stable, which is good for those not running 2:10 marathon pace. The wide platform underfoot gives a decent amount of support for more mortal paces, including those of us that utilize occasional walk breaks.

The upper on v4 is one of the more “trainer” like uppers of all super shoes. By that I mean it’s not overly tight or narrow and should be rather accommodating for a wide range of foot shapes. One downside that is triathlon specific is that the tongue of the shoe does not come up very high, so there’s nothing to easily grab in transition and get your foot into the shoe. If this is an issue for you, any local shoe repair store should be able to add pull tabs to the tongue (and heel if you prefer) or you could just cut the entire tongue off.

I often like to wear a low-profile aftermarket insert such as a Superfeet Dynamic or Currex RunPro and the stock insole on the v4 is easily removable making this possible. Note, for triathlon I suggest adding extra glue under the insole so it doesn’t move during transition.

For the wide foot fam, SC Elite v4 comes in a wide option for both men and women. That’s a big deal — there are very few other shoes in this category that come in widths — and sticks to the NB legacy of width options in abundance.

Overall, I find the ride soft but not overly squishy with nice rebound/energy return and I have had no issues with the fit of the upper. For those that some super shoes feel unstable underfoot the New Balance SC Elite v4 could be a very good option with its wider platform underfoot offering a nice base of support.

New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
Price: $250.00

Published Specifications:
Mens: 8.4 oz (237g)**
Womens: 6.6 oz (188g)
Stack: 40mm/36mm
Drop: 4mm
Standard and wide width options available

**My 10.5 US sized pair weighed 9.2 oz (262g)

The post Reviewed: New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 first appeared on Slowtwitch News.