Saucony Tempus 2 ($160)

Introduction

If “stability shoe” brings up associations of “heavy”, “clunky”, or “stiff” for you, the Tempus 1 and now Tempus 2 may change your mind. As someone with a fairly neutral gait looking for a daily road trainer, I was pleasantly surprised by the Tempus 2. Runners who like the Endorphin line for uptempo days and races may want to give the Tempus 2 a try, even if they don’t often seek out stability shoes.

Pros:

Stable without being noticeably a “stability shoe”; feels fairly neutral underfoot - Jen

Great amount of cushioning for the weight - Jen

Surprisingly comfortable, and versatile at recovery run paces but with enough spring for strides - Jen

Comparable to the Saucony Endorphin line but slightly more support as the foot rolls forward - Jen

Cons:

Took a few runs to settle into the fit, especially toward the toe - Jen

Not inexpensive for a daily trainer - Jen

Most comparable shoes 

Saucony Endorphin Shift

Asics Gel-Kayano

Brooks Launch GTS 10

Stats

Spec Weight: women's 8.2 oz / 232 g (US 8)

Prior Version Weight:  women’s 7.9 oz / 224 g (US 8)

  Sample Weight: women’s 8.46 oz / 240 g (US 8.5)

Stack Height: women’s  38 mm heel / 30 mm forefoot (8 mm  drop spec)  Platform Width: 90  mm heel / 69 mm midfoot / 115 mm forefoot 

RoadTrailRun contributors ran thousands of miles and kilometers in 2024, testing all kinds of gear and apparel and here bring you 50 Gift Ideas for the runners in your life.

Pros: 

• Easy to use

• Comfortable, even with swimming goggles

• Playlist+ feature is still unique and brilliant

• Improved battery life

Cons: 

• Best sound in the pool is achieved when using ear plugs.

• Sound is still lesser than with standard earphones.

Introduction

I’ve already reviewed a H2O Audio product, the pool-specific Sonar Pro.

This was a very well-rounded device, with a very specific and some might say limited usage.

H2O Audio has now revamped their lineup and offers the Tri 2 bone conduction headphone, as a replacement for their previous Tri sport device.

The Tri 2 is designed for multi sports enthusiasts, and as such offers a IPX8 waterproof certification (can withstand a 3.6m submersion for an unlimited time), onboard storage of 8GB for your music (MP3, FLAC, aac, m4a) without your phone, or when the Bluetooth does not work (underwater), bone conduction design so that you can stay aware of your surroundings, and an easy to use 3 buttons interface.

The “Pro” version adds the Playlist+ feature for on board, no phone listening.

The idea is simple and comes from a clear trend. These days music is listened to using streaming services, and by a large margin. But those require an Internet connection, a phone and all those things that are not really easy to bring to the pool.

Diadora Nucleo 2 ($160)

Introduction

Iconic sports brand Diadora of Italy has emerged as a top run contender in recent years with beautifully styled and super fun to run trainers and a solid carbon racer. 

Featuring their own in-house developed DD Anima foam which is light, energetic, moderately soft with a clearly felt and leg saving measured bounce, the Nucleo continues the progress. 

Ir'an “inherent stability” trainer meaning its geometry provides light stability and without overdoing the platform width or adding firmer inserts or plastic inserts. It all also works brilliantly for me, a runner who definitely typically steers clear of stability and pronation control shoes! Please read on for the details.

Article by Kurt Biesemans

Salomon Aero Glide (160€)

Introduction:

Salomon has long been a key player in the trail running world, but with this shoe, they've crafted a quality road running shoe. The Aero Glide is part of Salomon's Aero collection, which includes the Aero Glide (maximum cushioning), the Aero Blaze (lightweight for daily training), and the Aero Volt (for tempo and interval training).

The shoe is a great all-round road running shoe that is lightweight and well-cushioned with nice rolling characteristics. It is designed for the neutral runner. The Aero Glide is best-suited for low- to moderate-paced runs and long distances, such as endurance training.

Nike Zoom Fly 6 ($170)

"Testée et approuvée par Kipchoge" 

Jen : Oubliez ce que vous pensiez savoir de la Zoom Fly 5, et considérez la #6 comme une nouvelle chaussure à part entière. Nike a fait quelques mises à jour et améliorations majeures dans cette version, créant une supertrainer plus légère, plus amortie et plus rebondissante avec beaucoup des mêmes avantages, mais à un prix inférieur à celui de ses homologues  Le poids de la chaussure a diminué de manière significative tout en augmentant la hauteur de coussin de la chaussure.

S/Lab Genesis Spine (250€)

Test original en Anglais traduit avec l'aide de Deepl.com

Introduction 

Sam : La S/Lab Genesis Spine est une version haute de la chaussure ultra haut de gamme de Salomon, la S/Lab Genesis. Destinée à la course et à la randonnée rapide dans des conditions humides et froides, elle ajoute une résistance à l'eau et au froid ainsi qu'une protection contre les débris et la poussière grâce à sa tige supérieure scellée pour les conditions difficiles, à ce qui est une plate-forme exceptionnelle sous le pied. 

La tige extérieure, très similaire à celle que Salomon utilise pour ses chaussures de ski nordique classiques S/Lab, est dotée d'une membrane interne résistante à l'eau, tandis que la "chaussure" intérieure avec les lacets rapides n'est pas un matériau Matryx comme dans la Genesis classique, mais un mesh plus conventionnel et ouvert avec des superpositions étendues.

La plateforme sous le pied et la semelle extérieure sont identiques à la S/Lab Genesis "été". Bien que la  Spine n'ait pas "légère" en raison de la tige, le poids de 361 g US9 est raisonnable pour un une chaussure trail haut de gamme avec une protection contre les intempéries. Entrons dans les détails, Jeff et moi avons testé cet automne dans le Colorado et l'Utah USA, les tests hivernaux et les mises à jour sont à venir.

Rossignol Vezor ($180/ 180 €)

Article traduit de l'anglais original avec l'aide de Deepl.com

Introduction

La marque iconique de sports d'hiver Rossignol a surpris lors de l'UTMB 2024 en présentant sa première chaussure de trail haute performance, la Vezor. Lors de mon test, cette chaussure de trail conviviale, agile, rapide et bien amortie n'a pas déçu ! 

3 ans de développement avec plus de 150 testeurs, la Vezor dispose d'une semelle intermédiaire en double mousse (EVA à haut rebond sous le pied, EVA supercritique vers le sol). 

Les couches de mousse prennent en sandwich une plaque en forme de diapason flexible en composite Diapazon+ qui assure la stabilité du médio-pied et la propulsion vers l'avant. 

Au sol, nous avons le caoutchouc Michelin Formula dans un réseau multidirectionnel de crampons de 3 à 4 mm. 

 L'empeigne appelée "Dragonfly" est un mesh débris/air monocouche avec un large éventail de superpositions internes. 

Avec un poids raisonnable de 278g / 9.7 oz US9/EU42 pour une hauteur de talon de 30mm et une hauteur d'avant-pied de 24mm (un seul sockliner, un second de 2mm est également fourni), cette chaussure s'est avérée être une chaussure polyvalente et très amusante à courir lors de mes tests qui comprenaient des randonnées rapides, des sentiers, des chemins de gravier et même de la chaussée. Il est rare qu'une chaussure de trail pleinement performante ne fasse aucun compromis sur les terrains plus fermes et plus doux et sur la route, et la Vezor est aussi justement une chaussure de ce type.

Nike Zoom Fly 6 ($170)

“Kipchoge tested and approved” 

Jen: Forget what you thought you knew about the Zoom Fly from the Zoom Fly 5, and treat #6 as its own brand new shoe. Nike has made some major updates and improvements in this version, creating a lighter, cushier, and bouncier supertrainer with many of the same benefits but a lower price tag than its race-day counterparts. It drops significantly in weight while increasing in stack height.

Pros: 

• Immediately comfortable, dialed in true to size fit: Sally, Jen

• Noticeably lighter, softer, and snappier than the Zoom Fly 5: Jen

• Nike did away with the unresponsive recycled zoom x foam of previous versions: Sally

• Nice versatility, excelling at slower paces as well as uptempo faster paces: Sally, Jen

• Good value for a plated zoom x supertrainer: Sally

• Smooth rocker ride that trends faster than your perceived effort: Sally

Cons:

•  Laces are too skinny; why not the fantastic serrated edge laces Nike uses on their race shoes?: Sally 

• If you tend to lose toenails in the Alphafly, you may have the same issue with this one (runs short/shallow): Jen/Sally

• True to Nike form, this shoe is a bit loud underfoot (although nowhere near as noisy as the Alphafly): Sally

The North Face Summit Series Vectiv Pro 2 ($250)

Introduction

Mike P: We’ve long been trying to get our hands on TNF’s flagship ultra racer here at RoadTrailRun. Finally it arrived for testing, and wow, it was worth the wait! I took them straight out of the box for a 27K race here in Boise right away after getting them. Please check my video review HERE for initial thoughts and footage from the race. I was blown away by the foothold, security, and plate impulse immediately. In terms of comparing them to other top trail supershoes on the market, I was reserving judgment until taking them out for a longer distance. Luckily I had Kodiak 100K coming up, so my portion of the review will focus on my thoughts and impressions after 10+ hours of racing. 

Dom: Like every player  in the trail shoe market, TNF have dabbled with plated trail shoes.  But like (nearly) everyone else, their previous products have not been widely lauded.  Rumors have been circulating recently that with their new Vectiv Pro they have stepped up their game.  Is the excitement justified?