NorthernRunner.com Blog

We grabbed a pair of the brand-new graphene enhanced Inov-8 Roclite Ultra G320 ahead of time, from our friends at Inov-8, and put in some miles to get you a launch day review! The Inov-8 Roclite trail running shoe was first ranged as a lightweight training shoe, along with the Inov-8 Flyroc back in 2005. The Roclite was perfect for training on the fells. The length of the lugs was enough to get you down steep grass descents, even on wetter days. The shoe offered more cushioning than the traditional... Read More

Look for a lighter, nimbler Hoka trail shoe designed for moving quickly over mountain-like conditions? The Hoka Mafate Speed 4 review is worth a read! The Hoka Mafate Speed was designed originally as a 100-mile race shoe. The Hoka Stinson was a well cushioned 100-mile shoe but the outsole was designed more for firmer tracks and trails and the stack height made the shoe unsuitable for anything other than hard packed trails. As 100-mile races started to take place on more broken, challenging terrain, a shoe was required that would... Read More

Looking for a weatherproof, extreme trail shoe with a built-in gaiter to keep out the worst of the terrain for that next winter adventure? This week’s Scarpa Ribelle Run Kalibra G review might be for you! The Ribelle Run Kalibra G is based on the Scarpa Ribelle Run, which we reviewed earlier: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/scarpa-ribelle-run-review/. The Ribelle Run is a shoe that I enjoyed running in very much and has become a popular shoe with customers too. It’s no surprise that Scarpa have developed a hardcore winter version of the same shoe.... Read More

This week we’re featuring the Scott Pursuit Ride review, the latest road running shoe from Scott Sports. Last year Scott launched the Scott Pursuit, a highly cushioned everyday training shoe with a very soft, pillow-like feel to it. To some runners this is bliss, exactly what they are looking for. To others, the lack responsiveness makes them feel like you are plodding along and lacking energy. Scott has designed the Pursuit Ride to appeal to those customers who prefer a more responsive energetic feel to their shoes. The Pursuit Ride... Read More

This week we have the Brooks Caldera 6 review, the lesser-known trail running shoe from the brand that brought you the Cascadia. ***LINK*** The Brooks Caldera 6 is a trail running shoe unlike no other that Brooks has made before. It is a big, purposeful step towards the higher stack height softly cushioned trail shoes that have grown in popularity more associated with brands like Hoka or Altra. When you slide your foot into the Caldera 6 it still ‘feels’ like a Brooks shoe. The shape of the upper is... Read More

Not discovered Icebug running shoes yet? Then this Icebug Arcus GTX review is a great start. Winter is traditionally the time of year for building up your fitness, ready for summer adventures. The nights draw in and the weather gets colder and wetter, just as you are upping your milage! When the weather turns nasty, it helps to have a pair of shoes designed to keep you warm and dry. The Icebug Arcus GTX is such a shoe. As many Northern Runner customers will know, we have a preference towards... Read More

This week, a brand that continues to impress in-store at Northern Runner Newcastle and their just-launched trail shoe. It’s the Karhu Ikoni Trail review. After being very impressed with the feel of the Karhu Fusion, which served me well as an everyday training shoe (click here for the Karhu Fusion review). I was looking forward to seeing what Karhu could do with a trail shoe. And they didn’t disappoint. At first glance the Karhu Ikoni Trail looks like a rugged, durable trail shoe. When you put your foot in the... Read More