NorthernRunner.com Blog

NVii (pronounced envy) are a Finish orienteering brand. They designed their shoes for racing through the undergrowth in Scandinavian forests. Their shoes have to be tough enough to cope with all the abrasion from thick under growth, whilst being light and flexible enough to ride over the rough ground. It goes without saying that the outsole needs to grip on a large combination of surfaces from wet rock, wood and mud to drier loose and dusty terrain. The current bout of wet weather has made the trails perfect to test... Read More

In the middle of a pandemic when there are very few races to take part in, it seems strange to be reviewing a racing shoe! However, the Altra Escalante Racer is for much more than just competition. Like all Altra shoes, the Escalante Racer is Zero Drop. This means that there is no raised heel. They are designed to allow your foot to land more naturally on your midfoot. The shoes also have a broad and rounded toe box, which Altra trademarked as ‘FootShape’. This is to allow your feet... Read More

As winter approaches and the trails get wetter, it’s the time many runners start to look for a versatile trail running shoe that can do it all. The Akyra is an offering from La Sportiva that might just tick all the boxes. La Sportiva is an Italian Mountain Brand. Founded in 1928 in Val di Fiemme. They started making rock climbing shoes and transitioned 90 plus years later into all aspects of mountain-based activities. The La Sportiva Akyra is described as a mountain running shoe. Designed for long days out... Read More

The latest Torin 4.5 Plush is the latest in a line of shoes designed as Altra’s everyday training shoe. A shoe designed to offer a good level of cushioning so you can put in the higher miles. The previous Torin 4 was actually available in two versions. The Torin 4 has a firmer more responsive feel and the Torin 4 Plush has a much softer, more pillow like ride to it. The Torin 4.5 Plush is an updated version of the softer variant. The main change to the shoe is... Read More

The New Balance 880 has been in New Balance range for ten years now. It was designed as the everyday running shoe, the ‘all-rounder’. A running shoe that will cope with the short easy runs, the longer easy runs and the quicker sessions too. It is cushioned, but responsive and not ‘soggy’. There has been little change in recent years and the New Balance 880 has become a popular shoe for many runners. However, the 880v10 has changed a lot. The upper is now Hypoknit, which has been designed with... Read More