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northernrunner

Topo Athletic Magnifly 3 Review | Zero Drop Road Running Shoes

Topo Magnifly 3 Review For those unfamiliar with Topo, Topo is a brand that is all about letting the foot function. So all the shoes have a low heel to forefoot drop to allow a more natural, midfoot landing. The heel to forefoot drop ranges from 5mm to 0mm with a variation of cushioning levels/stack heights and different levels of flexibility. So whatever your skill level there is a Topo shoe that will meet your needs. The toe box is broad and rounded, more like a natural foot shape. This... Read More

Social Isolation Training Tips – Back to Basics Suggestions

As all events have now been cancelled it would be understandable if your running has lost of bit of impetus. As it doesn’t look like events will be back on anytime soon and to keep the motivation going to get out running, you need to change your goals and your emphasis. There are lots of things that you can do here are a few suggestions: – Start a time trial around one of your local loops. If you have a heart rate monitor or power meter you can run at... Read More

How To Run Your 1st Marathon – Using Pickups

A few years ago my sister in law asked me to help her train for a marathon. The lady in question, who we will call Doris, had been an asthmatic as a kid but had changed her diet and no longer used an inhaler. She had never been sporty but wasn’t anymore overweight than the average 30 plus lady. The motivation came from her University friends whom she met up with every year. They always chose a different location and as they were all sporty folk who ran regularly this... Read More

Topo Athletic Running Shoes Guide

  Topo Athletic is a running shoe company that makes shoe designed to work with the foot rather than replace it. For this reason they all have a broad rounded toe box which is much more foot shaped. This gives the foot the space to spread on impact to absorb shock. By spreading the planta fascia on the bottom of the foot is stretched out like an elastic band which not only cushions the landing but, also recoils and spring the foot off the ground. This spreading out of the... Read More

06/03/2020

Hoka Torrent Trail Shoe Review

The ‘ATR’ in the Hoka Challenger’s name stands for ‘all terrain’. That means it has been designed to function just as well if the trails you are running on are hard packed and dry in the summer. The Challenger has the very distinctive pillow like cushioning of Hoka shoes. The soft midsole rides over the lumps and bumps in the trail in the same manner as your mountain bike tyres do. On the tarmac they feel just like a Hoka Clifton, which is Hoka’s top selling road shoe. In a... Read More

28/02/2020

Altra Provision 4 Review | Zero Drop Guidance Running Shoes for Pronation

Altra Provision 4 Review There aren’t many if any running shoes on the market that are made to allow your foot to function naturally but also give some guidance or pronation support. The reason for this is that most runners who land on their midfoot tend not to then pronate, as a lot of pronation is caused by the initial breaking force when the runner’s heel hits the floor. The other reason is that it’s difficult to make. If you put a mechanism in the shoe to actively reduce the... Read More

timp-2-vs-1.5 05/02/2020

Altra Timp 2.0 vs Timp 1.5

The Altra Timp is Altra’s well cushioned trail running shoe. Designed for mainly hard packed trails but versatile enough for some tarmac and some wetter trails too. Like all Altra shoes the Timp has a broad and rounded toe box aka FootShape and is Zero Drop. In combination with each other, these two aspects of Altra running shoes allow your foot to both splay on impact & function inside the shoes whilst giving them room to expand as they land and naturally warm up. You are even encouraged to run... Read More

lone_peak_4.5 31/01/2020

Altra Lone Peak 4.5 vs 4 | Zero Drop Trail Running Shoes Compared

The Altra Lone Peak is Altra’s original and most popular Zero Drop trail running shoe. It has developed a lot over the years and has become one of the most popular trail shoes that we sell at Northern Runner, with a mid/boot version and a waterproof version also available. The current version is the Lone Peak 4.5, which like all Altra shoes is Zero Drop, with a broad rounded toe box (aka FootShape) and as such is designed to allow the foot to function naturally and encourage movement through a... Read More

16/01/2020

How Should Running Shoes Fit? Find the Best Running Shoes for Your Feet

A lot of the running niggles and problems that we hear about in the shop are down to the fit of the customer’s running shoes. Running shoes in general, from major high street brands in particular, started to take on a common shape and form and many people bought what they considered normal. A Quick History Lesson For example, it seemed normal for all shoes to have a pointy toe box and yet feet aren’t pointy and this shape squashes the toes into a small space and doesn’t allow them... Read More

15/01/2020

New Balance 1080v10 Review | Running Shoe Reviews by NorthernRunner.com

New Balance 1080v10 Review — The New Balance 1080 v10 is the latest version of New Balance’s most cushioned running shoe. The shoe is designed for the neutral runner to use for their everyday and longer training runs. Over the previous nine versions, the 1080 has built up a large and passionate following due to its comfort and fit, coupled with a careful balanced cushioning that is neither too hard nor too soft for most runners. The fit of the 1080v10 is further enhanced by a knitted upper that has... Read More