northernrunner

VJ is a Finish brand founded in 1981 by a shoemaker that was an orienteering enthusiast. He wanted to make shoes that where tough enough to cope with the rigours of orienteering and offer great grip on the rough ground that orienteers race over. For those unfamiliar with orienteering, the object of the time trial is to visit each of the checkpoints in order and as fast as possible. This means that orienteers don’t follow the paths and regularly bash through the undergrowth in their quest to find the fastest... Read More

Altra started life as a running shoe brand designed to allow the feet to function naturally within the shoes. All Altra shoes are zero drop to promote a more mid foot landing and have a broad rounded toe box to give your feet the room to spread on impact. This gives you cushioning from your own feet, stabilises you and springs you into your next step. As Altra has grown and the brand has been bought and sold new designers have come in who didn’t believe in the concept of... Read More

I am more confident than ever that Scott, despite being known more for their brilliant trail running shoes, are going to move fast within the road running shoes market. The Palani and Palani Support were incredibly popular shoes at Northern Runner in Newcastle, where customers got to try on a brand of shoe that would maybe not have known before visiting. This was mainly down to the eRide rocker, which has been upgraded in their brand new Scott Pursuit. eRide is a curved midsole designed to reduce heel strike and... Read More

Scott have been making sports gear using carbon fibre since 1989 when Greg Lemond used carbon aero handle bars on his road racing bike to help him win the 1989 Tour de France. Scott first put a carbon plate in a running shoe in 2007. The Scott Speed Carbon RC one of the new breed of road racing shoes that uses a carbon plate inside the shoes to help the runner go faster. Scott has built on 10 years of R and D to design this shoe. It is designed... Read More

The La Sportiva Karacal is designed for mid to long distance trail running (those just getting started will just fine too) with enough cushioning for a spell on the pavement to your tracks and trails. It is much lighter and more flexible than the La Sportiva Jackal or Akasha, which are better equipped to deal with your ultramarathons! It weighs in at 290g for a Men’s UK 8 and 250g for a Women’s UK 6. The shoe has a springy, soft feel. The upper is made from a sandwich mesh... Read More

As the name suggests, the Topo MTN Racer 2 is designed for quicker off-road running. In reality though, the Topo MTN Racer 2 is a lot more versatile than the name would suggest! Like all Topo Athletic trail running shoes, the toe box is broad and rounded to give your feet the room to spread on impact. This allows you to get a good level of stability, cushioning and natural spring from your feet. The upper is now a tough breathable mesh, which is a lot softer and more breathable... Read More

The Phantom 2 is the latest update to the Topo Athletic range of running shoes. It is a well cushioned neutral shoe designed for putting in the everyday miles and the longer runs. All Topo shoes are designed to allow the feet to function inside the shoes. This allows them to get stronger and gives you better balance and agility. To achieve this all Topo shoes have a broad rounded toe box so that your feet can spread on impact and the cushioning underfoot isn’t too soft. If you are... Read More

The La Sportiva Cyklon is a shoe designed for Sky Races. These are mountain races on a mix of rough terrain very similar to fell running within the UK. The shoes have been partly designed by 6 time World Mountain Running champion Jonathan Wyatt. To paraphrase his words, the Cyklon is an ‘update’ to the very popular La Sportiva Mutant. Obviously, the first thing that strikes you about the La Sportiva Cyklon is the BOA fastening. When I first saw the sample shoes, I would be running in I thought... Read More