NorthernRunner.com Blog

The Brooks Ghost 17 is a mid-cushioned, neutral road running shoe—ideal for everyday use and especially comfortable on easy recovery runs and longer efforts alike. The Ghost is one of Brooks’ most popular models and stayed relatively unchanged through its first 15 iterations. That changed with the Ghost 16, which introduced a significant upgrade: a nitrogen-infused midsole that delivered a noticeably bouncy ride. With version 17, Brooks has dialled things back slightly. The midsole now feels a little less bouncy and a touch plusher, resulting in a smoother transition from heel... Read More

The Hoka Mafate X is a high-stack, carbon-plated trail running shoe built for long distances on smooth, hard-packed trails. Think of it as the trail counterpart to the Skyward X — a maximalist cruiser designed to carry you efficiently through hours of running, not overbuilt for speed but engineered for sustained comfort and rhythm. Design & Construction At 49mm in the heel and 41mm in the forefoot, the Mafate X is among the tallest trail shoes available. Despite this, it doesn’t feel unstable underfoot. The ride is soft at the... Read More

The Brooks Launch 11 is a lightweight, neutral road running shoe designed for runners who want a fast feel with just enough cushioning to handle daily miles. With its snappy ride and firm fit, it suits tempo runs, intervals, and faster efforts, but can also stretch to general training — especially if you prefer a more responsive ride. Key Updates The biggest change in the Launch 11 is the midsole. Brooks has replaced the previous EVA-based foam with DNA Flash, a nitrogen-infused material first seen in the Hyperion Tempo. DNA... Read More

The Topo Pursuit 2 is a well-cushioned, zero-drop trail running shoe designed to provide reliable traction on a wide range of surfaces, from soft ground to hard-packed trails. Like all Topo shoes, the Pursuit 2 is built to let your feet function naturally within the shoe. This allows runners to benefit from the natural stability, cushioning, and propulsion that the foot is designed to offer. Topo’s signature wide, rounded toe box gives your feet space to expand on impact. This expansion helps stretch the plantar fascia along the bottom of... Read More

The Inov-8 TrailFly Zero is the latest addition to the British brand’s TrailFly series, designed to perform best on hard-packed trails. It replaces the Inov-8 TrailFly G270, another zero-drop trail shoe made for similar terrain. Like its predecessor, the TrailFly Zero features a zero-drop platform, meaning the heel and forefoot sit at the same height. Combined with a broad, rounded toe box, this promotes a more natural running experience by allowing the foot to spread, engage the plantar fascia for cushioning and propulsion, and encourage full-body alignment. This natural movement... Read More

The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is built purely for road racing and faster sessions—think race-day efforts or key workouts leading up to one. With a stack height of 39/32mm, it just slips under the World Athletics limit, making it a legal option for competition. At first glance—or rather, first step—the shoe feels unstable. The soft Peba midsole, stiff carbon plate, and aggressive rocker create a wobbly sensation when standing still. But that’s the point: these shoes aren’t made for standing. Once you start running, everything clicks into place. The design... Read More

The Altra Torin 8 is a neutral running shoe designed for daily training—everything from easy recovery runs to long runs. Altra shoes differ from most other running brands. They’re built to allow the body to move naturally, encouraging good running form that may reduce injury and help you run further and faster. A key feature of Altra shoes is the broad, rounded toe box. This design gives your feet room to splay on impact. When the foot spreads, the plantar fascia—like a large elastic band on the bottom of your... Read More

The New Balance Hierro v9 has evolved from an everyday trail running shoe into one that offers a much higher level of cushioning, making it suitable not just for daily trail runs but also for ultra-distance events. The stack height of the Hierro v9 is 42mm in the heel and 38mm in the forefoot. This is very similar to New Balance’s road running shoes like the 880v13, 1080v14, and More v5—which might make you think the Hierro v9 is just a road shoe in disguise. However, there are a few... Read More

The Hoka Clifton was Hoka’s first everyday road running shoe to make a significant impact on the running market. Ten years on from its introduction, sales continue to grow as Hoka refines its signature combination of soft cushioning and guided transitions, made possible by the brand’s distinctive rocker geometry. Initially, Hoka running shoes were very different from the norm. The cushioning was much softer, the shoes oversized with high stack heights, and the midsoles curved, which made them feel unstable to many runners. Yet, although they felt unusual, they worked—and... Read More

The Karhu Mestari 1.5 is a max-cushioned road running shoe designed for easy runs, recovery sessions, and long runs. However, it also provides enough propulsion and responsiveness for steady runs, tempo efforts, and pickups within longer runs. The original Mestari became a popular choice at Northern Runner’s Newcastle store and elsewhere across the UK, often selling out due to strong demand. Naturally, we were a little cautious when the updated Mestari 1.5 was announced. Thankfully, the refinements have only improved what was already a great shoe. The stack height remains... Read More