NorthernRunner.com Blog

The latest maximum cushion road running shoe gets a review this week, in our Topo Athletic Atmos review. The Atmos is a neutral maximal cushioned everyday running shoe. Designed to be used for everything from easy runs to long runs providing a nice smooth level of durable cushioning and a comfortable fit. All Topo Athletic running shoes have a broad rounded toe box. This is to give your feet the room to spread on impact. This allows your feet to absorb shock, stabilise you and then spring you into your... Read More

Our Altra VIA Olympus 2 review is here, and what an improvement! The VIA Olympus 2 is a neutral, maximum cushioning road running shoe designed for general easy running, those longer distance slower runs and recovery runs. Like all Altra running shoes they are designed to encourage your feet to function as nature intended and to run with good posture. Plus, as a result, your feet get stronger the more you run. The VIA Olympus 2 is made on Altra’s original last, the same as the ‘Original’ version. The Altra... Read More

This week we have a brand new trail shoe line-up at Top Athletic, in our Topo Athletic Pursuit review. The Topo Pursuit is a well cushioned, grippy, neutral trail shoe that is zero drop. It goes up against the Altra Lone Peak and the Inov-8 TrailFly G 270. The midsole is 28mm thick and made from Topo’s durable and responsive Zip Foam. This gives a smooth but responsive ride. It’s more cushioned with more underfoot protection than the Altra Lone Peak 7 although this does make it stiffer. This gives... Read More

This week it’s a launch day review of the Brooks Caldera 7, a highly cushioned trail running shoe designed to be used for longer distances. It does this with a midsole made from Brook’s nitrogen infused ‘DNA loft v3’, which offers a smooth and cushioned ride. This is the same midsole material as their most cushioned road running shoe, the Brooks Glycerin. When the midsole is nitrogen-infused it seals the midsole. This means that the air within the midsole can’t escape, and water and grit can’t get in. As the... Read More

This week it’s Topo’s latest roomy toe box road shoe in our Topo Athletic Cyclone 2 review. The Topo Cyclone 2 is a lightweight responsive shoe designed for fast running, yet with enough cushioning to use for tempos or steady runs too. Like all Topo Athletic shoes, they have a broad rounded toe box. Designed to give your feet the room to spread on impact so that you benefit from the shock absorption, stability and spring that your own feet can provide. The Cyclone 2 feels very light when you... Read More

This week, we review the latest well-cushioned training shoe designed for hard packed tracks and trails from Topo Athletic, in our Ultraventure 3 review. As well as harder packed trail, it’s also suitable for some road running sections where it remains smooth-feeling and comfortable. As with all Topo shoes the Ultraventure 3 has a broad rounded toe box. As you would expect in a shoe designed for ultramarathon distance, the toe box has slightly more volume than the shoes designed for shorter distances. This is so that there is still... Read More

This week, one of the latest editions to Scarpa’s lineup in our Scarpa Ribelle Run Kalibra ST review. Essentially Scarpa has taken the Ribelle Run Kalibra G and removed the weatherproof gaiter to produce a grippy trail shoe suitable for milder temperatures. This makes the Kalibra ST a much more versatile shoe for use in the UK as the winters are getting milder. So, if you’re not high up in the mountains (where temperatures are lower and the wind chill is higher) or looking for a shoe to get you... Read More

The Karhu Fusion is a neutral shoe designed for everyday training. They are well cushioned and durable. Exactly what you would expect from a brand that has been making running shoes for over 100 years and who’s shoes have been worn by the world-dominating Finns of yester year. Karhu has become one of our most popular brands in store where customers can test run their shoes on the corridor at the back of the shop. Karhu’s have a straight big toe line so that you can push off from the... Read More

The Brooks Ghost Max is designed to be an everyday neutral training shoe. This is the running shoe that you use for the bulk of your mileage. This covers your easy runs; recovery runs and long runs. Going on the name you would assume that the Ghost Max was a Brooks Ghost 15 with a higher stack height. It is a very different shoe to the Ghost 15. The Ghost Max midsole is made from DNA Loft v2, which is the same material that is used to make the Ghost... Read More