NorthernRunner.com Blog

The New Balance SC Elite v6 is the latest road racing shoe from New Balance. Designed to give energy return and propulsion for up to the marathon distance, the SC Elite v6 is both lightweight and well cushioned. The Energy Arc carbon plate adds stiffness to keep providing propulsion over the marathon distance. The first thing that you notice is the weight, or the lack of it. A men’s UK 8 weighs 190 grams and a women’s UK 5 weighs 155 grams. Yet the SC Elite v6 isn’t a flimsy... Read More

The Altra Torin 9 is a running shoe designed for daily easy runs. Like all Altra running shoes, the Torin 9 is designed to allow the feet to function naturally inside the shoes, so you work your feet as you run and develop strong feet with a high level of function. This helps to avoid injuries and allows you to run faster as your feet get stronger and develop more spring. The trend towards increased stack heights in running shoes meant that the Altra Torin was becoming a bit too... Read More

The Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 is a neutral, carbon-plated road racing shoe. It is designed to give the runner a bit of extra propulsion on race day and help them maintain a fast pace for longer. Hyperion is the name of Brooks’ range of running shoes designed to help the runner go faster. On the road running side, this now consists of the Hyperion Max 4, which is a neutral road running shoe designed to be used for tempo runs, steady runs and threshold sessions and the Hyperion Elite 6,... Read More

The Brooks Ghost Amp is a neutral road running shoe that could be described as a trainer/racer. It is versatile enough to be used for easy running but also responsive enough for quicker sessions. A lot of road running shoes in this category use an active rocker geometry in the midsole. This keeps the foot rolling forwards as it touches the floor, helping to maintain a high cadence and good posture. It can feel like you are constantly running down a slight gradient, building speed as you go. Running shoes... Read More

The Hoka Clifton Pro is an everyday road running shoe for the neutral runner. Suitable for everyday easy runs and long runs, it adds a bit more bounce and propulsion than the standard Hoka Clifton, which is now in its 11th version. Whether this is a better option for you than the Hoka Clifton 11 depends on how you like the ride of your running shoes to feel and what type of running you intend to do in them. The Hoka Clifton 11 has a softer, more forgiving ride to... Read More

The Brooks Hyperion Max 4 is designed for fast training runs. It has a high level of cushioning and propulsion. The Hyperion Max 4 is best used for steady runs or tempo runs. The high stack height provides a cushioned but responsive feel to the ride, with plenty of protection, making it easier to recover from long tempos while marathon training. They are perfectly fine for intervals of longer than three minutes. When you are running shorter, faster repetitions, they feel a little bulky and not quite reactive enough. The... Read More

The Brooks Ghost Max 4 is a well-cushioned everyday running shoe designed to be comfortable and protective for the neutral road runner. The midsole has a slight curve that helps the runner move with a smooth gait, carrying the foot from impact to toe-off. Brooks running shoes are split into two distinct types. There are running shoes that have a rocker, which helps to control the gait and give the runner a level of propulsion, and those that allow a more natural gait, requiring the runner to generate all their... Read More

The Brooks Cascadia 20 is a well-cushioned trail running shoe. It has a lively, cushioned feel to the ride, making it suitable for road-to-trail use. It is better suited to hard-packed tracks and trails rather than muddy cross-country runs. Quite a bit has changed in the 20th version of the Brooks Cascadia when compared to the previous version. The 6mm heel-to-forefoot drop has been maintained, but the stack height has increased by 4mm to 38mm in the heel and 34mm in the forefoot. The midsole foam has also changed. The... Read More

The Hoka Clifton 11 is a neutral road running shoe designed for everyday miles. It offers a soft, cushioned ride and a rocker-shaped midsole that helps create a smooth transition through the stride, giving the runner a little assistance with forward momentum. Now in its 11th year, the Hoka Clifton is one of the shoes that helped change the way running shoes are designed. After the barefoot running movement, when many runners moved into shoes with little or no midsole foam and a lot of ground feel, the Clifton offered... Read More

The Topo Terraventure 5 is a nimble trail running shoe that offers a bit more ground feel than other Topo trail running shoes. It is also a bit more flexible, so it is able to shape to the contours of the terrain, making it a suitable option for more challenging underfoot conditions, while still having enough cushioning to feel comfortable on harder-packed trails or on a mile or two of tarmac to get to the trail. Like all Topo running shoes, the Terraventure 5 has a broad, rounded toe box... Read More