NorthernRunner.com Blog

By popular demand, my New Balance 880v12 Review! The New Balance 880v12 is designed as an everyday training shoe that will cope with the slower easy runs, quicker interval work and the long runs aka a very versatile road running shoe. New Balance 880v11 vs. 880v12 In comparison to the New Balance 880v11, the v12 version has changed quite a bit. The midsole is still New Balance Fresh Foam, which has larger bubbles in the heel and gradually get smaller as you get towards the toe. This is designed to... Read More

This is the Lone Peak 6 review. If you are looking for our review of the Lone Peak 7 you can read that review here: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-lone-peak-7-review-2/ The Lone Peak was Altra’s first trail running shoe and many years of development later, it’s time for the latest version, the Altra Lone Peak 6, to get its review and explore the difference between the Lone Peak 6 and Lone Peak 5. I am pleased to say that although it has changed a lot in the last 12 years, it has retained the... Read More

This week is the much-requested Altra Torin 5 review. The Torin is Altra’s everyday training shoe for the neutral runner. Like all Altra shoes the Torin is Zero Drop with a rounded toe box and is built on one of three lasts (foot shape form used in production). There are different amounts of volume and different widths. The Torin fits into the middle last, which is call ‘standard’. The toe box is still nice and broad and roughly equivalent to a 2E in other brands, but does have as much... Read More

Today is my review of the Altra Provision 6, the latest mild support cushioned road shoe from one of our top brands. Altra is a brand focused on developing shoes that allow your feet to function and run with a more natural midfoot strike. To allow this to happen, the shoes have a broad and rounded toe box and are ‘Zero Drop’, which Altra trademarked. This allows the foot to be loaded properly so it can spread on impact. This stabilises and cushions you as you hit the ground and... Read More

The Inov-8 Parkclaw is the name that Inov-8 give to their road to trail shoes, including the latest Graphene enhanced Parkclaw G 280. These are shoes designed to be comfortable on tarmac but also grippy and responsive enough for use on the trails. Road shoes have a softer cushioning and are stiffer, as they are designed to give a smooth ride on a smooth hard surface. Trail shoes are designed to give more feel for the terrain you are running on and flex with the terrain so that they give... Read More

The Hoka Carbon X 3 is a shoe designed to help you run fast. It does this with a combination of a meta rocker or curve in the midsole and a clever carbon plate. The carbon plate in the Carbon X 3 maintains the curve in the midsole and gives a bit of extra spring at toe off. The carbon plate is lower down in the midsole than in the original Carbon X, which gives a softer and less forceful feel to the ride. The original Carbon X kept your... Read More

Scarpa is a brand that has very recently come back to Northern Runner after we saw some positive developments in their running shoes and this week it’s the Scarpa Spin Ultra review. If you are going to be running for a long time you need a shoe that will give you a bit of protection. A shoe that stops your feet from getting sore and your joints from getting stiff. A lot of people think that the answer is a lot of cushioning and ‘the softer the better’. The trouble... Read More