Atheltics Weekly

@RUNNINGMONTHLY
NIKE – ZOOM FLY: £129.99 (nike.com)
WHILST the ‘Breaking2’ attempt may have failed, only just, in the effort to break two hours for the marathon, it was a massive success in highlighting the shoes worn by all
the athletes involved. So successful in fact that the demand for the ‘Zoom Vaporfly 4%’ model has so far outstripped supply and we’ve yet to be able to try them. We have,
however, now logged plenty of miles in this model, and it’s been great!
At 248g it’s not as light as the £200 4% shoe, but then again it’s not the heaviest model here. The shoe does feel lighter when it’s on and the weight isn’t an issue at
all. It’s the smooth riding and responsive, almost propulsive, feel that you notice more than anything else. There are, however, a couple of caveats: We feel it’s a shoe for
consistently paced running as well as for relatively efficient athletes. The shoe seems to perform at it’s best when you strike the ground in the midfoot area, this way the
carbon-infused plate inserted into the midsole maximizes its effect of propelling you forward. Those athletes that land on the forefoot or track athletes that are ‘up on their
toes’ just won’t get the effect. That said, for lots of runners it’s great and our testers have been hugely impressed with its fit, feel and performance.
REEBOK – FLOAT RIDE RACER: £TBC (reebok.co.uk)
ADIDAS – ADIZERO ADIOS 3:
£119.95 (adidas.co.uk)
USING the brand’s now familiar Boost cushioning
material, which gives their shoes a naturally
responsive ride, this model combines the Boost
with a thin layer of CM-EVA. In doing so they
have created a shoe that offers a slighter firmer
push-off but a responsive feel.
Our testers loved it and found it to be a
nice combination of ride and response. The
Continental rubber outsole is a great addition and
provides excellent traction in any weather.
The upper has a simple mesh and synthetic
suede construction which remains breathable
and is perfect for the marathon distance. There’s
a very good chance that the shoe will pick up a
medal in Sunday’s races.
WHILST the release date of this shoe hitting the shelves has yet to be confirmed, we were
lucky enough to get a pair to try and we were, quite simply, amazed!
It’s the lightest shoe here, weighting just 100g (the final release version may trim that
a little more), but somehow the shoe’s cushioning still feels substantial enough to run
perhaps even the marathon distance in.
The brand’s ‘Floatride’ foam provides the midsole and it does an amazing job of
absorbing the impact, even for a shoe so light and minimalist in design. The outsole has
small-rubberised pieces on a thin plastic film-like layer. This covers the whole of the shoe
and creates some stability, as well as an incredibly responsive toe-off. A super-light mesh
upper provides a great fit that’s very breathable.
It has the feel of a track spike and for those runners with a smooth, efficient gait we
think they’ll find it amazing. They will just have to wait for an initial release date!
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