Hey people welcome to The Run Testers and in this video, Run Tester Kieran whips you through some of his best running shoes from 2023. We test 100s of shoes each year but there are some shoes that really stand out becuase they suit the way we run. So this video series is about the shoes that we’ve enjoyed most, the ones that have struck a chord with our needs for training and race. So from the best daily trainers, to the best carbon race shoes, let’s get into the shoes Kieran has really loved this year.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:18 – What Kieran looks for
1:03 – On Cloudsurfer 7
2:28 – Saucony Ride 17
3:59 – HOKA Rocket X2
5:50 – Saucony Endorphin Elite
7:48 – Merrell Agility Peak 5
Here come the affiliate links for Kieran’s best running shoes*
On Cloudsurfer 7: (Sportsshoes)
Saucony Ride 17:
Hoka Rocket X2: (Sportsshoes)
Merrell Agility Peak 5: (Sportsshoes)
Saucony Endorphin Elite: (Sportsshoes)
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Hey people welcome to the Run testers And in this video I'm going to whip you Through some of my top shoes of 2023 now We test hundreds of shoes each year and The truth be told most of them now are Of a pretty high standard but there are Some shoes that really stand out and Appeal to the way that we run as Individuals now in general I tend to Prefer firmer more immediate responsive Rides rather than big pillowy sinky sort Of daily trainers you know things that Put a lot of shoe on the foot I like Things that are more precise strip back Minimal rather than big hulking great Kind of shoes more Cloud surface seven Really than the night Invincible three I Guess is the way to sum it up I like to Feel connected to the ground I enjoy Shoes that protect my feet and legs on Long miles but I don't attempt to make The ground disappear altogether I like Shoes that let you know what's going on Under the foot and sort of encourage you To have a faster foot turnover so with That in mind without further Ado let's Get into the shoes that I really loved This year these are the shoes that have Struck a cord with the way that I run And the way that I race so here are my Top picks for 2023 now the oncloud se7 is one of those Shoes that I find really easy to pick Out of my pile of shoes for a wide range
Of runs it's one that I found myself Going back to a lot since we first Tested it it's compact it's light on the Foot it's agile it's pretty Nimble and I Think it's a fun well-balanced shoe with Decent versatility they're noticeably Softer than many on shoes that was a big Difference was one of the things we Liked about it there good cushioning That avoids feeling tooo sinky and Flaccid it's softer and less Snappy than The new Cloud Eclipse that we've just Tested and I think actually the eclipse Will likely replace the surfer as my Favorite on shoe and in my rotation but If we talk about shoes that I've been Using most this year the surfer 7 has Been a regular choice for me and overall I think the new midsole kicks in with Return just at the right time for smooth Transitions the stability is okay for me Too I don't need stability shoes but I Found that a pretty reliable platform to Run off I actually use this shoe to run 30 m of 100 mile ultra in Berlin this Year so that will tell you how much I Trusted it at £ 150 it's a tou pricier Than some of the rivals in this space But in terms of value I think it ticks All the important boxes of offering Great Versatility and it's definitely a happy Choice for easy runs but Al I found it Could hope with faster efforts too for
Me this is the kind of shoe you can Stick in your suitcase and take on Holiday to take care of most of you're Running whilst you're Away Now I'm only halfway into my testing of The ride 17 here for the Run testers Full review we've got a first run video Up on the channel right now though if You're interested but it's safe to say That I've fallen for this shoe from that Very first run it's been a while since I Enjoyed a shoe Straight Out of the Box Quite like I enjoyed this one I think There's excellent instant disappearing Step- in Comfort I like the roomy uppers That you've got I like the balanced heel And tongue padding that happens here on The shoe it's not overdone but it's nice And comfortable the midsole now has a Big big but not entirely Max stack uh Wedge of the livel power run plus foam It's the same foam that you'll find in The Triumph 21 but there's two Ms less Of it in the heel so what you've got Here is a slightly heavier lower drop Shoe that's very similar to the Triumph 21 it offers a really good ride that Balances cushioned Landings with a Rolling response and I think springy Energy for me it's one of those shoes That just feels immediately quite Natural it's not entirely effortless uh It's not giving you loads and loads
About like some super daily trainers but It's just very easy to move Whether you're moving slow and easy or You're pushing things slightly more Up Tempo on the miles I've done so far it Coped with my marathon pace nicely and Was cushioned and protective at slower Recovery Paces as well now this is a Shoe that I think is a fantastic Allrounder it's a good value Workhorse Daily trainer and another shoe that I'd Happily stick in my suitcase for a twoe Holiday to cover all my runs it's also Cheaper than the Triumph 21 and it's Definitely earned a place very quickly In my affections and in my rotation So hooker's range topping carbon Racer The rocket X2 I think is a brilliantly Well balanced shoe and this shoe has Undoubtedly helped hoker to close the Gap on the best Super Shoes this year I Love this is a speedy option over the Half Marathon distance but I also think It has enough energy stability and Versatility to eat a range of paces and Distan is a really good training shoe as Well for me the shoe almost feels like The vaporfly 2 and now that Nike has Made need the vapor fly 3 much softer This could be the shoe you go to if you Like that stiffer Firma ride that you Got from the vaporfly to that kind of All out kind of raciness what you get in This overhaul shoe is a new higher stack
Dual density peber midsole that puts a Softer layer of foam closer to the foot And a firm more responsive layer on the Bottom there's a tweaked spoon-shaped Carbon plate sandwiched in between there For extra leverage and that works with An early stage meta rocker midsole to Help you roll through your strides with Really good efficiency now up top one Bit wasn't so keen on we've got Seriously snug synthetic mesh uppers and Gusted tongues and one word of caution Here these might be a bit narrow and Troublesome if you've got wider feet They come up small and a bit fussy and The fit may be an issue for some but if You like it tighter and dialed in for Your race fit you'll get it here on the Out soole the durability and the grip is Taken care of by some strategically Placed rubber in the high impact zones That looks nice and durable in the test That I've done and overall I really Think this is a excellent carbon race Option that I've been happily racing in And doing faster work in it as well I Don't know whether I'd go to the full Marathon quite I think my favorite Distance has been the half marathon in It but it's great for intervals as well It's great for sessions where you know You're going to want to push it and do Short intervals it's just been a really Happy shoe to run in and I think sort of
Now cked back to some of the older Carbon Races next I've got the sck in orphin Elite now this isn't necessarily my Favorite carbon racer I think the Accolade probably goes to the Nike Alphafly x per 2 or maybe the Adidas Prime X2 strung but the alpha was Launched last year so that can't be on The list and I've not found myself using The X2 strong as much as I have done the Elite over this past year and I've got The sakon and dorphin Elite on my list Here because it cuts a slightly Different path than the likes of the Alphafly the adios Pro the vaporfly 3 For me this is a capable carbon racer That balances energy in propulsion and Response with a touch more stability Than those carbon plate Rivals and Because it's a bit more controlled I Found it nicely versatile I ran a solo 50 km 30 odd miles in in a one M tunnel Up and down in the darkness this year I've done intervals marathon pace Training runs and half marathons and It's always delivered in terms of Overall comfort and that speed when I Want it the midsole uses a new power run HG foam the HG stands for hydrogen it's Soc's most energy efficient foam to date There's also a foot long carbon plate That delivers the stiffness from Hill to Toe and there's an aggressive toes
Spring here and so speed roll overall Geometry to to help create an efficient Roll through that really works for me You get a quite a lively toe off here as Well and at just 7.5 o I love the fact It's one of the lightest races going in Part it's due to these kind of thin and Slightly fussy uppers I'm not so keen on There's lots of cutouts to kind of save Weight but what stands out for me is That ride underf foot it's how the Endorphin Elite manages to be light and Racy without feeling too unstable Stripped back and exposed the running Platform for me is sort of just about Got the right amount of protection that Means I was able to rely on it when my Form got ragged on that longer Ultra it Might not be as Punchy as the alpha fly But it's as good I think an option for Chasing Marathon PRS and even Road Ultras I wish it was just a bit cheaper Maybe 30 bucks or so off the price and It would have been a real Contender this Year is still very Expensive now it's been a while since I've been excited about a meril shoe but The agility Peak five road to Trail shoe Is a really accomplished Trail shoe I've Loved running the kind of lighter Off-roads that I tend to tackle here in The UK in these shoes so you think about Kind of parks grass muddy river paths Not anything Technical and steep but
That kind of thing I'm a big fan of the Hooker speed goat 5 as well and I think This has all the necessary tools to Rival the goat particularly on Rolling Road to Trail terrain the agility Peak 5 Has a lot going for it it's a really Nicely balanced cushioned and protective Trail shoe and it has that speed goat Style easy rolling ride for longer Endurance efforts too where you need a Bit of extra foot protection but you Don't want to be lugging hulking great Trail shoes along for the ride this is a Great option for those and I'm very Happy ticking along in this for long Hours on feet it's got that long run Ultra comfort and next time I'm taking On day long trail Ultra it's likely to Be my choice of shoe to tackle now the Ride is excellent too you get a nicely Balanced ride for a midso that's softer And more cushioned and protective than We had in the agility Peak 4 there's Really good roll through plenty of Energy clipping along compacted Trails The midsole soaks up the road happily Too thanks to that well cushioned Midsole it's just a comfortable ride Overall though on the trail the biggest Stack might not suit Runners who like to Feel a little bit more ground contact And connection to the trail Under Foot It does dull it out a little bit because There is a bit of a sizable stack here
When you hit lumpier ground there's Still good stability I think and you can Move across most Terrain in these shoes With confidence now it's well built with Robust durability too which is a biggie For trail shoes and there are some Really nice details that I like here I Like you've got the wraparound tongue That fits comfortably there's a d-ring Here that lets you um fill with your Laces hold there's a gator attachment at The back now if you're thinking of Taking on the marathon TOS I said this In the other review that we did of this This could be a contender shoe for that Or anything sort of dry and flat um hard Packed um that you might be running as Ultras now £40 it's also pretty keenly Priced really it's a bit pricier than The peg Trail 4 in the UK comes in at The same as the speed goat but if you're In the US you'll be able to pick this up Cheaper than the speed goat 5 and to me That makes it even more appealing uh if You're considering a speed goat style Trail shoes then I definitely have a Check of this one I'm really enjoying it It's been a priz from Merill haven't Really found meril shoes that I've liked But yeah I'm I'm massively enjoying it It's a big thumbs up for me and uh yeah I think it sort of puts Merill back into That competition with some of the more Popular trail shoes I would be surprised
If I didn't see this on lots of trail Races in the future so this is the Merill agility Peak five it's a big win For rotor Trail so there you have it That has been a whip through of five of My favorite shoes launched in 2023 how Many do you agree with how many do you Hate none some I'd love to hear what Your top fives are tell me why I'm wrong I'm sure you will anyway but hit me up In the comments below with all of that With your picks and if you want to see What Tom chose his video will be Appearing on the channel just about now Otherwise don't forget to like And Subscribe share this video thanks as for Spending your time with us we really Appreciate when you do that uh yeah over And out happy running everyone
