In October, we published our 2023 Running Awards featuring the best shoes we’ve tested throughout the year, but there were many shoes that we each loved that didn’t get a mention.
In this series, each of the Run Testers picks their solo top 5 shoes from 2023. Here are Nick’s top five.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:47 – Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro
02:01 – Puma Magnify Nitro 2
03:20 – Hoka Rocket X2
04:56 – Adidas Boston 12
06:42 – Nike Vaporfly 3
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Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro:
Puma Magnify Nitro 2:
Hoka Rocket X2:
Adidas Boston 12:
Nike Vaporfly 3:
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and this is my favorite five Shoes of 2023 so that are shoes that Have come out this year if you've seen Tom's Video already he picked out his Favorite five and we're all going to go Through and do that on the channel so do Subscribe if you want to see what the Other guys have to say about their Favorite shoes of the year so there's no Requirement here to pick a coherent Rotation or anything I want to stress That so I've probably overloaded on Carbon plate shoes cuz I find those the Most fun and exciting and I've also been Limited a bit by Tom CU I did want to Pick the super blast but as it Technically came out last last year I Only tested it this year but he wouldn't Let me have it basically so super blast Is not there that's the reason why Actually a couple of shoes I really like This year aren't technically coming out To next year things like the alphafly And Adidas's Trail shoe so can't include Those but I have got five that stick to The rules starting with the incredibly Exciting mauno wave Rebellion Pro this Is one of the most interesting and Exciting carbon shoes I've tested out This year I absolutely loved using it Early on in the year really bouncy Remind me a little bit of the original Alphafly and how ludicrously bouncy it
Feels on the F very fun very fast I used It for pretty my fastest 5K of the year A sub 16 I ran early on in the year and A couple of hard sessions and honestly Would have carried on using it a lot More if I hadn't spent most of the Year Dealing with and Mild Achilles niggel That really meant of all the shoes to Use this probably wasn't the one as a Heel Striker with this big cutout heel It meant that only really used it quite A lot early on brought it out a little Bit recently as well when I've got over My's issues and I think it's just Brilliant it's so fun and bouncy it is Obviously geared more towards long Events but I found it very good for Short far stuff as well and it feels a Little bit unlike most out there really Excited to see what Mizuno does in the Future I think they have set a bit of a Tone here with this big cutout heel I Expect we'll be seeing that on more Shoes going forward really great design As well this black and white design so a Lot going for it I really think it's a Really fun shoe and one that I'd have Liked to use a lot more this year I Think it is a bit more of an acquired Taste because of the outlandish design Here you have here with this heel cutout And it's probably not going to suit Loads of Runners that well but when I Was running fast feeling really good in
It it does feel amazingly bouncy and I Hope to get out of it again at some Point now I'm over my mild and Cal Niggles so fourth place I have the Puma Magnify Nitro 2 now this kind of Lely Just snuck into my top five really but It's a real grower of a shoe unlike Something like the mauno it's it's not Really exciting it's just the kind of Shoe that always occurred to me when I Was not testing anything and I just Wanted to go out for a nice relaxed run It was always the first shoe I thought Of and over time that just really embeds Itself in your mind as a shoe you really Like and it ends up being one of your Favorites and that's very much the case Here with the magnifi Nitro it's got a Really nice balanced ride it's soft it's Comfortable but it's pretty stable it's Reasonably smooth actually even with Quite a high drop bit of Bounce there so It's quite versatile just a really good Cushion daily trainer and in this year When we've seen so many Max cushion Shoes come out this one has stood out to Me as I think having the most enjoyable Ride for me I really like the feel of That Nitro foame Under Foot also pretty Good value compared to lots of those Other shoes and it's another shoe I've Dragged out recently several times uh Because of the excellent pag grip Outsole here in the winter in the UK or
Even in the Autumn when there are leaves All over the Pavements it's just a Really practical comfortable shoe does a Lot of things really well reasonably Good price in sales kind of shoe yeah That like I said is a grower it's not One that you put on and go wow this is One of my favorite shoes of the year It's a shoe that when you are putting Together top five list like this you Start to realize how often you have used It and how much it sticks in your mind As one of your favorite options so yeah That's the Puma magnify Nitro 2 not a Wow shoe but a really good shoe and a Great one for cruising around your daily Training in third place we have the Hoka Rocket X2 this is another one that's Been a real grower for me but it's also Was very exciting from the off love the Color love the new foam that Haka has Here it's really bouncy really elevates It into that top tier carbon Racing Shoes that delivers the performance We've come to expect from these kind of Shoes and it's one that I've brought out Consistently throughout the year after Testing I've keep going back to it and The main reason for that is I think this Is my favorite wet weather carbon plate Shoe it's got really good grip and I Found that especially on the track which Can get greasy so I've been pulling out For lots of greasy track sessions when
It's been pelting with rain I've also Gone and done greasy uh pavement Sessions are all of all weather path Sessions and cuz the grip is there the Performance is there it's nice and Lightweight I think it's a little bit More stable and grounded than some other Carbon shoes cuz the stack isn't Completely maxed out and also it's got That lower drop so does give you a Little bit more of a feel for the road When especially when you're turning Tight Corners racing it a couple of Times I think it's a good racer I Personally think it's a better racer for The shorter distances I don't get quite As much back from the foam at the end of Long runs but up to half marathon you Know fantastic option and just like I Said really good looking shoe and a shoe That I find just really appeals to me in Lots of ways it's one that I think Fondly of whenever I think of it and While I don't think it's the best racing Shoe for me there are a few I'd have Ahead of it when I'm going for all out Races especially on the marathon I think It's an excellent racing shoe shoe I've Loved using for training lots and lots And has held up really well to you know Well over 100k running it still feels Very fresh and new underfoot also looks Very new because it's been clean Recently all around I think just a
Really strong effort from Hoka very Excited with them to see what happens With their carbon plate Racers next year Hoping to see something that's a bit Higher stack more akin to things like The alphafly there's been some rumors of That flying around the internet so Looking forward to those but for this Year the hoker rocket X2 was one of my Favorite shoes that I tested this year Okay the final two on my list the top Two were very easy EAS picks like there Were ones that immediately sprung to Mind was always going to go in my top Five and the first of them coming in Second is the Adidas ad azero Boston 12 Huge return to form for the Boston like I didn't hate the Boston 10 and 11 but They were big clunky shoes not that Vertile great for long runs stood up to Anything lasted a long time but they Weren't really didn't give the feel of The Boston for me and this does it's a Modern Boston you've got that Lightweight feel it feels like it can Run fast go long do races if you want to Use it for racing instead of a carbon Shoe but it's got the highest back the Extra Comfort dual density midsole loads Of Light Strike Pro the improved Light Strike 2.0 foam underneath which is an EVA foam but pretty soft and lightweight Felt pretty good and then light St po Very bouncy excellent those rods in the
Mids soole really great out soole Continental rubber out soole so even Though these a lightweight shoe built Mainly speed in mind from Adas it works As a daily trainer really well because It is comfortable it's got outstanding Grip you can use it through the winter Months like now if you're going to do Fast sessions on the Pavements or even Easy runs on the Pavements only thing I Really don't like about it is the upper Which is fine but it's a racy upper it's A bit too lightweight for me if you're Viewing this as a daily trainer if You're just using it for fast runs then The upper is okay it's a bit of a pain To get dialed in without any pressure Points but you know once it is it's okay But all arounders I think this is a Really good allrounder shoe and the best Allrounder shoe released this year right Up against some of the best that we've Seen in the past like the Endorphin Speed 3 and aside from the upper I can't Really for it's also pretty good value Dropped to really low prices actually Over the Black Friday period and Afterwards so that's another string to Expo it is good value just think a Really good all rounder and the best Super trainer we've seen come out this Year maybe it won't be as durable as Some shoes with more padding or thicker Outsoles but in terms of the ride feel
It does work for really every kind of Run I found like really relaxed long Runs fast short sessions everything in Between just a really good shoe number One for me this is a pretty easy pick it Is a Nike Vapor fly 3 I know everyone Loves this shoe Some people prefer the Feel of the previous one but for me it's Almost the perfect carbon plate shoe They reduce the weight increase the cush A little bit the outside is not as good As it was before it's not the most Durable outo in the world but it's a Racing shoe if you're going to be using It for your races and dedicated sessions You're going to be on pretty good Surfaces and it doesn't rip up the Outside too much unless you're Tom and You keep dragging your foot along the Ground so compared to previous flight Like you got that slightly more foam in The mid so and a little bit less out Soo Which does give it a slightly softer Feeling but I still find this as a Really aggressive Tippy forward feeling That you want and expect from the Vaporfly I've used it for a few races This year I ran a 4.8k leg of a relay Which I ran at my 5K PB Pace the fastest I've been over 5K distance roughly for a Lot you know for a while I've not really Been gearing my training towards that But felt really good in this shoe Running very fast for me and then I ran
The London marathon in it as well did a Fairly relaxed first half and a big Negative split to run a 233 and it just felt so good towards the End of that uh Marathon hadn't come in In the best of shape o to some troubles With training early on in the year and Little niggles and ailments I had and Just felt really good in it like I said I do think it ticks all the boxes Because it is so lightweight you know Just over 200 grams but a big stack of Comfortable cushioning still bouncy Still aggressive still everything you Want from the vaporfly for me and just Works really well and like I said there Is the problem with durability on the Outside but I've done about 100 miles in These shoes now and they are still Looking and feeling really good Under Foot they still feel very springy and Lively use them recently for a hard Workout of about an hour and yeah it's Great so it's the V fly it's not the Most interesting pick perhaps but I know Some people don't really like the new Version of vly but I think it's Outstanding I really enjoyed the changes That Nike made to it and it's probably Going to be my ration to of choice going To next year depending on how much I end Up liking the alphafly 3 uh and anything Else that happens to come out in the Next few months but with all eyes now
For me on London Marathon next year the Moment the Bly 3 is in pole position to Be my shoe for it although the alphafly It's already getting close between them That choice but the Ally 3 doesn't come Out till January so it's not relevant to This video my favorite shoe of 2023 is The Nike V fly 3
