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.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:44 – On Cloudsurfer 7
02:25 – Saucony Endorphin Elite
04:38 – Saucony Triumph 21
05:44 – Adidas Prime X2 Strung
07:38 – New Balance 1080v13
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On Cloudsurfer 7
Saucony Endorphin Elite:
Saucony Triumph 21:
Adidas Prime X2 Strung:
New Balance 1080v13:
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video series we are going to be looking At our top picks for running shoes over The course of 20123 if you're a fan of The channel you'll know that in October We did our Awards where we worked out The best running shoes based on a voting System that all of us got involved with But that did mean that there were a lot Of shoes that individually we really Like but we didn't get a chance to Mention or talk about in that video so In these videos each of us is going to Pick our five favorite shoes of 2023 in Order and explain why we personally Really like them right let's dive in and Do my [Music] Picks in at 5 is the on cloud Sur for Seven now I have never been a massive Fan of on shoes I didn't mind the cloud Monster that much I thought it was quite Nice for long runs for easy runs that Sort of thing um but the main problem That I've always had with on shoes is That there was a bit too firm for me I Really like a soft cushioned midell foam I like to sink into the ground I like to Have a little bit of Bounce and no on Shoes in the past have really done that For me until the on cloud surface 7 the Cloud surface 7 is a massive change for On shoes it doesn't have a speedboard in It it also has this new cloudtech phase
Midsole design and it's just really soft And surprisingly soft for an on shoe It's not the most versatile shoe in the World it is just really good at those Comfortable daily runs your feet just Sink into the ground takes all the Impact it's just very fun and enjoyable To run in it's not the most um Responsive shoe that mid sof fo isn't That bouncy so you can't really pick up The pace with it that much but for those Easy runs those recovery runs those Daily runs where you're just ticking off The miles absolutely love it I think It's a great shoe and definitely my Favorite on shoe at the moment I haven't Tested the oncloud eclipse so that might Change when I try that um but really Have enjoyed the shoe and I think it's a A massive Improvement for people like me Uh who really like soft cushioning in Their shoes so that comes in at number [Music] Five in at four is the soft endorphin Elite now I have a little bit of a LoveHate relationship with this shoe I Have made no secrets about my love of The sakon and dorphin Pro 3 I've used it For many races I have most of my PBS in That shoe I've used it for two marathons Where I've got PB in both and got my Good for age time um in in London with It but this shoe came out at the start Of the year and for somebody who is
Really into this so indor in Pro 3 it Was an exciting prospect to have uh the Elite come out because I I was hoping it Would be even better for me than the Pro 3 in fact it's a very different shoe Alog together it's a lot firmer than the Pro 3 it's a very aggressive shoe it Really puts your foot into a position That for me I didn't find very Comfortable the first few times I wore It I've raced in the shoe a few times I Did bright and half marathon in the shoe And got my PB uh of 1 hour 22 minutes Which I was really surprised at I at the Time I I thought I'd be getting about 126 and I I put part of it down to this Shoe because it's so aggressive and it Really rolls you forward and really Pushes you into position where you have To run fast the problem on the other Side of that is that it's not a Particularly comfortable shoe so I Really like the Pro 3 because it's Really natural feeling it's really Comfortable but it doesn't feel like It's pushing your foot into a position The sof endorphin Elite does now over Time I've I've started to use this a lot More for short distances 5Ks and 10ks And I find it works really really well For those I can handle that aggressive Feel of it I don't mind the fact that It's not the most comfortable shoe in The world when I'm doing that those
Distances and I can definitely feel that I'm running really fast in this shoe but I would never go over 10K in it just CU I it really makes my feet feel like They're they're being scrunched into a Way that isn't very comfortable and About 15K of that Marathon I really Really felt it and wish I had a Different pair of shoes on but I think It is a really interesting shoe and I Definitely think it's the best Performing carbon plate shoe that's come Out this year that I've tested um I just Still have a bit of a love hate Relationship with [Music] It in three is a sakon Triumph 21 to be Honest I would have put this higher um I Love this shoe I love this the Triumph 20 I think it's just a fantastic Versatile cushion daily shoe that has it All it's got a fantastic Midol foam it's Slightly bouncy you can pick up the pace A bit in it it's really comfortable for Long runs really comfortable for easy Run runs it's just got it all I I just If I was to pick up one shoe that I had To use all the time I'd probably go for This shoe the reason why I haven't put It higher is because it's not really Changed a lot from the Triumph 20 and as As as a result I'd probably say pick up The tri 20 if you want to get this shoe But you don't want to spend all the
Money on it um but it is a fantastic Shoe the differences are largely in the Upper it's slightly more breathable um But everything else about it is pretty Much the same as the the the Triumph 20 So that's why not put it higher but if It was completely new shoe this probably G number one just because um I I use it For everything I use it all the time I Think it's fantastic and you can't Really go wrong with it um so that goes In at number [Music] Three in at two if you're not from the UK and probably my age you probably Won't get what that reference is if you Do get the reference then uh please put It in the comments below uh this is the Adidas Prime X2 strong I tested the original Prime X strung at Last year end of last year start of this Year and I just didn't get on with on With it mainly because of the fit I Found that it really really rubed my Heel um I got all sorts of like cuts on The back of my foot after doing races in It um and just didn't get on with it I Also thought it was really wobbly um and It's it was fine if you're running on The flat if you're not really turning or Anything but what I found was I red in That shoe for the eastor half marathon Which is not a flat route it's all over The place there's loads of hills in it
There's loads of poth holes in it um and I just didn't like wearing that shif for It just just felt like that I wasn't in Control didn't really enjoy it what has Happened in the prime X2 strong is it's A bit beefier it's a bit heavier there's A lot more shoe here it's got a wider Base on it um but the upper is a lot Better for me as well I don't get any Heal rub on this shoe at all um and Despite the fact that it's a really Chunky shoe I feel like it's still go Really really really fast in this shoe Um I've done a couple of races now I Actually Abington marathon in the shoe I Wasn't racing Abington Marathon um I was Just pacing a friend but it felt great For that I really enjoyed it just felt Energetic all the way to the end bit of A Powerhouse of just taking you through In a really fun enjoyable world just With lots of energy it's just a really Solid fun enjoyable shoe um and I've Just I've really enjoyed enjoyed wearing It and I still pick it up all the time For training runs if I'm going do a Tempo run or anything like that it just Feels great and um yeah that's going in At number [Music] Two and number one for me uh my favorite Shoe or the shoe I think is the best uh For my style of running this year is the New balance 1080 v13 very much like the
Oncloud surface 7 the um previous Versions of this shoe I didn't like the 1080 v11 V12 they were quite firm they Didn't really offer me anything back They were just just sort of a general Running shoe um and I didn't really get Anything that I like to get out of Running I love soft scotching shoes I Love the sort of s sinky feeling I love A little bit of Bounce um the New Balance 108 v13 is a complete revamp of Those shoes it has a new upper more Structured there was this sort of sock Design stretchy sock design on the Previous version which I never really Got on with this has a much more um Structured upper reinforced areas very Traditional upper actually it's very Comfortable nice and breathable a lot of Padding around it quite a plush shoe um But that Midol foam is really where the Magic happens it's a lot softer than What you get in the previous versions It's a fantastic shoe for easy runs for Recovery runs it does SAP a bit of your Energy so if you're using this for long Runs you might find out that you you Probably want something with a little Bit of a firmer midso or a little bit More bounce in it because there's not a Lot of uh return from this midso foam But it's just such a comfortable shoe And for a lot of the runs that I do I'd Probably say 70% of the runs I do every
Week easy runs this is great and I'm Just picking up all the time just I just Love having it on and it just feels Fantastic so uh this the New Balance 108v 13 I put down as my favorite shoe Of 2023 um hopefully it's sign a things to Come with a lot more of the New Balance Shoes well that's it from my top five Choices for running shoes in 2023 thanks a lot for watching and don't Forget that all the other guys we'll be Doing theirs at some point um and it'll Be interesting to see what they pick Because I don't actually know uh don't Forget to check out the channel as well We've got loads of new uh reviews coming Up some big ones that you probably going To be quite interested in and if you go To the caption below you can also find a Link to our podcast which comes out at The end of each month and this month or If you're listening to this November or December it's all about super trail Shoes so shoes for the trails that have Like plates in and stuff like that Thanks L for watching catch you next Time
