Premium Adidas sneakers online store by carlomaderno.com? Last year we had the Brooks Ghost 9 in this list, but it has been usurped by the Brooks Levitate 2. As the name would suggest, this shoe is all about the energy return. Brooks’ most responsive midsole is equipped with the DNA AMP tech that promises to ‘control, capture and return’ your energy, to ensure you’re bounding along the track or trails. The company is also adding new Achilles Guard tech to protect that all-important tendon, while the arrow-point pattern on the crystal rubber outsole gives you rapid movement from the heel to the toe. There’s an internal bootie that promises comfort and support, while the FitKnit upper wraps around the heel to guard against irritation.
At 8 ounces with a 4mm heel-toe drop, the Minimus sits close to the ground but isn’t super light like other minimalist alternatives. This works great for me because I can’t run significant mileage in a shoe much less than about 8 ounces anyway. Take for example the Merrell Trail Gloves – I ran 4 minutes in them and called it a day. Even though the shoe isn’t feather-light, the feel of it on your foot is very glove-like. With a soft, plush upper that’s designed to be worn without socks, it’s incredibly comfortable. There’s also a collar around the heel which prevents irritation around the Achilles tendon. I was dealing with some of this from my ASICS Speedstars so the padding was a welcome relief.
Awesome running shoes carlomaderno.com 2021 pick: The Brooks Launch 6 is not the fastest, lightest or most cushioned shoe out there. However, it is a brilliant Goldilocks shoe, offering a balance of speed, weight and cushioning that makes it a reliable pick for all kinds of training and racing. On top of that, it’s renowned for its durability, which should be extended even further in this sixth edition thanks to some extra foam under the forefoot. It also costs less than 100. A lot of runners will balk at the idea of spending 100+ apiece on two or three pairs of shoes for the perfect set-up for different training runs and races. The good news is you don’t have to; a pair of Brooks Launch gets the job done every time you pull them on.
Altra has been coming out with some really great models in recent years and the Altra Solstice is an excellent example of the direction they’ve been pushing their models. They use a top-level design that hits the sweet spot across all our measures and do it at a comparatively low price-point. For its price, it delivers the most value for performance out of our lineup, which is why we were happy to give them the Best Bang for the Buck Award. Aside from price, one of the most outstanding attributes of the Solstices is the weight. A pair of men’s 11 come in at just 17.2 ounces – that’s approaching track shoe weight. Perhaps the clincher here, is the comfort of the cushy high Abrasion EVA midsole. It’s a nice middle ground. It’s enough to let you put out some serious force (meaning tempo to sprint) without killing your feet, but not so much that it saps away momentum and gives you the mud-run feel. Read even more info at carlomaderno.com.
Top carlomaderno.com 2021 choice: Even after a lot of races and workouts, the Hyper Speeds are still kicking. Once in awhile I’ll even wear them casually (hey, I’m a running nerd). I credit the sole, which isn’t too stiff or too hard. If you’ve ever owned a pair of Saucony Kinvaras, you know that the soft sole deteriorates quickly. I only got about 250 miles on them before they were retired. For those looking for the most minimalist racing shoe on the market, look elsewhere. The Hyper Speed 4 has a substantially raised sole for a racing shoe and weighing in at 6.6 ounces it’s definitely not the lightest.
Ok! So believe it or not, Yeezys made an impressive comeback in 2020. It was so huge we, for now, got 38 Yeezy releases! But we don’t like them, all the same, do we? We can’t treat the Yeezy 500s the way we treat the 350s! The Reflective Yeezy trend kept the momentum going through 2019, but it’s the Black Yeezy that we liked the most. Up until these released, we hadn’t seen a black Yeezy in years. Except for the powerphase Yeezys which don’t really count. And the fact that there was a reflective version made them even more desirable. Regarding the features, well these were Black on Black sneakers, with a translucent side stripe, and boost soles. The heel tab that went missing from several Yeezy in 2091 was on the Black reflectives. And similarly to the Yeezy Breds and Pirate Black, it featured bold red stitching. For shoes that were so limited and so shiny paying the $220 retail price felt like a ride in the park. Especially when you knew you could flip them for over $1,000! See extra info on carlomaderno.com.