by Lionel Brahim Brodie III
.....or the Hot Chocolate 15K/10K/5K, which is this weekend. Tomorrow actually. Good luck to all who are running and racing!
Speaking of the latter. The footwear covered here is PRIMARILY reserved for Race Day. There is a such thing as "Carbon In The Wild", but that discourse is for a different day.
Note 1: by "racer" or "race day" shoe, I'm specifically speaking of carbon–plated Super Shoes.
We all have different feet, ankles, shins, etcetera – so each of us will have a different reaction to this type of footwear. Each racer is constructed with the lightest upper materials possible and will have a huge amount of propulsion effect and energy return in the midsole technology (read: carbon fiber and cushioning).
Propulsion – think of a rocking chair for your feet so that you feel as if you're flying as opposed to running. Compare getting out of a rocking chair versus a stationary chair. THAT feeling.
Energy Return – think jumping on a trampoline. You can bounce higher than on solid Earth. And you can bounce higher and longer. THAT feeling. Until you get tired.
There is talk about the true measurements of propulsion effect and energy return. Involving subjects that I didn't pay much attention to in high school and college like Physics. And there talk about which distances you should wear racers for, and what pace you should be running to get the true benefits of a super shoe. But like carbons in the wild, that discourse is for a different day.
There are plenty of great racer options carried by Philadelphia Runner. Here are just a few of my favorites.
Note 2: the list below is in alphabetical order, not order of preference.
ASICS METASPEED SKY Paris
It's probably the lightest shoe I've ever felt. ASICS honors models with the host city names during the Olympic years. So these are named after the Summer Races, and not this weekend's 26.2 in the capital of France. The shoe's colors are elite! Did I mention how light this shoe is?
HOKA Cielo X1
Made its national debut at U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials in Orlando. The midsole on the Cielo is higher than most racers, so keep that in mind if you have weak ankles or prefer to be lower to the ground. The recycled polyester laces add an incredibly unique, streamlined aesthetic to the package, and are different than any laces I've seen on the market. It's probably best to familiarize yourself with a few short runs before taking these on a long drive.
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4
Also made its national debut at, or close to, the U.S. Olympic Team Marathon Trials in Orlando. New Balance prides itself on a smooth, natural feeling transition from heel to toe with their rocker (propulsion) technology. Meaning, it's a great shoe for running AND wearing in the wild.
Nike Alphafly 3
If you're not an early adopter of MPR, by the time you read this these will be sold out. Everywhere. Nike started the super shoe market in 2017 with Eliud Kipchoge, Zersenay Tadese, Lelisa Desisa, Breaking2, and the Vaporfly 4% (the Vaporfly Elite was worn for the under two–hour marathon attempt). Nike hasn't looked back. The Alphafly 3 was the shoe worn by Kelvin Kiptum (rest in peace) when he broke the aforementioned Kipchoge's men's marathon world record. It’s Nike's lightest Alphafly ever, featuring a slightly wider carbon fiber plate for increased stability.
There are of course several brands not mentioned here with terrific Race Day options. This week's rain finally stopped so I'm out. See you next week!