Shoe Reviews

Another year, another Hoka Clifton, perhaps Hoka’s most popular shoe. A highly cushioned, neutral high mileage trainer. A workhorse for endless miles.  HOKA called it their ‘Ultra comfortable go to daily runner’ – it’s hard to argue with that Not designed for speed, but for long distances or easy runs. The Clifton 7 is very similar to the Clifton 6 – a nice, soft, lightweight, cushioned ride. The only significant changes are a new upper (mesh) and various minor changes to it’s last/upper/heel counter. The differences between the 6 and 7 are pretty much negligible, some minor tweaks, but hardly noticeable. Runner’s Tribe took these shoes through 110km of mostly road and light trail running, and below is our unpaid for analysis.

In recent years, the running world has seen a seismic shift in footwear technology, most acutely impacting the elite level. Long-standing world records are continually getting shattered, athletes are getting faster, and qualifying standards keep getting lowered. Advancements in materials innovation have paved the way for a new landscape of ‘super shoes’, where runners are opting for higher stack, more cushioned, and more propulsive racing shoes.

(c) Runner’s Tribe Sick of hearing about “Energy Return”?   Wondering what it is? Read on. Shoe companies are always up to something.  The trends that marketing...

ASICS today announces the launch of the latest stability running shoe, the GT-2000TM 11. The highly versatile and reliable trainer offers outstanding cushioning, support and stability, for a comfortable run.  

Hop on board the hype train with Nike’s latest shoe built for speed, the Nike Zoom Fly FK (dang that’s one long name).  Another...

For those who are still to learn about Hoka, the Rincon is a sleeker version of the Hoka Clifton (the brand's best selling high mileage neutral trainer). The main differences is the Rincon is slightly cut back making it lighter and faster. The Rincon is more versatile than the Clifton, it can used for long training runs, but is also suitable for speedy thresholds or even a faster session/interval type of a workout. It can be classed as a lightweight neutral everyday trainer.

This is our second ever review for Under Armour, not a brand that many runners consider in their daily line-up, but they make legit shoes, and seem to busting some big moves. In the USA recently, they have announced the sponsorship of a new distance training squad, the ‘UA Dark Sky Distance Team’. Let’s hope the same programs roll out across Australia as well. Cash UA, our athletes’ need cash.The UA HOVR Phantom 2 is a high mileage everyday training shoe. Think Pegasus, Nimbus, Clifton, Triumph etc. This shoe feels good, looks good, and rivals all of those.We took our pair through 140km of road and trails.

Before being contacted by Under Armour I had never worn or touched an UA product. I knew they made shoes, but I figured they weren’t any good. Then when Luke Mathews signed with the Baltimore-based brand, I figured ok, maybe they are worth a shot. Good on them at least for supporting one of our best middle-distance runners.

When it comes to conquering the trails and exploring the great outdoors, having the right footwear is essential. For trail runners seeking comfort, protection, and top-notch performance, we've compiled a list of the best-cushioned trail running shoes 2023. These shoes have been put to the test and have proven themselves on various terrains and challenging conditions.

The Brooks Levitate 4 is a true workhorse of a neutral high mileage training shoe. Not the lightest of shoes, nor the fastest; but the trade off is you'll get many extra k's out of a pair of Levitates than you may in many other brands. Runner's Tribe were lucky enough to take a pair through 210km, and below is our unpaid for analysis.