Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Run Testers Awards 2023 | The best running shoes and tech of the year
2.8k Plays1 year ago
The latest episode of the podcast is our annual Run Testers Awards ceremony. We pick our top picks for running products across a range of categories: Race shoes, daily shoes, cushioned shoes, trail shoes, watches, headphones, and the audience award for best running shoe.
Download, stick your headphones on and make the best of that long run.
Big thanks to Fear of Tigers for the killer intro music. You can listen to more of his stuff over at https://www.patreon.com/fearoftigers
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Runtesters Awards
00:00:05
Speaker
Hey, Tommy from The Runtesters and welcome back to The Runtesters Podcast. This episode is The Runtesters Awards, where we go through all of our top picks for headphones, watches and running shoes across a range of categories throughout the past year. Right, let's just dive straight in and see what we all picked.
00:00:36
Speaker
All right, guys, how's it going?
Hosts' Recent Activities
00:00:40
Speaker
Last time we did this, you all were annoyed that I sounded disinterested, so I'll try something a bit more... I like it when it's false, Tom. I like it to be genuinely interested in me. Yeah. Does that have happened? Fair. Yeah.
00:00:55
Speaker
How are we? It's been a busy month for quite a few of us, racing and all sorts. Mike, what have you been up to? I've not been racing. I've been watching everyone else racing. I have got a race. I've got a race squad. I've got Manchester half-count up and then we'll see where I'm at and then... How long have we got for that?
00:01:14
Speaker
how about the weekend? Oh, right, okay. Yeah, so we'll see where we're at and then start thinking about next year and starting to increase the margin stuff. So in the meantime, just been watching you guys go out and do races instead and not be jealous at all. Well, I don't know much about Manchester half marathon.
00:01:33
Speaker
First time, first time I'll be doing it, starts, finishes in Old Trafford, so hopefully it'll be more memorable than the last time I went there a few weeks ago. But yeah, no, looking forward to that, I've not done a race in Manchester before,
Shoe Choices: Puma and More
00:01:46
Speaker
so... Got your shoes always picked?
00:01:48
Speaker
I'm going to be right, so I'm going out, I've got a place to do Puma, and I haven't raced in a Puma shoe, I know you guys are a bit more experienced on that side, I think, so this will be my first time out, I think it'll be the DV8, what's the names? Nitro Elite 2. Nitro Elite 2, yeah. I've got the red-blue colorways, I've been out getting weird looks from people, but I'm going to be out on that race. Not going to hand over the shoe that just did so well in Chicago to you, unfortunately.
00:02:13
Speaker
No, they're not. I mean, I've asked if they've got anything new, they won't. So yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it. I've had a few runs in it already just to kind of get myself prepared and yeah, looking forward to see what the Puma's got to... You can't go red, you can't go one red shoe, one blue shoe into old traffic. I know, yeah. Manchester. I'm going to take some stick for that. Damn, we have to have a rethink.
Nick's Ultra Marathon Experience
00:02:37
Speaker
LostyNitro2, what do you reckon, Nick? Well, that was always a solid sight pick.
00:02:42
Speaker
All right, well, Nick, you've gone from being a passable roadrunner to an ultra runner. To a poor ultra runner. Yeah, it wasn't back recently now, I suppose. Yeah, I did an ultra.
00:02:57
Speaker
Did 35 good miles and 15 walk jogs. Walk jog miles. It's quite a surreal feeling, I suppose, when you get to that stage and you go like, oh well, I've done most of it now. I've just got a limp in and go, well, you wouldn't start a half marathon feeling like this. This is quite a weird situation to be in. So yeah, it took a long time. I stopped eating. Shouldn't have done that. But I had a really good time. It's just mooching around my local forest with a few legends I know. So I had a really good time. So you're all in on Altras now?
00:03:24
Speaker
No, no, no. Jamie's a bit older now, so I should start being a little bit easier to fit in some proper training again for the road stuff, hard sessions and
Treadmill vs Outdoor Training
00:03:33
Speaker
that. Although today I had to do it on the treadmill because of good old Amazon big deals day, which meant I had no time to get down the track. So I just jumped on the track. It's ridiculously easy on a treadmill doing any kind of session. I don't know what it is. Obviously, it's just biomechanically easier, I guess. But yeah, it's just I did the session. I feel like I cheated basically. I've done my hit my paces. I've gone faster than the paces, but I know that should feel harder.
00:03:53
Speaker
Don't trust it, one bit. What's the next race coming up
Upcoming Race Plans
00:03:57
Speaker
then? Have you guys been looking into any? London's the long-term goal next year. I'll probably try and get some short stuff in before then, but I mean, it's really hard. It's just generally very hard to go. It feels very selfish to book out like a week, half a day of the weekend away when your kids are at school. So yeah, I haven't done anything yet. I haven't booked anything yet, but I'll try and get some local stuff in if I can. What's the problem before, was it? It's because you've got two now.
00:04:20
Speaker
It's because he was really young and I was at school now So she's away five days before I had Albert like a day in the week and it was you know I saw her quite a lot and now I've only got two days the kids I know I've got midweek with Jamie But I don't necessarily want to just disappear for half a day, especially as it's cross-country I don't disappear and do horrible five miles in the mine for spending six hours out of the house So yeah, I'm trying to work out how I'm gonna fit stuff in but London
00:04:42
Speaker
for sure. Nice. Well, I just filled in my good for age for that, so. I opened a championship, yeah, I don't think. The good for age is quite late to open as well, I think. Yeah, it's about two months after where they said they originally were going to do it. Everyone's jumping on it today. Kieran, what were you up to? I did the same, filled in my good for age for London today, which I got at the Abingdon marathon last year, which I know you're going to go and run. I'm going to be in Abingdon as well, doing that one for my third Abingdon.
00:05:08
Speaker
You've been having it in two weeks. Yeah, yeah. I've done it a couple of times. It's an interesting one. It's quite a kind of club marathon. So there's lots of fast people there doing what is. It's an interesting course as well. It's not the most exciting course, but I love the start and finish on the track and it's always got a good atmosphere. There's good people.
00:05:28
Speaker
somehow you sort of get swept along with all the other fast runners so yeah last year it was it was the opposite to what the weather's been right now it was absolutely tipping it down there's bits on that go on to kind of some sloppy muddy sort of park they're not trails but you know muddy park paths so that we want to watch out for but
Kieran's Lake Garda Adventure
00:05:46
Speaker
Yeah and I'm just back from doing a loop, a lap, almost lap of Lake Garda in Italy so 100 miles in three days minus 13 miles of murderous tunnels and cars which I couldn't run but yeah it was was magic did I think did a marathon then 29 and then 33 to finish. Well I thought when I looked it up and you said you're doing this there was just like a psychopath all the way around but just not at all it turns out
00:06:13
Speaker
Yeah I mean there's one photo of a psychopath they've built that hangs over the lake which is absolutely stunning and on the websites it makes it sound like they've built this all the way around. I think the intention is to complete it on the other side but basically what you've got is one side of the lake is there's hotels and there's little towns and there's paths and it's all very manicured and brilliant and then on the other side because there's mountains
00:06:38
Speaker
there's not a lot so then you're either fighting a very small Italian road or you have to go up into the mountains. I had spent a little bit of time in the mountains by mistake and ended up on some of the most sketchy steep 1000 meter down trails I've ever run.
00:06:54
Speaker
and, yeah, questioning my choices.
Running Gear Highlights
00:06:57
Speaker
They have the colour coding in the Alps. I've gone on some holidays with my wife, half Swiss, we go and found in the Alps. I see a certain colour, I go, well, Nick's not doing the walk today. I'll tell you that for free, because that colour coding means it's essentially not a path, it's just a wall of death.
00:07:13
Speaker
This I've never done, I've never seen anything like it. It was basically straight down and it was scree and stones. And normally you can stand on the big stones and they're the ones that you can trust and rely on. You stand on the big stones on this and the loose ones, they'd all move, everything moved. It's like, yeah, it wasn't great. You're in road shoes, right Ashu?
00:07:32
Speaker
I was in the on cloud monster so I was picking up all those stones on the way down and all but to be honest they actually cope quite well with it. I mean I took my time but yeah not ideal but it's a very very beautiful place to run and if you can go and do it over five or six days or whatever or even just go
00:07:49
Speaker
It's just wonderful and a lot of it is really well put together. There's water everywhere. It was a really good adventure. Those bits thrown in made it a little bit more challenging, but definitely recommend it. There's actually a marathon there which runs on the good side of the lake as well. They were putting up the signs for it last I was there. So then having done and then I don't know what will come after that, maybe a rest.
00:08:10
Speaker
Sounds logical. We'll all be doing London maybe, Mike, if you can get yourself a place, someone. I should have a place. I should have. I might have my deferred place from this year, so I'll be in. I'll be in. I'll be a week after Boston, so I'm not 100% sure I'm going to do it. I did a week after Berlin, mate. It's no problem.
00:08:27
Speaker
Oh, here we go. Here we go. Don't mind games begin. Yeah, but I like to drink quite a lot on the flights. That's my main concern. The hangovers like to drink. Well, I just got back from Berlin. Successful trip.
00:08:44
Speaker
Yeah, we've not had any kind of video or anything, Tom. I thought it'd be so important. I'll tell you what, the situation in Berlin with the flights that I had to deal with, cancellations and stuff, I was in no mood to record anything when I got back from it. I wanted to wipe it from my memory. But I didn't really test anything out there. I'd run into endorphin pro threes again. So I didn't want to do another video on them. People just want to hear a triumphant Tom PB marathon video, a story. Tell us a story about Berlin, Tom. That's what I want to hear. Just a solid, good paste.
00:09:14
Speaker
No, we meant the journey back. We meant the journey back. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want to remember that. It's really awful. Well, you know, the problem was he booked his flights with cancellations. So he had all sorts of weird airlines flying to and from like Norway to use these things he had to use up. So... Only way there. The way back was just an easier flight. Where did you fly by fire on the way there? Oslo or something? Norwegian. Oh, and I went to Copenhagen. Which is a nice airport, actually.
00:09:41
Speaker
Good races in Copenhagen as well. Should've stopped there next time they do. Yeah, wouldn't have minded that. So yeah, but I've just got my Boston qualifier in, so that's all set up for next year. Exciting. Good work. I'm not gonna go and do Boston at all. Basically until someone pays my flight. Way too cheap. Way too cheap. It's gonna be very expensive. We were getting to Iceland for three days before as well.
00:10:06
Speaker
Oh, jeez, there's another, sounds like ripe for another flight disaster to me. Well, inevitably, inevitably, yeah. But I'm just sort of deciding whether I'm gonna go for another PB at Boston. It's a risky one to go for a PB at, isn't it? We get a tailwind, blast you all the way there. Yeah, if I'm lucky, I get the opposite. Nice, oh, and yeah, and I've got a coaching qualification now, so, officially. Yeah, we go. Sign up for Tom's coaching. No, I can't, I haven't got time for that.
Awards Segment Introduction
00:10:43
Speaker
All right then, we're going to be doing the awards in a bit, but before we do the awards, any kit that we have tested recently that is worth- Come on, we've got to talk about the world records briefly at least, surely.
Top Running Gear of the Year
00:10:55
Speaker
We'll do that first then. Not bad, was it?
00:10:58
Speaker
No, some exciting shoes coming. Quite annoying. Two of the most exciting and anticipated launches of all time. And just as I released the carbon shoe video without any access to them. So that's perfect. Perfect for me. Perfect for old Nick. What was the time? It took two hours and... 35 seconds. I'll keep to him in the Alpha 3. Which Nike immediately then, completely unprecedented move from Nike, then whacked on into saying, oh, it's coming in January. They never do that. I think they really wanted to jump on the hype, but also maybe send a little message to Adidas. What's the bet? How much do you think it's going to be?
00:11:27
Speaker
Well, Adidas has really given them a leeway to what they want. It'd be minimum $300, I reckon. Yeah, way more than that. I reckon it could be the first, well, not the first one, but the first mainstream £400 shoe. I don't think they'll do that yet because they wouldn't raise them that much in the previous one. So the first one is they jumped to the second one. I mean, in Britain, oh, it might be £1,000 because of our postage situation in Brexit. I don't think they'll go nuts because I think they'll just continue the progression of pricing. Changed it. And I think substantially, I don't think so.
00:11:55
Speaker
Well, it looks nice. Oh, it looks very nice. No longer decoupled, looks much sleeker. I imagine it's a bit lighter. Well, I'm just waiting for that to come out so I can finally buy our flight too and get that go. I saw it on Instagram today. It's very cheap from Brazil today, Tom, if you want to know. That was it. Have you got any flight vouchers that will take you via Brazil? Probably not as far as Brazil. Yeah. I'm not selling it in Scotland are there, because I could probably do that.
00:12:16
Speaker
So, no, the Trancoster trains these days would be cheaper to buy the shoes outright. Anything else we've tested? Actually, the big shoe that I've tested recently, I think you've all tested as well, that is very exciting. It's the New Balance Freshroom 1080 v13. Yeah, I like this one. This is one of my favourite shoes. Definitely one of my mum. I've loved it. I've loved everyone I've done with it. And it's one of those ones I've picked up and I was like, I want to go out and run the shoe. You know, I'm not really a massive, been a massive fan of the last shoe and it's a very different shoe from the
00:12:44
Speaker
the previous 1080s but I think in a really good way and I'm really liking it. Have you got it, Kieran? Because I'm more interested in your view on this. It's quite a soft shoe. It's very soft. Yeah, I mean I like it. I mean it's kind of come at a time when I'm doing quite a lot of kind of slow plodding. I nearly took it out to do the lap of Lake Garda actually because it was just, it's almost got guaranteed sort of comfort written all over it and it is a bit soft. The reason I didn't was because I was worried that it might
00:13:11
Speaker
be a little bit too soft and a little bit too... It would be very good to climb in mountains. It would have been terrible on those rocky bits on the way down, but it would have been all over the shot. But I went for the McLeod Monster just because they're just a little bit firm, have a little bit more response, I think. For me, it's pushed right over towards the Nimbus, is how I kind of read it. Whereas if the old V12, I think, was a little bit flatter, a bit more
00:13:33
Speaker
I feel like the old one was more of like a cushioned daily train had a bit more response if you did want to run quick this feels it's really soft like I did 90 minutes and it's Sunday and by the end it was like it's a bit soft I was just thought the previous ones were just dull but they just did I didn't get anything from you just like it was just like a it was just a running shoe
00:13:53
Speaker
I think you get a bit more respect. I did one slight progression run in the 1080 V13 and I didn't really enjoy it. Basically, I like it for just easy stuff, really. It's not as versatile. It's creeping up on the more for me. Well, I mean, it's softer than... Yeah, I just think it's soft without necessarily holding my back. So if you're using it as just an easy day shoot, great. But I think... Yeah, I don't know. It feels like a shoot that Jane must love, I'm sure.
00:14:19
Speaker
She can't have tried it yet because she's not mentioned it. She actually likes it. Of course she does. Has she mentioned the invincible as well? Probably. She compared it. Are they interesting verses to see? Anything else we've tested? I mean, I just had an interesting trip over. We talked about it before, but Win spelled U-Y-N, which is now Unleash Your Nature. I'm still not 100% sure why it's pronounced Win, even though I've been over there, didn't really find that out.
00:14:46
Speaker
But I also ran on the second and third day of this run. I took a chance and I wore a pair of their shorts and one of their sort of running tops, which are a wall. And I basically just really shocked me, surprised me. And it's so comfortable. It was boiling out. It was 27 degrees. And the last thing you sort of think is actually I'm going to put on the wall.
00:15:09
Speaker
and go with something that's sort of clingy and tight, and it's quite thick. But actually, I think I've been converted not only to wearing wool, but also, for the first time in my entire life, I wore a pair of shorts that were very, very tight, like very tight running shorts with pockets with nothing on over the top, with more on show than I would normally do, and it felt liberating. Treating for the holidaymakers. One t-shirt or two though, Kieran, that's the real question.
00:15:37
Speaker
I still had two t-shirts. Of course you did. Of course. I still had the two t-shirts. Yeah, it was really good. Really, I don't know, something about them. Yeah, they're just all the flexibility that you needed. Good pockets, you know, it was just it's a bit of a convert to wearing that more maybe sort of trail style sort of tight running short. So expect more of that in the videos coming up. Yeah, probably won't be watching that one.
00:16:07
Speaker
So right, so we dive in and do some awards then. Let's do it. Okay, so we're back again with the awards, the 2023 Run Testers Awards and we've moved it forward a little bit this year because I think last couple of times we've done it, we've left it till the end of the year and it's got
00:16:34
Speaker
We've got pretty much all the shoes already, so we thought we'd do it a little bit earlier this year. Got all the shoes. Got all the shoes, but as a result, what we've done is, we're discussing this, if it was going to be the, if the shoes had to be in 2023 or we picked up the shoes that we missed last year that came out towards the end, so things like the shoes we've lost, so we've included shoes that came out that we couldn't include in the last awards. Sounds good. Just in case. It's very Oscars, very like the Oscars. Exactly, yeah, yeah. So it's been a, I wouldn't say,
00:17:02
Speaker
I think last year it was, there was like some really clear, it was a really exciting year for shoes last year and there were some really big wins. I don't think it's been as exciting this year. It's been a few good shoes but it's not been like lots of standout stuff I would say. What would you guys say? I think it's been, I think it's been, yeah I agree it's been a bit, I think what's been very apparent when we did the voting for the awards is actually some of the very best shoes that we've all loved a lot individually, not all of us have got so I think we've had a little bit less you know general hype between us about some shoes which
00:17:31
Speaker
maybe dulls the overall level of height. But yeah, I think a lot of brands have had a slightly quieter year. But yeah, it'd be okay. Yeah, some very good shoes. I think the thing that's missing for me this year was you had last year, we had a massive onslaught of shoes from brands like Saucony and Puma, where it just seemed like new shoes are coming out every few weeks. And of course, we haven't had new speed this year either. So we should always, and Mach 5. So they're ones that obviously crop up quite a lot in our
00:17:58
Speaker
in the awards. I suppose what might be is that actually this was the year of the super trainer and in the end a lot of those were a little bit disappointing so I think actually that maybe dulled my overall impression of the year quite a lot because all the new super trainers came out and actually a lot of them were pretty good I thought. Yes I'd agree. Okay well let's start
00:18:16
Speaker
going through the award. So as always, we all vote on our favorite picks throughout the year. And then we tally up all of the choices and work out what the top pick is in a category. And then we have a runner up as well. And in this video, we're going to talk a bit about why we pick those shoes. So first award we've got is Best Running Watch.
Best Running Watch: Garmin Forerunner 965
00:18:40
Speaker
Mike, you're going to pick this one up. What won Best Running Watch in 2023?
00:18:46
Speaker
Yes, I think, which is pretty unanimous I think in terms of the team, but I think that the one we've gone for is the one that is on my wrist. It is the Garmin Forerunner 965.
00:19:00
Speaker
Now I think the big thing for this really for Garmin is that they really had to show a response, a bit more of a response to what's happening with smartwatches and particularly the Apple Watch. So they decided to go and made with a few of their watches this year. I think for us the 965 is the one that stands out. It's that
00:19:16
Speaker
kind of top feature-packed running watch that Garmin has in its collection and it really kind of elevates a lot of the features that it already has on this watch, it has already delivered on the previous watches. I think it really makes mapping more impressive in terms of having that AMOLED display, all the data that you'd want from a 900 series from the 4Runner.
00:19:36
Speaker
is there as well and I think crucially and this is the thing I think we were all worried about is what the battery life was going to offer and what it was going to deliver. I think ultimately for me it's something that I still go back to when we're testing watches all the time it's the watch that I go back to and I think the battery life has kind of delivered on that front and gives me enough and I think for a lot of us in the team who voted for it just an all-around good performance and it
00:19:59
Speaker
is more expensive than the previous watch, but I think if you want that AMOLED display and that kind of top end Garmin running watch, then that's what you get from the 40965. Any thoughts from anyone else? Kieran, you had it out at Lake Garda, right?
00:20:12
Speaker
Yeah, and I absolutely concur what Mike said. I think The Bachelor is something that's really been a standout for me on that. I was testing it up against the Apple Watch Ultra 2 over the three days in various different settings and it's the kind of watch that I could have gone the whole of that run without having to worry about at all and in all of the settings it was competitive.
00:20:34
Speaker
Yeah, just solid. And you know, the one thing as well, I think just the AMOLED screen does really make a difference. It's taken a little while for me to be a convert to that as an idea of, you know, I don't really mind having a screen as long as I can see it. But again, out in the bright sunlight, I think, yeah, it actually really impressed me and particularly over that kind of multi-day as well.
00:20:52
Speaker
The only negative I had about it was I, because it doesn't have the reinforced screen that you get on the epics and the Phoenix, which should never bother me at all. I never even thought about it, but I did actually scratch the four on a 965 screen at one point. I don't know when, it was somewhere in Wales. But yeah, so that's the, I think why, you know, when you talk about the, we often, I think gloss over a bit the difference in build quality between Phoenix epics lines and the 965 lines, because it's not something that generally comes up a lot in our day-to-day running, I don't think, but yeah, you don't get that screen.
00:21:22
Speaker
It's quite rare that I would scratch a watch. First one I've ever done it to, I think. Okay, so winner 965. What about the runner-up, Mike? So the runner-up we've gone with is the Corus
Best Headphones: Jabra Elite 8 Active
00:21:31
Speaker
Pace 3. So I think we all loved the Corus Pace 2. And I think the pace in general is kind of probably Corus's strongest watch.
00:21:38
Speaker
And while the price has gone up with the new pace, I think ultimately it's still offering exceptional value for money in terms of sports watch, in terms of what you're getting and running features, in terms of still having that really strong battery life that really kind of associate with Corus watches. I think in terms of the upgraded heart rate sensor we've got here, in terms of having dual-frequency GPS, all these kind of things that you've got in the cheapest Corus watch,
00:22:02
Speaker
really makes it a real standout watch and I think it holds its own against much more expensive running watches as well. So I think, you know, I think it was very close in terms of these two watches and I think we've got one that's kind of that top-end price in terms of the 40965 but as a runners-up kind of award for the Chorus Pace III, I think in terms of value, I mean it's very hard to beat in terms of what you get from that watch.
00:22:23
Speaker
I think one thing that's really great about it is that it's the multiband GPS seems to have been improved quite a lot because Chorus brought it, well actually were the first to launch the multiband watch was the Vertex 2 and it just wasn't very good and I was a bit disappointed and then the Apex 2 Pro and they had multiband GPS it still wasn't very good but the Pace 3 it genuinely has been very accurate like I used it for my 80k run against the epics and it was very close across the hallway in multiband mode and things like that so
00:22:46
Speaker
that GPS at that price point is quite rare. I think it's, you know, that standard. And that's a big thing for me, obsessed with GPS. And also good for people with leaner wrists, the pace. Yeah, much smaller, very nice and light. Okay, so from watches on to the next bit of tech, headphones. Now, I'd probably say it's been a bit of a quiet year for headphones. Sometimes we get a lot of headphones released. It doesn't seem to be that many, but there's been a couple
00:23:15
Speaker
or one specifically towards the end of the later in the year that's cropped up, which I've been waiting for a while.
00:23:23
Speaker
What won best headphone, Nick? Kieran, right? Yeah. I thought you were taking this one. You're going to talk about him. You're going to do the rudder up. You're going to do the rudder up. OK. You're going to do that. Do you want to do that last time? Leave it in. Leave it in. Leave it in. Right. OK. Well, now we've said that it's now the suspense has been built up. So the winner of the best headphone for this year is the Jabra Elite 8 Active.
00:23:57
Speaker
Now, I think it's safe to say that we're all fairly good fans of the old Elite Four Actives and the Sevens, and the Eight, I think, have come in and they've just improved, I think, across the board most of the key areas that you want in a good pair of running headphones. So you've got solid fit for in-ears, I think, with a kind of shape grip, which does hold tight for most people other than Nick.
00:24:20
Speaker
I don't know. These are the only ones. The only ones that stay in my ear. So even that, they've ticked that box. But, you know, you've still got really nice compact design in terms of the buds and the case. They're well built. They've got they've upgraded the durability, including in the case. I think they've got clear, rich and deep and pretty nuanced audio as well. That's also customizable. So you get lots of bells and whistles with these. The battery life remains competitive, which I think is eight hours. Active noise cancellation goes up to 14 if you switch that off.
00:24:50
Speaker
There's like a total of 56 hours of runtime in the buds and the case, so it kind of ticks them over into not only you've got marathon territory sort of covered with your eight hours, but you've also got ultra covered as well with the battery life. Loads of additional features, ANC, the hear-through,
00:25:07
Speaker
got spatial sound. One thing I really love about them is dual simultaneous connection so you can connect to your phone and your laptop at the same time and switching between those is nice and easy as well. And overall I would just say these headphones are basically a really good all-round package for just sneaking in under £200 in the UK. So I think they represent good value for money and I think they've been a favourite amongst the team because of that. And now to Nick.
00:25:33
Speaker
The runner-up. So the runner-up is a bit more of a controversial choice. I think it's fair to say, if it shocks and release the Open Run Mini this year, we probably would vote for that. But the shocks open fit is headphones, I think they can go either way. So I love them because they fit really, really well. They've got a really secure fit for me, a very comfortable fit. They hook over the top of the ear, they stay in place, they deliver better audio than bone conduction headphones, or allowing some awareness, although less awareness, it should be pointed out, than bone conduction headphones.
00:25:58
Speaker
But I know that it hasn't been so good for other people So I think that's the bit of a toss up here and that's I think this is one of the big trends headphones This year is this open headphones that isn't a bone conduction headphone. It hooks out of the top of the ear speaker rests near your ear They've called them air conduction, but just put a speaker near your ears what they've done and some of them are really good and the sound quality is quite impressive and
00:26:16
Speaker
Actually, surprisingly, I think the fit issues with rim is kind of across the board. I have a lot of them that hurt my ear a bit, that pinch my ear a bit, or a bit loose. And I would have thought an over-ear fit like that would be quite easy to get right, but actually it isn't the case. So I think when you're looking at these headphones, you have got to worry about the fit quite a lot. But the open fit for me did fit, but I said the word fit a lot, fit really well, really comfortable.
00:26:36
Speaker
I just really like them as headphones. I think they're a really solid option for general life use if you're not someone who goes for any headphones all the time. Obviously not ideal when you're traveling, but the rest of the time they're quite useful. But I do know there were some problems with the fit in the team, right? Yeah, I did not get on with them.
00:26:51
Speaker
And like Nick said, I think the biggest trend we've seen this year has been this kind of talk of air conduction. And it was ultimately just giving people who don't love the sound from bone conduction. With me, I think shocks have got something here in terms of the sound performance, in terms of what they're delivering and offering something alternative to their neckband style headphones. The fit just didn't work for me. And I think if they're going to persevere with it, I think there's room to improve that sort of thing. So I think if they can get that right,
00:27:19
Speaker
I would be more on board with it as a pair, but I think there's a lot that they've got right in these headphones. For me, personally, it needs to do a little bit of work in terms of the app design in terms of the security of the fit. I think they're great, but might don't charge anymore.
00:27:31
Speaker
What? Okay, well, we should caveat that then. They run her up as they still charge. Maybe we should bin them off. I've not managed to look at how to, I'd done something wrong, but no, they're definitely not charging. So yeah, a little caveat there, but it's not, it doesn't sound like it's a problem for anyone else. 25% of us though, it's not good. Okay, so onto the shoes.
Best Trail Shoe: Hoka Tecton X2
00:28:05
Speaker
start with now this this this category all the other ones are what we class as the best of the shoes but with trail shoes there's so many to test that we don't class it as the best trail shoe it's our favorite trail shoe because there's so many that we haven't had an opportunity to test because there's so many that released. Who's picking this one up? Kieran's on the lead I think. Okay so Kieran what won our favorite trail shoe of 2023?
00:28:30
Speaker
Yeah, well you've stolen a little bit of my thunder there. I think it's worth noting that when it comes to this award, we've probably leaned towards a shoe that's a bit more kind of road to trail, something that's probably a bit better on the less sort of technical side of things. We're thinking about maybe rolling easier trails than the sort of steep mountain sort of technical descents that you might find people doing sky running. And for that reason, the winner that we've chosen is the Hoka Tecton X2.
00:29:02
Speaker
It's definitely one of those shoes that can cope with road to trail. It sort of ticks all the boxes of a sort of versatile off-roader. I think it's good, it's kind of fast, it's pretty nimble. It's got kind of balanced cushioning, so there's enough cushioning there to soak up a bit of the trail and the road that you're getting response. There's enough stability and support, I think, for a lot of people to find it quite a generous shoe and easy to run in.
00:29:25
Speaker
on trails. I think it's got gears for shorter and faster runs but you can also wear it on longer slower runs and it's got the protection that you might take into ultra-territory when you're going to have a lot of time on feet as well. So it's got all of that in its locker. It's a bit basically like a peped up speed goat that's comfortable, durable and I think a really really capable shoe that's just fun to run across the trails in.
00:29:49
Speaker
not massively different than the first one though is it so minimal minimal changes yeah there's not yeah they've not changed they've not changed an awful lot which i figure that maybe there's some shoes that we've got on here that are massive overhauls to to the previous versions but the Tecton X2 um yeah not a major difference from the first one
00:30:06
Speaker
What I found with Tektor Next 2 is I appreciated it a little bit more by the end of the year having tested a load of kind of super-shoey trail shoots from other brands that have gone a bit more wild with their designs and built crazy light. And you realize just how kind of solid and reliable the Tektor Next 2 is and can land on almost anything and grip and give a wide decently wide platform to land on. So I do think, yeah, it's got a pretty good reliability factor as well, but you don't necessarily feel a massive amount of response from the mid-sell, I don't think.
00:30:32
Speaker
Whenever I run out, I think it's a lovely smooth ride. That's what I always get from it. Really enjoyable, smooth ride. Tom's Smooth Ride. Sponsored by Dettl. What's the runner-up then? I won this one. It's the Nike Ultrafly, which I think is an interesting shoe. I've done about 150k in this shoe. I've done a lot of running. I don't actually think I put it in my top three, but other people have voted for it. I do think it's a good shoe, so I think it's just a really expensive shoe.
00:30:59
Speaker
this is nike's vapor fly for the trails is what it was initially mooted as with zoom x foam in midsole a carbon plate they've wrapped the zoom x to make it more stable big beefy wide base on it and it's quite heavy shoe as well and i actually love this shoe a lot uh for
00:31:14
Speaker
because it was my first summer of doing these ultra distance runs and some very, very approachable accommodating shoe. And, you know, I really liked ticking through very long runs, very slowly in it, and it was really good for that. I just don't think it's a terrific racing shoe if you're looking at shorter distances and actually get that a little bit more from, there's probably one for next year, but now, because it actually doesn't release till spring, but the Adidas Trail shoe, the Terrix Agavex Speed Ultra is a bit more dynamic and exciting, but the ultra fly I think is,
00:31:40
Speaker
a very good shoe and one I've loved using for lots of runs. I still just don't know how much I'd recommend it because of the price, but it is a runner up. So I'll say it's a very good shoe, but Mike, you must have voted for this, right? You love it. I voted it. Yeah. I mean, like I say, I think when initially when I got this shoe in, I mean, I was kind of thinking of it as being a lot more aggressive than it actually turned out to be. And I think in terms of a shoe that you can kind of cruise in, I love the fact that Nike has decided to go that kind of Vibram outsonic.
00:32:05
Speaker
loads of good trail trees have that and it works really well. And I think for me, the runs that I've done, I've just enjoyed running in it. I don't think you can do massively quick runs in it. It just doesn't allow for that, but that's not what I don't think it's built for and what we thought maybe it would be built for. But I think in terms of the runs that I've done, you're just relaxing, kind of going out and covering a lot of mileage. I think it's a nice shoe to run in. It's one I've enjoyed running in.
00:32:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean it was fair. I don't want to do it down because like out of the box pretty much I just did 50k in it for the first time in my life around that far and that long and I did the last 30k of the 80k ultra in it and it's really really comfortable and a great upper for comfort, although it's not the thickest upper to get thorns in my feet at times, but I just think you've got to go in expecting that cruiser. If you go in expecting that bouncy ZoomX ride, it just doesn't really deliver that. It's a much more stable platform than that built for stability and comfort rather than that zingy pace.
00:32:54
Speaker
Okay, so from trail shoes to... I'd say this is probably one of the trickiest areas, the categories nowadays, because so many things in
Best Daily Shoe: ASICS Superblast
00:33:02
Speaker
it. Daily shoes, best daily shoe. Now, best daily shoe has gone from being just, you know, your comfortable shoe that you pick up and go and do miles into a massive spectrum of shoes, including daily super shoes and all sorts of things. So there were a lot of competing shoes in this category. But one shoe stood out, that was the ASICS Super Blast.
00:33:29
Speaker
And that's a shoe that, have you all tested the shoe now? Just me and you? I've not had it, yeah. Just you two. I've not had it. Yes, because we both picked it as our top pick, didn't we? Yeah, it's where, yeah, I think I was quite skeptical of the shoe and then I tried it. Yeah, it is really good. Yeah, I picked it up quite early on in the year and you've haven't had it till recently, have you? And it's just a fantastic, enjoyable shoe. It's a very expensive shoe, but it's a shoe that,
00:33:59
Speaker
you can do a lot of stuff in it technically on paper when you pick it up it looks like a big max cushion shoe but really you can go pretty fast in it as well. Yeah I've gone down the track and it's got a bit of stiffness to it so you can run fast it's like the only shoe in Attix's range that uses this turbofoam that isn't the racing shoe from the Metaspeed racing shoe so you are getting a bit of bounce there it's
00:34:19
Speaker
really versatile. It kind of shows what you can do with a max cushion shoe with a great foam because it's 250 grams and a UK nine and it's 45.5 millimeter stack height. It's crazy light. So yeah, I mean, it's really expensive and there are certainly more practical shoes you can get for a lot less that probably do a very, very good job. We've got some in the other categories.
00:34:36
Speaker
I did enjoy running in it and it's probably the first time I've really liked and really loved using a absurdly high cushion shoe for most part. I find them a little bit annoying at times but this and then maybe the Prime X2 Strung for training I did find very enjoyable. I think the Super Blast is going to be very interesting to see what happens with it. It reminds me of, I think the original Nova Blast was a little bit more of a polarizing shoe. Some people absolutely loved that shoe and some people weren't so keen on it but
00:35:05
Speaker
The magic of that fursuit disappeared quite quickly when they took to the Nova Blast 2, so I'm very interested to see what they do with the next Super Blast version when it comes out. The feeling I have with it, and it isn't really like it at all, but it feels similar in what I'd use it for and how much I enjoy it to the original Nike Pegasus Turbo, which obviously was a well-loved shoe, and I get a very similar vibe from it, even though it is so much bigger.
00:35:27
Speaker
I was just going to say, it's interesting why this hasn't really been pushed because you guys both loved it and it's not a really issue that Essex has really pushed in terms of its launch. In terms of it going forward and being a... Well, I think they got surprised by the Nova Blast being so popular and then they really start to push it. And I think there's now a whole load more super lost colourways coming out. They lowered the price very slightly, I think, as well. And I think they've realised they've got a winner.
00:35:52
Speaker
There it is. You look at it, originally it was a 200 pound 45 millimeter stacked shoe without a plate. It's a nice shoe. Why would you buy it? Then you do buy it. You realize, I can do a bit of everything in this shoe. And actually I want to do a bit of everything in this shoe. And the prices seem so mad when suddenly you're replacing two shoes in a rotation with it and things like that. But yeah, it's still a little bit of a nice shoe. So I'm not going to push it that hard, I imagine, just because you're going to flog a lot more Nimbus and Kainos, aren't you?
00:36:17
Speaker
Well, the runner up in the best daily shoe category is an interesting one that, for me, is probably one of the most exciting shoes of the year, but one that was most surprising. That's the On the Cloud Surfer 7, a shoe that it's a complete overhaul of some of the materials that are used in pretty much all of On shoes. So instead of using the Helium Superphone, it uses Cloud Tech Phase, which is a considerably softer shoe. It gives you a completely different ride than what you get in
00:36:45
Speaker
any of on other shoes. And I think we all enjoyed that shoe, didn't we? Yeah, very much. Very much squeaky, but very, very good. It's very squeaky. Yeah. My girlfriend was walking around a thousand of the other day and I was like, what? No, is there a mountain in? I do think it's the best ride on the reputation. It's one of the best rides of the year for mitching around like in
00:37:01
Speaker
I think Kieran you talked about this recently with me, you're coming back from like illness or injury and you start running again, you're so excited to be running and then a shoe really clicks with you as well and it's just like the best feeling and I had that with the cloud surf and I was just ticking around in it and it's quite light. It's not the most responsive shoe but it is so light and fun to run and you can do some quicker stuff but it's great fun to mooch around in. I still haven't hit like a massive amount of distance in mine though, that's probably my concern on durability. I don't know if you guys have done big distances in them yet.
00:37:25
Speaker
No, I've just been using it for, you know, maximum 12K. I use it for those like easy daily runs and just been doing, plodding those out. But I did do one where I didn't realise that the shoe was squeaking and I was really confused the whole way. I could keep stopping and like checking my belt and stuff until somebody else mentioned to me that it does squeak. So now I know.
00:37:48
Speaker
what it is. It definitely does. I mean, I've been on a trip with on, we were all in cloud surfacer and it was just collective squeaking everywhere we went. So yeah, definitely, definitely does squeak. Nice. Well, hopefully we'll see some more shoes come out with this cloud tech face. Called the shoe for walking around as well, which is classic on. As is the super blast. I have to say, I basically just live in the super blast at the moment.
00:38:10
Speaker
Okay, so from daily shoes onto best cushion shoes, another one that we had a lot of different conflicting entries for. Mike Watt won the top spot for best cushion shoe of 2023.
Best Cushioned Shoe: Saucony Triumph 21
00:38:23
Speaker
Yeah, so the winner we've gone for is the Saucony Triumph 21.
00:38:31
Speaker
I think generally we're all pretty much fans of this shoe. I think in terms of what's often delivered in this shoe, they've changed things in terms of the upper, but in terms of the feel, in terms of the types of runs it's designed for. And I think it has a little bit of versatility where I think some of the cushion shoes that we've seen this year maybe doesn't
00:38:50
Speaker
quite have that same level of versatility, but it's a shoe that I have been using long-term, and it's just, as I say, it's a really enjoyable, comfortable, you've got that kind of power run, kind of float plus foam, you've got that sock climbing I think you kind of really sink into as well, but I think it's got a nice kind of rocker ride in there as well that makes it an enjoyable shoe to run in as well, and one that I think you can soak up a lot of time in, and I think a worthy winner in terms of this category.
00:39:14
Speaker
Well, one of you, I think it was you, Mike, or it might be you, Kieran, you actually put it in as a top spot for best daily shoe, which is interesting because that is sort of what a lot of people view this shoe as now. I think maybe I do. But I think that it does have that versatility, where I maybe didn't feel like that before. I'm not sure if it would maybe Kieran would put it in. But I think I do think that it has a little bit more versatility. I think some of the shoes that we've seen this year probably sit in this category, maybe don't have that same kind of feel about it. But I do. Yeah, I think there is an element to that. But I think it can work like that.
00:39:44
Speaker
Yeah, I'd agree. I'd say that it is. I think it's got more than just being, you know, when I think about it up against something like a Nimbus, which we might talk about in a sec, for that, it's different. I think it does more. I think it offers more than that to me. And I think that's what really appeals, that it's not just
00:40:03
Speaker
You know, it's not just a shoe like the two I did, the 1080 V13 that you're just going to only go and run easy miles in. There's a lot more to it. It can do a lot more, but when you want to go and run in a nice kind of cushioned shoe, then it's got that in its locker. So I think there's definitely versatility there. It's triumph. Yeah, there you go.
00:40:20
Speaker
Well, do they want to let us know what the route of runner-up is? No idea. The A6 helmet was 25, which probably wasn't that surprising based on how we reviewed it earlier in the year. But who wants to pick this one up? Yeah, I mean, I could start. I think it's a massively changed shoe from the previous shoe, one that, again, we talked about versatility. I think you had that with the previous shoe, but I think this has gone kind of a different direction. And I think it's worked for, I think,
00:40:49
Speaker
We probably agree in terms of the type of runs it's designed for. It works very well. It's very plush. I think the changes in terms of the upper all designed around giving you something that's really comfortable. And it's a shoe that, personally, I have enjoyed running in. And if you're going to go long, slow, long, easy runs, I think it's ideal for that. It's just all about comfort here, the Nimbus 25. And I think from that point of view, that's what you're looking for in a shoe. This is a really good one for that.
00:41:13
Speaker
I think, as well, I really like it for long runs. I was a bit underwhelmed on our first run review just because the level of hype was insane for a cushion shoe. I was getting a bit annoyed by that and then I ran a bit more. I thought, oh no, it is a really good cushion shoe. I just really like long runs in this shoe because it's one of those shoes, a bit like the Brooks Glitter in 20, which hasn't been updated this year. It's surprising. Feels just as good at the end of a run. It's not like really, oh, it's really soft for the first few miles, but then gets a bit sappy and starts to sink in. It has a bit of resiliency, the foam in the nimbus. It gives you that bounce all the way through and that comfort.
00:41:42
Speaker
Yeah, really good long run shoe, very hard to argue with apart from, you know, high price. I mean, this is one thing about cushion shoes this year, right? They, you know, we talk about a SuperBlast be expensive. Most of these cushion shoes are now within about 20 quid, $20 of the SuperBlast. And it's a lot of money for a cushion shoe. I tell you what though, cushion shoes do come down in, well, a lot of them come down in price a lot quicker than the SuperBlast does. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, they're obviously, they're also nearly all very long running lines. So, you know, next year, the Adios Bastics won't make a big
00:42:10
Speaker
update to the gel numbers probably so the 25 will suddenly be a big bargain because it'll be very similar to the new one okay so from comfortable cushion shoes to the big one
Best Race Shoe: Nike Vaporfly 3
00:42:27
Speaker
the Best Race Shoe, 2023, which has been an interesting year for race shoes. Nick, what won the top spot for Best Race Shoe of 2023? It has been an interesting year for race shoes. Some brands just opted not to update their shoes at all. And then we've had some insane recent developments with the Pro Evo 1 and the Alpha Fly 3, which aren't really available. So we haven't really included them in voting yet. But I think what's been the big story this year has been new brands that hadn't made a very good carbon racing shoe, making good carbon racing shoes. So a quick shout out to all of those brands.
00:42:55
Speaker
Ahn made a good racing shoe at last, Ahn made a good racing shoe, Hoka. But the winner is the Nike V8 Fly 3. Because we're pretty basic and we've just gone with the V8 Fly. Now, I love the V8 Fly 3. We don't all agree on this, so we'll discuss that in a minute. But I basically think they've made it perfect. And we'll see what the Out Fly 3 is like in the Pareto one. But they reduced the weight, they had a little bit more cushion.
00:43:20
Speaker
reduce the outsole a bit which is a bit of a problem because it's not as durable but pure racing i think it's perfect it's so light you can turn your feet over really quickly i've loved racing very short distances in this shoe like 4.8k distances but you've got that cushioning and bounce there don't imagine that as well and it just feels superb towards the end and
00:43:36
Speaker
Right now, it's perfect for me. I can't wait to race any distance in the shoe, any kind of session. You can cruise around in it, doing hard sessions at cruisey paces. I wouldn't go and do easy runs. I wouldn't do that. And then you can race. So I think it's nailed it. And so I think a few of us voted for this, but then a few of us, other guys here, don't like it as much as older shoes, right? I would say, so I really like it. I think it's a great shoe. The only thing I would say about it is I don't think there's much in it with the Vaporfly 2.
00:44:03
Speaker
So and I'd actually go as far as to say I'm not sure I like the slight bit more cushioning in in the new one Compared to the the Bayfly 2 when I've gone out in the Bayfly 2 since just to check the feel of it I think I do prefer the Bayfly 2 and also I have this major issue that I've ripped the bottom off of my race shoes and This has been the year of scuffy Tom About 7k on a 10k race just destroyed the outsole of the Bayfly 3 which is not what you want to do with a shoe that expensive no
00:44:33
Speaker
I mean I also think I prefer the Vaporfly 2 as well. Simply I just think there's a little bit, there's a bit more stiffness, there's a bit more directness to the Vaporfly 2. To me it's just overall a bit more racy than the new version which that extra bit of cushioning I think just softens it and dulls it a little bit for the way that I run.
00:44:53
Speaker
it's still a great shoe and I understand why a lot more people or a lot of people still love it and actually I think there's a little bit more protection there if you're not running quite as well. The Vopafly 2 you kind of had to be in a certain form I found or running in a certain way you know attacking a race but
00:45:07
Speaker
Yeah, and I think you could do more in the in the three But yeah, I think for for all out racing. I would still go to over the three Well, I think it's interesting as well is I also think by the way like I love they fly through clearly But if you're finally they fly to you for a hundred with less I'm buying the back to you know, not crazy
00:45:25
Speaker
But I think Nike seems to be, you know, had the Vavefly on the Alphafly with the two, the second version of each, very clear differentiation. The Alphafly was a lot heavier, a lot bigger, a lot propulsive, great for marathons. The Vavefly was light, you know, firm, stiff, speedy. It feels like maybe they're merging a little bit, less generation. The Vavefly 3 got a little bit softer, a little bit more cushioned, still very light. The Alphafly 3, what we've seen for prototypes, looks like they've lightened it a bit, streamlined it a bit. Maybe the shoes are coming together a little bit, and I wonder if that'll be,
00:45:51
Speaker
you know, great or not, but it does seem like Nike has moved on from the A-Fly 3 and put all of its elites in the A-Fly 3, you know, this autumn for the big races. So, yeah, there might be more of the focus going forward for the brand, potentially. Okay. Well, speaking of other brands that released or really upped their game when it comes to car and plate shoes, what got the runner-up, Kieran?
00:46:11
Speaker
Yeah, so we've given the runner up to this, and it's nice to see them make a shoe that's actually, I think it's their best race shoe. Yeah, it's Hoka's Rocket X2, best carbon shoe they've produced. And I think they finally have a winner that, you know, get this shoe that's sort of really quite well balanced. It's agile, it's light.
00:46:27
Speaker
There's a little bit of softness to it, but it's still really energetic. I think it's springy and lively, all of those things. And the one thing I really love about it is there's lots of versatility in it. So I think you can, I think it's probably best racing all out up to the half marathon. It might be a little bit too sort of direct for some people going beyond that up to the marathon distance, but it can cope with a range of paces and distances.
00:46:51
Speaker
and it's a carbon shoe that you know it feels even sort of a little bit better equipped for training runs as well so I think it kind of bleeds back into that you know there's some of the carbon races you look at them you think do I really want to go and train in those not not particularly just because they sort of feel the way that they kind of feel on the foot and the way that you're going to run in them you've got to be in some kind of mindset but
00:47:13
Speaker
I also ripped the outsole off of my rubber boots too, just for reference. Seeing a theme here. Yeah, well that's the thing, all the other VapeFly and on, so I've seen a lot of people rip those outsoles. I've never seen someone rip the outs of the Rocket X2 apart from Tom. Yeah, one run, it's all needed, sorted, done.
00:47:29
Speaker
I really like the Rocket X2 as well. I think it's a beautiful shoe for wine, which is quite rare in common shoes in the regulation. But I think it's also a low drop super shoe that feels like a low drop super shoe. Like it does feel much more flat across the thing, if you like that low drop feeling. Whereas some of the ones that have low drop are such aggressive rockers, I think they still feel like
00:47:45
Speaker
normal higher drop shoes. I think it's a really soft shoe and actually that's the only problem I had with it for long distances. When I did longer runs in it, I did feel like the sign just compressed a little bit. I didn't get quite so much bounce at the end. I just feel like it's quite a soft phone they have there. But then
00:48:02
Speaker
You know, everyone has slightly different opinions about shoes, but I think it's quite a stable carbon race shoe as well. I had a twisty race in it, and it's a shoe you can really go at corners in. And it also offered fantastic grip on a really wet track in one session, which again, is not something you necessarily get from racing shoes. Obviously, you don't get it if you rip off the outsole.
00:48:21
Speaker
Okay, so that's all the shoes done.
Brand of the Year: ASICS
00:48:24
Speaker
And then we've got our new award that came out of the world. New last year, which is the brand of the year. So it's the second year if we did it. I mean, it was two out of three years. Is that new or is it an established tradition? It's pretty new, it's pretty new.
00:48:37
Speaker
If we've been in the awards for a while. So the brand of the year is a award we give to a brand that we think has made some big improvements or really made us notice what has been being released over the past year. Last year it was Saucony. What this year Nick did we pick as our brand of the year?
00:48:58
Speaker
I think it's a lot tighter this year. Last year, it felt taller. Sauconier has really had a great year and just made almost the best shoe in every category. And what ASIC has done this year, it's not about carbon shoes. They haven't updated their carbon shoes this year. But I feel like every single shoe I've tried of theirs this year has been good, like really good. And they've put their FF Blast Plus foam in loads of shoes.
00:49:19
Speaker
made some shoes lighter they've just generally improved every shoe in their range to the point where they've got a really top offering in every category like going from the nimbus in the car no massive cushion stability and neutral shoes um it's really comfortable fun to run in you've got the super blast obviously an outrageously fun shoe that people really start to take to they uh going at the magic speed three like budget carbon racing shoe or training point of shoe really fast the fastest i think of the super trainers just really fun shoe to run in and on the trails as well the um fuji speed two
00:49:49
Speaker
I think is my favorite of the plated carbon trail shoes that have come out just because it is genuinely very fast, really dynamic ride and it just feels like every time I've pulled on an Aztec shoe this year it's been quite a similar and consistently impressive feeling like nothing is
00:50:03
Speaker
like wearing down fast, Tom hasn't ripped the outsole of any of the acid shoes. Well let's not forget the gel Keanu 30. That's a big, no I've not ripped the outsole for that one. That's a big yes. You're most impossible. You have to be digging in there with a claw amp to get that out. Well for me that was the big thing for me that the gel Keanu 30 is the first gel Keanu shoe I've really liked.
00:50:26
Speaker
Yeah, and same with Nimbus actually, the first Nimbus I really like. Yeah, it just feels across the board. They've made just a load of excellent shoes that are not only quite fun and exciting to pull on, but actually just fundamentally good shoes that last a long time, feel good on every run, don't wear down, just are practical good shoes. Yeah, I think they've made some bold decisions about making changes to some iconic lines and they could, you know, they ran the risk of
00:50:48
Speaker
ultimately getting it wrong, but I think most of the decisions they've made, they've got right. I think they've also listened in terms of previous iterations of shoes that haven't quite hit the mark and they've learned and they've delivered better versions of those shoes. So yeah, I'd agree that I think they've probably had a good year. And as Nick said, I think across the range, I think that's the most important thing. It's not just been one category of shoe, it's been across different types of shoes as well.
00:51:13
Speaker
And all this, we don't really like the Nova Blast 3 that much. So imagine if we did like that. And yeah, it'd be interesting to see certainly what they do with the Metaspeed line next year, but those are just very good racing shoes as well. So yeah, good shoes available. If you want to go all-asics, it's very easy to build a fantastic rotation.
00:51:28
Speaker
Nice, and our runner-up is a brand that pops up constantly. Everyone seems to have this somewhere in their list of picks. It's Garmin. So what's Garmin done this year that we really liked? Made a load of good watches, move on. The stand out there has to be that they've made 500 editions of the Phoenix 7. Yeah, I would say next year they'd get the brand of the year if they'd just trimmed down the range a bit and made all those
00:52:00
Speaker
Yeah, I mean that it's just there's no bad garments anymore like because they've all got the same underlying excellent features The top end is always amazing. I still yeah I still think they could probably use a better entry-level watch just to compete some stuff out there But I mean we all we like even going up to the epics pro this year They're even making AMOLED watches that last a long time. So yeah, they take it on everything
00:52:21
Speaker
OK, and the final award for the Runetesters Awards, 2023, is the Audience Awards. So this is where we ask the audience across Instagram and YouTube to pick their favorite shoe of the year. Now, we're not specific about the type of shoe. We just ask for their favorite shoe. And there was a lot of people who commented with their shoes. I think it was in the hundreds where people were commenting. And there was a massive range of shoes, some that you would
00:52:48
Speaker
quite assumed it would be in there and some that I'd never heard of. But there was one clear winner by miles across all of the voting, and that was the ASIC Superblast.
00:53:10
Speaker
People seem to love that shoe, despite the price, despite the fact it hasn't got loads of marketing behind it. It was by far and away the most popular shoe that people were voting for. Word of mouth sensation. So our 2003 shoe of the year is a shoe released in 2022 because we can actually get it. Well, I've been there with some shoes in there that were from like three years ago. And then the runner up was an interesting one actually, that was the Boston 12.
00:53:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean this is the only I've tested it. I do think this would be featured quite strongly across our awards if you guys had all tested it as well. I really don't see a reason why anyone you wouldn't like it. It's a brilliant shoe. The BaddiDas, the previous couple of versions of the Boston were not really that well received. They were a massive stack, quite firm, built like a tank and mastered forever and quite good for long runs, but just not really a fun feeling on the run. And the Boston 12 is a fun feeling on the run while still being, you know,
00:54:03
Speaker
a great long run option, good continental rubber outsole, nice dual density midsole, upper I don't like very much, a bit too racy I think for a shoe you're going to use most days rather than for actual races. Yeah, brilliant shoe and I do think you guys get hold of it, it might have snuck into a couple of other categories potentially.
00:54:21
Speaker
Yeah, so I didn't get brand of the year because I voted. I've tested all the shoes. Well, that's it for the awards 2023 for another year. Wow. God. Yeah. Well done to everybody who won and all the runners up as well.
00:54:37
Speaker
Um, and we will be back. Well, we'll be back next year. We're going to book Wembley for next year aren't we? We'll book the Royal Albert Hall to do the uh, to do the ceremony next year, right? Well, if we, I don't know why I'm saying this because I know it'll happen anyway, but if there's anything we missed or you feel that we got some of the uh,
00:54:58
Speaker
the the picks wrong then let us know in the comments we were going to let us know in the comments I think there's a difference of opinion so you know not everyone yet all the votes have been counted and you know it's not easy so until next year see you catch it again it's been a triumph
00:55:28
Speaker
That's it from the Runetesters Awards of 2023. Thanks a lot for listening. Don't forget to give us a follow on the podcast provider of your choice. And if you'd like what you heard, leave us a rating and a review and we would be very happy. Thanks a lot for listening. Catch you next time. This episode of the podcast was presented by Tom Wheatley, Kieran Algar, Nick Harris-Ferrari and Mike Saw. The music was by Fear of Tigers.