Paul Freary

By Paul Freary  The Brooks Beast has always been the brand’s most supportive model. In fact, the Beast is probably the most supportive running shoe on the market in 2024. Back when the Beast was first launched, technology was not what it is today. Cushioning was EVA-based materials and even compression moulded midsole units were […]

By Paul Freary  The Brooks Hyperion Max 2 sees improvements in the foam and stack height as well as the upper fit to make this updated model a more cushioned and more responsive ride that’s aimed at faster-paced daily running as well as racing.Brooks has been criticised in the past for the performance of their […]

By Paul Freary   From their inception, Altra wanted to provide shoes that offered a balanced, zero-drop feel yet at the same time provide good levels of cushioning.The Olympus 6 is Altra’s plushest trail running shoe and features a high stack of cushioning and a zero-drop ride to promote a more naturally balanced feel.If you click, […]

By Paul Freary  As with any major event these days, as soon as the winner has crossed the finish line people ask, ‘What shoes are they wearing?’With elite athletes often wearing never-before-seen models the interest is much greater, as was the case at last year’s UTMB event.Jim Walmsley of the USA won the race in […]

By Paul Freary   Launched in 2023, the original Brooks Ghost Max was simply a higher-stacked version of the Ghost 15. That version featured the brand’s DNA Loft v2 foam, a compression-moulded EVA-based material.Fast forward to 2024 and we find that both the Ghost 16 and this, the Ghost Max 2, now use DNA Loft v3 […]

By Paul Freary  The Puma Deviate Nitro 3 is quite an unusual beast!It’s an everyday training shoe that features a carbon-infused plate. A shoe that features a premium, nitrogen-injected midsole at a more modest price point. And a model that adds some propulsion and a snappy feel to everyday running.If you click, or buy from, […]

By Paul Freary  The Glycerin has always been Brooks’ most cushioned daily trainer. The 21st edition is no different and still tops the range when it comes to cushioning. This updated model increases the stack height from the previous model by 2mm along the length of the shoe for an improved level of relatively soft, […]

By Paul Freary  Updated with a full-length layer of the brand’s FF Turbo Plus foam as used in the Metaspeed range of shoes, the ASICS Superblast 2 Paris is a training shoe with an incredibly responsive feel.It’s a high-stack, max-cushioned shoe, yet despite its bulk, it remains light for a shoe with this level of […]

By Paul Freary  For many years the Saucony Hurricane was the brand’s top-of-the-range support category daily training shoe. Saucony took a few years off recently with the shoe after the 23rd version and returns now with this reimagined model which brings the line bang up to date with an interesting rethink on support.With the re-introduction […]