By Paul Freary Initially launched in 2021, the ASICS Metaspeed concept was one which saw the brand launch two carbon-plated race-specific shoes simultaneously. The Metaspeed Sky and Metaspeed Edge shared components but aimed to cater for two specific runners; those that increased their stride length to increase speed and those that increased their cadence to increase […]
Paul Freary
Paul has a lifetime of running experience. As an athlete, he competed at the international level and has some pretty impressive PR’s including; Mile 3:56, 5000m - 13min55sec, Half Marathon - 64min 55sec and, although he says ‘It’s not that good’ a pretty impressive Marathon best of 2hr 35min from Chicago in 2002.
Paul was the British Half Marathon Champion as we as World Masters Champion at the same distance.
He says one of his best runs was at the Berlin Marathon last year, where he finished in 2hr 39min at the age of 54 and hopes to go a little quicker this year.
Paul has worked in the running industry for over 30 years, both with brands including Puma, Fila, Adidas and Nike as well as owning his own running specialty store.
He lives in Lancashire in the UK and writes for several leading publications including Athletics Weekly.
Paul Freary | LinkedIn | Strava | Instagram | Athletics Weekly
New Balance Fresh Foam X 880v14 Review – Neutral Everyday Training Shoe
By Paul Freary Another very popular model from New Balance, the 880 series shoe has become their best value, mid-level, neutral everyday running shoe. This 14th-generation model of the 880 sees improvements to the cushioning and a refreshed upper.Sitting at a very competitive price point in the market, the 880 has become well-established among the […]
Cushioning – How Does it Stack Up?
By Paul Freary In recent years we’ve seen the amount of cushioning or stack height of running shoes increase more and more. It began increasing at such a rate that World Athletics, the sport’s global governing body introduced a limit on the amount of cushioning in a shoe, or at least in competition shoes for elites.HOKA […]
What are Support Shoes? Do I Need them and Do they Work?
By Paul Freary The running shoe market is growing constantly with both new and established brands introducing new models on what seems like a weekly basis. The choice and variety of shoes on offer are enormous and can be confusing, even bewildering at times.Reading descriptions of new models from brands themselves can often add to […]
Altra VIA Olympus 2 Review – More than Just Another Zero Drop Shoe
By Paul Freary The second version of the VIA Olympus from Altra takes the cushioning to a new level while retaining the familiar foot shape last and zero-drop, balanced ride for a classic Altra fit and feel. But what makes this zero drop shoe special? Find out in my Altra VIA Olympus 2 review.If you […]
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite V4 Review – Cushioned Road Racing Shoe
By Paul Freary The fourth generation of the brand’s carbon-plated road racing shoe, the FuelCell SuperComp Elite V4 aims to be the most advanced and fastest yet.Like with any new release from any brand, New Balance tells us this is the culmination of many years of development and while that sounds a little like some […]
Saucony Guide 17 Review – Stable, Cushioned Daily Trainer
By Paul Freary The 17th iteration of Saucony’s most popular support category running shoe, the latest model provides a familiar level of support and control but without the traditional medial posting.Now a new ergonomic design eliminates the need for a firmer posting material for a smoother and softer overall ride that still manages to remain […]
HOKA Cielo X1 Review
By Paul Freary This is HOKA’s new pinnacle racing shoe and the model offering the highest level of ‘energy return’ from the brand. The Cielo X1 features a new high-stack midsole geometry and carbon plate to give an incredibly propulsive ride.Simply the appearance of the shoe looks something different and special from HOKA and once […]
Altra Paradigm 7 Review – Zero Drop Cushioned Running Shoe
By Paul Freary The Paradigm 7 from Altra is quite a unique shoe in that it’s the only zero-drop, moderate support category shoe available. In the case of many of the brand’s shoes, zero-drop doesn’t mean zero cushioning, so here, the seventh-generation model provides a high stack of cushioning with Altra’s ‘balanced ride’ (zero-drop) alongside […]
ASICS Superblast Review – Lightweight Everyday Running Shoe
By Paul Freary Part of ASICS’ line of ‘Blast’ shoes, the Superblast is the highest stack of these models designed for faster-paced running. With a high stack of cushioning and midsole foams taken from the Metaspeed range, the shoe is perfect for faster-paced training runs, tempo and interval sessions and simply those looking for a […]
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