Amanda Brooks's Blog, page 5

7 Long Distance Running Shoes That Make Marathon Training Bearable

What shoes do half marathon runners wear? Are there better shoes for a marathon or even a road ultra? Let’s talk about the best long distance running shoes for your foot. From a whole lot of testing by myself and others we’ve got your recommendations.After 33,000 miles of running I have some opinions and luckily for you I’ve also been able to run in a wide variety of running shoe models, brands and styles. Providing me with extra knowledge to help you find the shoe that’s going to feel great wit...

Two Running Shoes No One Saw Coming: ASICS Megablast and Sonicblast

ASICS has been keeping two new shoes very hush hush. Even meeting with them last year at The Running Event where brands are playing up all the new things, nada. Not a word! Then last week on my doorstep were two brand new models for the Blast line up of shoes: Megablast and Sonicblast.Many brands are going to this silo approach of having a family of shoes. Great in some ways and very confusing in others, so here is a quick breakdown of the line:

In fact, here’s what we’ve already reviewed from t...

Tracksmith Eliot Range Review: A Strong Trail Return That Needs Fine-Tuning

We put the new Tracksmith Elite Range trail shoe to the test in the Colorado mountains to give you a complete review.This isn’t Tracksmith’s first foray into trail running, but they would say it’s their best foot forward. The team put in some long hours really exploring what they wanted from a shoe in terms of materials and performance.

After hearing from a variety of athletes that they’re spending more time on the trails to play, Tracksmith wanted to come back with a technical collection that w...

ASICS Gel-Kayano 32 Review | Finally An 8MM Drop Best Stability Shoe

The Asics Gel-Kayano 32 continues Asics’ philosophy of kaizen (continuous improvement) by upgrading the shoe while maintaining the trusted stability the Kayano is so well-known for.

At 32 iterations, the Asics Gel-Kayano is one of the longest running shoe models out there. And for good reason! It is an incredibly reliable, comfortable shoe that keeps going and going.

This new version has kept all the key elements that people love about past models, with a few notable updates that make this a sta...

La Sportiva Prodigio Max Review | Built for Ultras, Not PRs

Our review of the La Sportiva Prodigo Max, a companion to our top trail shoe of the year.

Between ankle rolls, instability, weight, and lack of trail feel, I’ve always been skeptical of maximal stack height trail shoes. The La Sportiva Prodigio Max may be the shoe to change my mind.

In short, the Prodigio Max is a version of La Sportiva’s Prodigo Pro trail supershoe designed for long-distance comfort. That was actually our stand out trail shoe of the year, so it’s got big shoes to fill!!

Sportiv...

Adidas Evo SL Review | What’s All the Hype About? Can It Do It All?

Who doesn’t love a running shoe that can cover a variety of needs? The Adidas EVO SL has quickly earned a reputation as a versatile trainer to race shoe, so we needed to put this to the test ourselves.The price point of this shoe is actually a bit mind blowing to me as we continue to see prices climb for similar shoes. The overall value of the feel and versatility is absolutely part of why this shoe has gained so much attention.

Beyond that, many of our heavier testers and back of the pack runne...

Scarpa Ribelle Run 2 Review | The Trail Shoe That Grips Everything Except Your Arch

Real world testing of the Scarpa Ribelle Run 2 for a review that doesn’t hold back on the good, the bad and the not for everyone.

The Scarpa Ribelle Run 2 had me excited the moment I saw their bright and aggressive design, but my first big test didn’t go quite as planned. I took them out on a 20-mile traverse run in Montana, and while the grip was phenomenal, arch pain forced me to swap shoes by mile 4.

A gutsy call to test something new on a long day, but the backup saved me. That said, the sec...

Avelo Running Shoes: Like Having a Gait Analysis Lab in Your Footwear

What is a smart running shoe? Our review of the new Avelo Running Shoes.How smart can a running shoe really be? Royi Metser, the mind behind Avelo Running, wanted to find out. When the brand launched on Kickstarter this past June, the first batch sold out in under 24 hours. Clearly, runners were curious.

Running technology has come a long way. Foot pods hit the market in the early 2000s to track your runs, both indoors and out. Over time, they’ve evolved to deliver advanced data to help runners ...

Horizon 7.4AT Treadmill Review | Great Value When on Sale, Zero Streaming Fluff

Our review of the Horizon 7.4AT treadmill after putting it through workouts.  Tired of feeling like you need a subscription for every piece of equipment? Us too, so let’s par it back!

 Not every home gym is a super fancy space, which means we’ve got real world testing from where your treadmill is likely to live too!

One of the first things we noticed about this treadmill is how QUIET it is. What a treat after testing some machines where the motor feels like it might just take off. We’ve heard so...

7 Best Lightweight Running Shoes | Amp Up Your Speed

Among the multitude of running shoe options, lightweight running shoes stand as a testament to innovation, engineering, and design. They are the choice of athletes who crave speed, but maybe aren’t entirely focused on just a race day shoe. These are going to be great from your tempo runs, to your fast workouts and in to race day when needed.

A couple of extra ounces may not seem like much at the start, but add a few miles and it starts to make all the difference. That’s why lightweight running ...