The Big Something-for-Everyone All-Purpose Hot Spring Shoe Guide

Springtime is the time to get running. With the winter (mostly) in our rearview, the excuses exit like the snow and with clearer conditions and a slew of great at-home and abroad in-person events and races, there’s no time like the present to get running. And you know what makes running really great? A brand new pair of super slick shoes. Herewith, our guide to some of the recently released or else newest shoes coming out in Canada soon, please enjoy, and don’t forget to tie up your laces.

ADIDAS: A snub-nosed super shoe that moves away from the traditional paper-thin adidas stack to recreate the trend towards extensive foaming, the Takumi 8 is a stunning update of some legendary wheels—a carbon-plated beauty built for shorter distances. Already in market, this US$180 beauty will be all over the Boston Marathon on Monday. 

ASICS: The GEL-CUMULUS 24 (pictured up top, and stunning) has a 8mm drop and weighs almost an ounce less than its previous iteration. Coming this June, the GEL-CUMULUS is a perfect training shoe with a smooth underfoot feel and a light outside rubber that helps ensure durability and, yes, the shoe’s overall endurance. Fast, durable, and instantly comfortable and snug, the CUMULUS is just one of the new drops from ASICS (check out our review of the new GEL-NIMBUS), and the two new lines combined work hard to keep ASICS ahead of the pack as the weather, like the race calendar, gets hot.

DECATHLON: For the roads or the trail from the buzzy French company that’s opening shops all over the country, the XT7 is a comfortable, sturdy, under-$100 trail shoe that has a 5mm lugs for traction, their exclusive, bouncy Kalensole Eva foam, and a subtle styling that makes it OK for a hot summer post-run night. The most inexpensive shoe on our list for spring and summer, the XT7 from Decathlon is the perfect gateway shoe for exploring trails and this outdoors-wear company, all of their products—shoes, clothes, hydration packs—are top-notch, fairly priced, and, like the XT7 trail shoe, reliable.

HOKA ONE ONE: One of the entire sneaker world’s buzziest brands updates their carbon offering with the Carbon X 3—which is propulsive and energized. Akin to strapping into a rocket, but one that feels secure, the Carbon X 3, with a newly configured upper and premium performance knit, is an endurance marathon racing shoe that feels light and responsive, almost like a jetpack for your foot. Runners are loving the carbon-plated line from Hoka, this new iteration will take them over the top.  

MIZUNO: Weighing under 8 ounces and packing a glass fibre plate, the Wave Rebellion is a super-fast marathon racing shoe that has a mesh upper and a “gusset tongue,” which clings the shoe to the foot. Super comfortable (and super fast), the Wave Rebellion has tons of cushioning and responsiveness—a quick toe-off—and will be a treat for anyone familiar with the popular Wave Rider series. The outsole is durable and light and the styling is fresh and clean—it’s a new Mizuno for a new season.

NEW BALANCE: The line described by the brand as “the best running shoe New Balance makes,” the 1080v12 is a performance shoe for everyone: featuring top of the line design, foam, comfort, and style (which is something New Balance has, season after season, improved upon). With a knit upper and the brand’s signature, propulsive Fresh Foam X cushioning, the shoe is breathable, light, and fast—plus, meeting the brand’s Green Leaf standard, it’s also the most sustainable New Balance 1080 of all-time. 

NIKE: In two months, Nike will release their 39th iteration of the Pegasus, and then be dropping new versions of the Next% and Alpha Fly. From the company that revolutionized shoes with their carbon-plate, a function that you now find on the elite line of every brand’s shoes, the challenge now is remaining ahead of the competition. Meanwhile, next in the pipeline from the Portland-based dream-child of Phil Knight, is the Infinity Run Flyknit 3, out in May. The shoe is soft and stable, breathable and beautiful (which really is the Nike way—still the best looking sneaker in town). Let the Flyknit 3 hold off the Nikeheads until the new drops arrive this June.

ON: What the company calls their “weirdest creation yet,” the Cloud Monster takes what every brand is doing with cushioning and then supersizes it: bouncy, unique and definitely maximalist, the Cloud Monster takes the cushioning trend and—like feeding a Gremlin after midnight—creates something wild, exciting, and entirely brand new. (Not many sneakers do that). Comfortable, springy, and inordinately plush, the Cloud Monster is guaranteed to produce comments, and results, at your next race.  

SAUCONY: Hot on the heels of the Ride 15, Saucony is dropping their Endorphin Pro 3 in June, a faster update on their carbon-plated shoe and an update on the kicks that Trevor Hofbauer wore in the Olympics (Pro 2, pictured). With the Ride 15, the deck was set by Saucony for runners to get started. The Endorphin Pro 3—snug heel, updated mesh, ridiculous propulsion—is for runners wanting something more for their next race. Coming this June, the fastest model of the blazing fast new Saucony line (which Hofbauer will be debuting this Monday in Boston!)