It’s that time of year again when the boffins at Runners World Magazine announce their “Shoes Of The Year“. Every November the editors from 14 international editions of RW magazine congregate in NY to decipher their favorite shoes. Here are the results, our opinions and the best prices for the winning shoes.
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nternational Editor’s Choice: Asics Gel Kayano 14
The overall Editor’s Choice award is given to a shoe introduced in the last year that has impressed testers at the RW shoe lab, the editors and wear-testers from our 14 international editions.
The Gel Kayano 14 has a firmly established reputation as one of the best stability shoes on the market, successfully combining the highest quality design and technology. Testers loved the fit and feel of the shoe: changes to the upper from the previous edition made it more comfortable than ever, while a new lighter midsole foam designed to bounce back more quickly helped make it a pleasure to run in.
What we think: You can’t really fault the Asics Kayano 14 but equally it does not excite. Asics stuck to a winning model and made minor tweaks rather than wholesale changes. For that exact reason the same shoes seem to pick up this award year after year; Asics Nimbus, Nike Air Pegasus…
In our opinion the winner should have gone to a shoe that has still retained its best features but innovated to improve performance and attract a wider user base.
The Men’s Asics Kayano 14 S/S 2008 is available from £74.99.
The Womens Asics Kayano 14 S/S 2008 is available from just £64.95
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International Best Update: Adidas Supernova Cushion 7
The best update awards goes to a shoe that features a significant improvement in fit and feel, materials or technology. The Supernova Cushion 7 is the latest in a line of hugely improved shoes from adidas which won praise from testers worldwide: it’s built on a new, wider last to give a better fit that suits more runners. It also has a new heel-cushioning unit that slows the side-to-side movement of the foot just after impact, giving a more stable, smoother ride.
What we think: There are several great running shoes that could have picked up this award; Asics Nimbus 10, Asics Cumulus 10, New Balance 757, Saucony ProGrid Triumph 5, adidas Response Cushion 17 & the Nike Air Pegasus 25. However the adidas Supernova Cushion 7 has improved in all facets so we can not really object to this choice.
The Mens Adidas Supernova Cushion 7 S/S 2008 is fantastic value at just £49.99.
The Women’s Adidas Supernova Cushion 7 S/S 2008 costs £59.98.
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International Green Award: Brooks Bio MoGo
Sustainability is a tough issue to address in shoe manufacturing, but as more of us become aware of our impact in the environment, brands are more aware of the need to make more ‘green’ shoes. This award is given to the company or technology that best addresses the environmental impact of running.
Brooks BioMoGo is a new midsole foam giving the plush cushioning of Brooks’ top-end MoGo technology, but with a difference. BioMoGo breaks down 50 times faster than conventional foam, saving an estimated 29.9 million pounds of landfill waste over a 20-year period. The material was introduced in 2008 in the Trance 8 (which also featured 100% recycled polyester laces) and will be used in more of Brooks top-selling models next year.
What we think: Brooks must have sponsored this category – what kind of award is the “International Green Award”?!! Take nothing away from Brooks we admire what they have developed with the introduction of the Bio MoGo midsole and their ethical recycling policy. However judging by the competition this really was a one horse race. Perhaps it will inspire the other manufacturers to take a similar stance. We would also like to see Brooks incorporate the BioMoGo into more of their shoes.
The Men’s Brooks Trance 8 costs £98.99
The Women’s Brooks Trance 8 also costs £98.99
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Best Looking Shoe Award: Adidas Response Cushion 17
Following one too many comments about less-than-fashionable running shoes, we decided to have a bit of fun with this new category. The award for Best Looking Shoe is slightly different to the other categories in that it was voted for by Runner’s World website users from around the world, from a shortlist nominated by the RW shoe editors.
What we think? Thank god Gock Wan isn’t a runner, otherwise he’d be horrified at our lack of taste! Surely 4,200 people did not vote for this shoe?! There must be someone at adidas now suffering from severe R.S.I! Ok, we know runnning shoes aren’t neccessarily the most stylish pieces of footwear but RW could have offered their readers a better choice. Below is our alternative selection, all of which are better looking (in our opinion). Just remember though, beauty is only skin deep, if they give you blisters you will soon run out of love for them!
The Men’s adidas Response Cushion 17 costs £58.99
The Women’s adidas Response Cushion 17 also costs £58.99
Our suggestions for the best looking running shoes of 2008.
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Good news! All Brooks performance running shoes with MoGo midsoles will feature groundbreaking BioMoGo by the end of 2009.
I purchased a pair of Gel Nimbus about three years ago, and not there is a huge improvement in the fit, cushioning and overall design. However, my old pair were brilliant so you can imagine how happy I am with the Gel Nimbus 10!