Mizuno Wave Sky 5 Multiple Tester Review | 2021

Mizuno Wave Sky 5 Multiple Tester Review

By Matt Klein, David Salas, Nathan Brown, and Bach Pham

In today's footwear world, companies are moving on a "2 Year Cycle" for shoe design. That means the first year they redo the shoe, particularly the sole while the second year is usually just an upper update. The amount of change that will occur after each 2 year cycle depends on a number of factors, including the market, customer feedback and who has a hand in development. This can be a good or bad thing depending on what current market trends on and what the customer preference is for that type of model. The Mizuno Wave Sky 5 has been Mizuno's premium cushioned neutral training for several years and debuts the start of a new cycle. The upper and sole have been completely redone with an ENERZY CORE to go along with the MIZUNO ENERZY midsole. The upper moves away from Waveknit to a woven mesh, sitting far snugger but more secure on the foot. This change is likely to delight fans of softer cushioning, while those looking for a snug fit may have a new shoe to try. 

July Round-Up - Comparing Our Mizuno Wave Rider 25 Experiences after 100 Miles

The blur of summer heat is on. As we hit the hottest part of the year in the US, we round out another busy month at Doctors of Running. Not only did we push through eight new reviews, we also got our podcast back in action and started releasing some of our first guest reviewer posts! Usually summer can be a slower time in the running shoe game with big releases coming throughout late fourth quarter through the first two parts of the year, but with some many updates on top of new releases, we've managed to stay incredibly busy. Seven months into the year, we're already approaching our 75th shoe review - note: we did just over 80 in 2020 - and potentially look at 100. Absolutely crazy.

In the meantime, we have another big round-up for you this month, starting with a brand new discussion feature we're slowly rolling out about our experiences in Mizuno's Wave Rider 25. Let us know on our social media what you think of the format and questions you'd like to see our Doctors discuss!

HOKA ONE ONE Bondi X Review

Hoka One One Bondi X Review
By Senior Contributors Nathan Brown, David Salas, and Contributor Ryan Fluguar

If we look at the landscape of the last five years of running shoes, you will see the infusion of many trends: maximal cushioning, rocker soles, changes in stability mechanisms, crash pads/extended heels, and of course, carbon plates. The HOKA Bondi X is an infusion of many of these popular trends into one package. Our hope is to dive into what we know about these trends, what they actually do or don't do, and critically assess what claims we can take to the bank about the Bondi X. You will find a simple exposition of my testing experience throughout most of the review, and then critical analysis in the "Thoughts as a DPT" section.

Doctors of Running Q&A: Toespring, Super Shoe Decisions + More | EP 50

Welcome to Virtual Roundtable Episode 50 of the Doctors of Running Virtual Roundtable! Wowwww. Thanks so much for tuning in all these episodes. We couldn't have made it this far without you!

In today's video, Matt Klein and Nathan Brown go over some viewer questions that we've had over the past few weeks and talk a bit about the latest news and shoes. We're so grateful for all the support. Hope you enjoy this episode!

adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2.0 Shoe Review

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2.0:
By Chief Editor Matthew Klein and Contributor David Salas

Adidas has a strong history of racing shoes, particularly those for the marathon. The original Adidas Adizero Adios Pro was a significant departure from any racing shoe Adidas had debuted. The use of Lightstrike Pro was in my mind far superior to Boost, keeping weight down while allowing for a large stack height. It had an incredible upper, but I had what I suspect was a preproduction version (yes, I went to StockX to buy them ahead of time JUST to be the first to review them), but the foam did not impress me given the quality of other foams on the market. I never tried a production pair and moved on. Along comes version 2 and I have finally been given the opportunity to try true Lightstrike Pro. The Adios Pro 2 is a significant upgrade from the first version in regards to the sole and is well worth talking about. 

Shoutout to Run Republic on their one year anniversary!

Puma Magnify Nitro Multiple Tester Review

Puma Magnify Nitro Multiple Tester Review

By Chief Editor/Founder Matthew Klein and Contributing Editor David Salas

Puma has been making huge strides in the short time they have seriously returned to the running scene. They have debuted everything you could possible want, including the Deviate Nitro Elite as a carbon fiber plated racer (my current favorite racer), the Deviate Nitro as a carbon plated daily trainer (review soon) the Velocity Nitro as a daily trainer, the Eternity Nitro as a stability shoe and the Liberate as a lightweight trainer/plateless racer. The only thing they were missing was a maximalist trainer. The Puma Magnify Nitro fills this gap, providing a highly cushioned ride with a maximal stack height. Using two different foams, this shoe provides protection with a touch of performance.

Saucony Triumph 19 Multiple Tester Review

Saucony Triumph 19 Review
By Contributor David Salas and Guest Reviewer Andrea Myers

Andrea: The Saucony Triumph 19 is a cushioned, neutral trainer that feels lighter than its stated weight of 9.1 oz (W size 8). The Triumph line is known for its cushioning, and the new 19 is one ounce lighter and has a more breathable mesh upper as compared to the 18. I was excited to receive this shoe for my first guest review here at DOR. My current go-to daily trainer is the New Balance Beacon v3 and I loved early versions of the Kinvara for easy miles and intervals. I was interested to see how the Triumph 19 would compare.

New Balance Fresh Foam More v3 Review

New Balance Fresh Foam More v3 Review
By Chief Editor Matt Klein

The Fresh Foam More series was previously been a conundrum. Despite a maximal amount of stack height, both version one and two were firm and stiff. We did not review either version as we did not have contact with New Balance and the shoes were uncomfortable enough that I could bring myself to get enough miles on them for a review. Fast forward a few years and suddenly a New Balance box shows up at my door with the Fresh Foam More v3. I was initially nervous trying these on but those concerns quickly vanished. The More v3 returns with a very accommodating fit, a highly stable but smooth ride and softer cushioning than previous models. 

Adidas Adizero Adios 6 Review

Adidas Adizero Adios 6 Review
By Matthew Klein - Chief Editor & Founder

The Adidas Adizero Adios is a racing shoe with a long history of elite distance running performance. Worn on the feet of many athletes breaking records, repeatedly for the marathon, it has changed greatly since the original Adiprene versions. Five different Boost versions later, the Adios 6 arrives as a complete overhaul of this series. With further expansion of the Adizero line, the Adios 6 (which should really be the Adios 8) now fits in a different position, although long time fans and newcomers will still have things to love. 

VJ Shoes Ultra Review | Best Grip on the Planet?

VJ Shoes Ultra Review
By Contributor David Salas

A relatively new competitor in the trail game (but well known in the Obstacle Course Racing world), VJ brings in their Ultra Model to swing with the big guns for long distance trail running. The VJ Ultra features high amounts of cushioning, an outsole focusing on maximum traction, and a woven Kevlar upper.

June 2021 Round-Up | Introducing our Guest Review Team!

 

Editor Matt Klein and the true owner of Doctors of Running, Pico

It's been a wild half year at Doctors of Running. We've almost already hit 70 reviews for the year and are well on our way to an all-time high by year's end. With so much going on, we've decided to make some changes to not only help continue our growth, but give our small team some breathing room and help provide the chance to explore some new avenues. The first step was to create our guest review team! Read on to learn more about the big change and of course, get caught up with all the latest at Doctors of Running.

Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Review | Is Castor Bean the Future of Running?

Reebok Floatride Energy Grow Review

By Social Media Manager Bach Pham and Founder/Chief Editor Matthew Klein

Over the past year Reebok has been working looking towards a sustainable future for their brand. They launched two programs to help with this: [REE]GROW which focuses on using natural materials and [REE]CYCLED programs which aims to use recycled and repurposed materials. The Floatride Energy Grow is their second running shoe in the [REE]GROW program category after their debut with the Floatride Grow back in the winter. Taking the Floatride Energy 3.0 platform, the shoe aims to mimic the framework while replacing as much as possible with plant-based materials. In this review, we explore how those elements come together and compare it to its traditionally-made sibling.