A long-standing belief surrounding super shoes is that they鈥檙e only 鈥済ood鈥� for one race. As the miles accumulate, it鈥檚 true that the foam compresses and loses its spring, reducing the shoe鈥檚 effectiveness. But does this happen in 26.2 miles (plus a few break-in runs), or is this widespread notion a myth?

At the 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab at CU Denver, we geek out over stress-testing these commonly held myths. So when Gear & Affiliate Director Kristen Geil volunteered as a guinea pig before the 2025 Berlin Marathon, 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Test Editor Adam Trenkamp saw a golden opportunity to test a super shoe鈥檚 real-world performance, then compare that data with its lab performance using the Heeluxe Time Machine.

This side-by-side experiment not only shed light on the one-marathon myth but also validated our internal testing methods and bridged the gap with our real-world testing. By analyzing foam breakdown and outsole wear in shoes tested under different conditions, we could see how accurately the Time Machine predicts wear and also which external factors鈥攍ike road friction or water exposure鈥攁ccelerate it.

Here鈥檚 how we conducted our 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Marathon: Human vs. Machine.

Creating Our Own Gear Lab Marathon

The star of our 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Marathon was the Heeluxe Time Machine, which replicates the impact of human running. It uses flexible feet and ankles, shocks, and springs to simulate the stride of a 180-pound person cruising at an eight-minute mile pace. Based on previous studies by Heeluxe, we know how many 鈥渟teps鈥� per shoe equate to a mile. Using these numbers, Adam calculated exactly how many steps the machine needed to 鈥渞un鈥� to match Kristen鈥檚 race and pre-race break-in mileage.

Before the race, Adam measured a fresh, unworn pair of Kristen鈥檚 race shoes: the Adidas Adios Pro 4, a lightweight carbon-plated shoe designed to optimize running efficiency. He recorded a 5.1 mm heel-to-forefoot drop, compared to the 6 mm advertised by Adidas, as well as a slightly shorter heel stack (36 mm measured vs Adidas-claimed 39 mm). Those slight differences鈥攚ell within measuring tolerances and potential differences in sample sizes鈥攕imply established the lab鈥檚 baseline for post-race comparison.

Berlin Marathon vs. 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Marathon

While Kristen was logging her 26.2 miles through Berlin, Adam ran the same distance (plus her 6.3-mile break-in) on the Time Machine鈥攁 total of 32.5 simulated miles. After the race, Kristen shipped her well-used shoes back to the lab, apologizing for their marathon-grade odor. Unfortunately for her, that didn鈥檛 stop Adam from roasting her about it on air.

Once the shoes arrived, Adam compared them with their lab-tested counterparts across several key metrics.

• Foam Compression: Both pairs showed nearly identical breakdown鈥攁bout 1 mm in the heel and 0.5 to 1 mm in the forefoot鈥攃onfirming the Time Machine鈥檚 precision in replicating real-world foam compression and the consistent foam wear despite the differences in weight and pace.
• Outsole Wear (Tread): The full rubber outsoles on all shoes held up remarkably well. Kristen鈥檚 pair looked a bit rougher from outdoor variables like asphalt and debris, but the tread depth and wear patterns matched closely, and neither showed significant deterioration.
• Durability and Design: With only 1 mm of foam loss, Adam believes both pairs could easily handle another marathon. We suspect the Adios Pro 4鈥檚 aggressive toe rocker helps promote uniform wear by allowing the foot to roll off quickly, reducing forefoot compression, even though that is where greater loads occur.

For an even deeper analysis, a compression-rebound test would measure how the foam performed before and after the race in cushioning feel and 鈥渆nergy return.鈥� But based on our results, it鈥檚 safe to say these shoes have at least one more big effort in them.

So go ahead, race in those super shoes twice if they still feel right. Just maybe skip mailing them to Adam afterward. He鈥檚 had his fill of stinky marathon shoes.

The post Our 国产吃瓜黑料 Lab Marathon Matched Human Against Machine to Test Super Shoes. Here’s What We Found Out. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As a ten-year gear tester with six marathons under my belt, I’ve developed a finely tuned radar for what I will and will not need before any given long run. Distances over ten miles merit gels and my favorite hydration vest; weather in the 50s means shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt, even if I’m shivering through the first mile.听I know what percent charge I need on my sports watch and earbuds to ensure they won’t run out on a 20-miler.

But on race day, all that hard-earned wisdom goes out the window. No matter the forecast, I’m packing three different outfits for weather patterns ranging from polar vortex to Saharan Desert. Two pairs of headphones get tossed into my carry-on, along with three extra chargers and a back-up watch. The poncho that’s been languishing in my glove compartment since that one outdoor concert? Sure, why not! My therapist would say that overpacking is a symptom of my anxiety about all the race day variables I can’t control鈥攁nd she’d be right.

Unfortunately, my neuroses can rack up unnecessary expense. For all they say about running being a (relatively) cheap sport, once you start training for half and full marathons, the essential gear list gets exponentially longer鈥攁nd more expensive. I’m not here to argue that; I ran the 2024听New York City Marathon in a fresh pair of $250 like thousands of others鈥攚ith no regrets. But when I crossed the finish line and took stock of what I actually used from my overstuffed kit, many of my MVPs were all surprisingly low-budget. If you’re running the New York marathon this weekend, these are the under-$30 essentials that elevated my race day from bearable to the best yet.

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When Puma revealed five radical prototypes at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, the running shoe world laughed. With their jagged midsoles and sky-high stacks, the prototypes looked more like science projects gone wrong than functional footwear. But behind the spectacle was a deliberate strategy built on a simple idea: innovation flourishes when out-of-the-box thinking is applied to constraints.

Almost a decade earlier, Nike鈥檚 carbon-plated Vaporfly sparked a revolution that redefined what running shoes could do. Nike athletes wearing the Vaporfly dominated races around the world. In an effort to put guardrails on what athletes could wear during competition, to contain the chaos, capping stack heights, restricting plates, and forcing innovation to evolve within strict rules.

With the rules established and boundaries clear, it was up to designers and engineers to innovate within those limits. No company has embraced that challenge quite like Puma. While Nike, Asics, and Adidas dominate the spotlight, Puma鈥檚 recent innovations reveal that they are very much on the cutting edge of, if not leading, shoe design.

Boldly Blowing Past Boundaries

Consider the launch of Puma鈥檚 Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 in early 2024, the second iteration of their flagship raceday shoe. Puma pioneered the use of , a new midsole foam that had never been applied in this context. At the time, PEBA was the gold standard for super shoe foams, but A-TPU surpassed it in both energy return and resilience. It didn鈥檛 take long for other shoe brands to follow suit. Today, A-TPU is on a trajectory to become the new de facto super foam, already appearing in models from , , and .

Then, around the 2025 Boston Marathon, Puma unveiled the Fast-R NITRO Elite 3, along with Puma-funded lab tests that showed up to a 3.6 % improvement in running economy compared with leading super shoes like the Nike Alphafly 3 and Adidas Adios Pro Evo. Since then, Puma has tested the shoe with over 100 athletes across a range of abilities, and reported that every participant showed improved running economy over competitor models. While I haven鈥檛 done lab measurements on running economy, I have done a . Running a set loop with a similar effort in each shoe, I found that the Puma delivered one of the fastest reps.

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鈥淲hy are you lacing up your running shoes? You鈥檙e supposed to be relaxing,鈥� they ask, a bewildered look on their face, pi帽a colada in hand. Well, I鈥檓 going to have my pi帽a colada later, thank you very much. First, I need to let my Strava followers know that I鈥檓 still putting in the work.

A vacation is obviously a great way to kick back and take a load off, but for those of us who run, it can also be a great excuse to go for a run (or five) in a new, exotic place, even though it may leave our fellow travelers scratching their heads.

Last month, I went to France for the first time. The trip began with a few days exploring Paris, followed by a few days in Chamonix to cover UTMB and enjoy the scenery. Just this past weekend, I drove five hours from LA to the Eastern Sierra to race the 50k during Mammoth Trailfest. Both trips were heavily focused on running, yet they were also very different. One involved flying across the world, pesky checked bag weight limits, and gear that could pull double (or triple) duty, while the other offered me all the space an SUV has to offer, though I did have to pack everything I needed for a race鈥攔esulting in me bringing considerably more than what I packed for France.

You may think that if you鈥檙e traveling and want to run, you can just throw a pair of running shoes in your bag and call it a day. But there鈥檚 more to an expert-level packing job than that, and I鈥檓 here to offer a few packing considerations and gear recs for the next time you find yourself running on vacation.

How Much Space Will You Actually Have?

The first thing you should figure out is exactly how much gear you鈥檒l have space for on your trip. If you鈥檙e driving, my vote is to load up the car with everything you can think of. For my trip up to Mammoth last week that鈥檚 pretty much exactly what I did. I filled my with clothes, gear, and even a few extra pairs of running shoes so I could make a gametime decision about which pair I鈥檇 wear for the race. Then I filled a duffel with all the extra food I wanted for my few days away, I packed a cooler for the front seat, and loaded a tote bag with all my work stuff and some extra bits. I even packed an extra watch and two heart rate monitor chest straps, just because I could.

For Paris and Chamonix, on the other hand, I had to make compromises. I had airline weight limits to think about, and I knew I didn鈥檛 want to try to lug more than two suitcases up and down city streets. Packing for nine days away, unsure if I鈥檇 be able to do an actual load of laundry or not, and knowing I鈥檇 probably be coming home with more stuff than I left with, forced me to be picky when I was packing for the trip. This is where I had to get creative, which leads me to my next tip.

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Between running multiple marathons, earning my running coach certification, and testing running shoes professionally for a decade, I鈥檝e cultivated a reputation as a Runner with a capital R. And, as a proper-noun Runner, I find myself having a similar conversation over and over again.

Friend: 鈥淚 think I want to try to get into running鈥攚hat kind of shoes should I get?鈥�  
Me: 鈥淲ell, it depends鈥︹�� (Goes into highly specific questions and recommendations, hemming and hawing over heel-toe drop and overpronation while my friend鈥檚 eyes slowly glaze over.)

The irritating truth is that there鈥檚 no shoe that鈥檚 absolutely perfect for every single runner. We all have different anatomy and different gaits, and the concrete surfaces I run on in Chicago are vastly different from the comparatively low-impact trails of Colorado. All of these factors (and more) will ultimately impact what running shoe is best for you.

While I鈥檝e been training for the Berlin Marathon this fall, however, I鈥檝e come as close as I鈥檝e ever come to discovering the Holy Grail of running shoes. The is a running shoe that works for most people, on most runs, most of the time, and one that I鈥檝e personally used for over a dozen runs in my ten-week training cycle.

The post I Just Ran My Sixth Marathon, and This Shoe Has Become My Go-to for Any Kind of Run appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Since entering the running apparel scene in 2014, Tracksmith鈥檚 aesthetic has exuded clean-cut, preppy, East-Coast vibes. Think fast track runners who put on cardigans once they鈥檙e showered at their private New England school. Yet now Tracksmith is charging into a new, dirtier, grungier realm: Trail running.

The brand has made individual pieces of trail running apparel in the past, but as of this week it’s going all-in with the . Anchored by a new trail running shoe, the line includes a long- and short-sleeve tee, shorts for men and half tights for women, a jacket, hydration vest, and a hat (the only item in the collection under $100).

Since I鈥檓 a dirty, grungy trail runner (and proud of it), I happily stepped into just about every item from the new kit, head-to-toe, for a 7-mile mountain run in the Indian Peaks above Boulder, Colorado.

Here鈥檚 how each item fared as the run unfolded.

The post I Mountain-Tested Tracksmith鈥檚 New Trail Running Shoe and Apparel. Here鈥檚 How It Fared. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The best sports bras are the ones you forget about while you鈥檙e riding, running, skiing, or doing yoga. They support you without suffocating, provide coverage without constriction, and allow you to focus on the activity at hand without being irritated by seams, scratchy material, or a poor fit.

And fit is tricky, because every woman is built differently and has her own preferences about how a good sports bra should feel. For that reason, we had a team of 11 testers of various sizes, who live in diverse climates and participate in a range of activities, test over 50 of the season鈥檚 best sports bras to find the models that rose to the top.

Updated September 2025: We added a 鈥淏est for Winter Activities鈥� category and named six 鈥淩unners Up鈥� in existing categories.

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Running terrain of the rocky-rooty-rutty variety is fun and rewarding, but no easy task. Add stream crossings, scree fields, and occasional snow patches, and it鈥檚 no surprise wild trails demand focus and athleticism at any pace, even the most leisurely. If you up the stakes by racing, then every foot strike carries even more weight.

That heightened challenge is why your shoes matter. The new HOKA Mafate 5 delivers go-long performance with reliable support over countless miles of rough ground. HOKA updated this ultrarunning fan favorite with enhanced durability, protection, and comfort for all terrain. As the first model HOKA introduced to the world in 2010, the Mafate is now better than ever, ready for demanding off-road runs and rugged ultra races.

The Shoe That Launched the Brand

Fifteen years ago, HOKA disrupted the running shoe industry with its first-ever model: the original Mafate. At a time when minimalist zero-drop shoes were all the rage, the thick midsole of the Mafate was a maximalist rebuke, upending the trail running world with its rockered shape and bucket seat鈥搇ike foot positioning. Born in the mountains, the Mafate was designed to inspire a feeling of flying, not unlike the softer glide and float of a powder ski through deep snow.

A decade and a half later, it鈥檚 hard to tread a busy trail without seeing a handful of HOKAs. Trail runners, in particular, lean into the comfort of the brand鈥檚 amped-up cushioning and stability features. Combine the midsole benefits with a secure upper, serious traction, the foot-cradling feel of HOKA鈥檚 Active Foot Frame, and the smooth-rolling MetaRocker shape, and it鈥檚 easy to understand the off-road appeal.

Today, the shoe that started it all is in its fifth iteration. After years of product development, the does everything its predecessor did, but better. It鈥檚 more durable in the midsole and upper, with a styling that pays homage to the 106-mile (UTMB) course spanning the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. And the Mafate 5 is the first HOKA trail runner that has gaiter-compatible features. It鈥檚 ready to fly through unexpected turbulence.

Improved Durability, Support, and Traction

The Mafate 5 has been updated for long-term durability. While the Mafate has always been designed with a MetaRocker shape to encourage forward momentum, it now features all-new Rocker Integrity Technology. That translates to a curved, pliable plate made from lightweight TPU that helps the shoe hold its shape for longer while enhancing an efficient stride.

The upper has also been updated for 360-degree foot protection and durability with a molded TPU structure that encases a stretchy jacquard knit. That lightweight armor provides extra support for more precise foot placement. And if you鈥檙e heading into tricky terrain, you can quickly and securely attach a gaiter to help keep trail gunk out of your shoes (and from irritating your feet).

Credit surefootedness to a Vibram Megagrip庐 outsole that increases ground contact on everything from wet slabs to sandy trails. New to the Mafate 5, the dual-density midsole has been flip-flopped: The softer bottom layer supports a firmer upper layer, providing ample cushioning that morphs over rocks and roots while absorbing and rebounding the impact of every step.

Who Is It For?

Runners who are ready for their off-road best. Built for ultrarunners who demand durability, protection, and comfort on the most challenging terrain, the new Mafate 5 delivers unwavering trail performance and steadfast support from start to finish.

HOKA is one of the fastest-growing performance footwear and apparel brands in history. Conceived in the mountains, HOKA footwear delivers an unprecedented combination of enhanced cushioning and support for a uniquely smooth ride. Every day, HOKA pushes the innovation and design of its footwear and apparel by teaming up with a deep roster of world champions, taste makers and everyday athletes. From finish lines to everyday life, HOKA fans love the brand for its bold and unexpected approach, and its belief in the power of humanity to create change for a better world. HOKA empowers a world of athletes to fly over the earth. For more information, visit or follow @HOKA. #FlyHumanFly听听

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I recently took an informal inventory of my gear to try and figure out what piece I鈥檝e used the most over the past three months. A favorite pair of and a were near the top, but as I finished the tally, it became clear that individually sealed wipe packets, like those from and , led the way by a longshot. I’ve used them countless times in every scenario imaginable, and trust me, I’ve never regretted carrying one with me while playing outside.

One standout moment was during an epic backpacking trip with my kids in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness; my wife and I relied on wipes to keep their faces (somewhat) clean during three days in the dirt. Another was the weekend I spent camping out of a car at Overland Expo West, where a morning face wipe-down was equally as important as my daily coffee鈥攁nd much easier and more effective than washing in the sink of a public restroom.

But the majority of my wet wipe uses, and the biggest reason I now find them indispensable, have come while running. At the ripe old age of 44, I鈥檝e decided to go all in on distance running鈥攁nd I鈥檝e quickly found out that the more miles I run, the more often I have to poop.

I鈥檝e visited the Porta-Potty that sits in the middle of my run loop so many times I almost take ownership. When a wind storm knocked it over for a week, it completely changed how I organized my day because I had to find another route and an accessible bathroom.

As runners know, a dirty bum, especially combined with sweat, is an easy way to increase your chances for butt chafing. And yet, toilet paper sometimes falls short in its cleaning duties. Through lots of testing (haha), I鈥檝e found that the added moisture in the wipe does a much better job cleaning so there鈥檚 as little chance as possible for chafing鈥攚hich is why I now carry a wipe on every run, no matter the distance or location.

Moisture and butts is a topic that America is actually converging around in a big way at the moment. After decades of wipes being just for babies, tons of companies now offer adult wipes for butt health. One of them, , echoes my recent revelation on its website, 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 wash your face with a dry washcloth, why would you clean your butt with dry toilet paper?鈥�

One problem I鈥檝e had to overcome, however, is how to dispose of the used wipes. Companies claim that their wipes are 鈥渇lushable,鈥� and it鈥檚 technically true that the wipes will go down your toilet. But once they reach the city鈥檚 sewer system, the wipes don鈥檛 break down fast enough, so they cause backups and shutdowns (). Non-plant-based wipes not only cause blockages but also leak micro-plastics into the water system. Wipes, whether plant-based or not, stand almost where I live, so they鈥檒l be a hazard if left in the wild.

The good news is that there鈥檚 a fairly simple fix. At home it鈥檚 been as simple as using the wipe and then throwing it in a special plastic-bag lined trashcan. The trashcan never smells, thanks to a lid, and when the bag is full I tie it up and throw it in the outside trash, where it will eventually be taken to a landfill and have time to biodegrade. This process feels a little gross at first, but after the 100th wipe, I鈥攁nd my family鈥攃ame to treat it as normal.

国产吃瓜黑料 of the house, things get a little messier, but with a little practice, the process is totally manageable. Any time I have to use a wipe in the backcountry or when visiting the Porta-Potty, I put the soiled product in a sandwiched-sized plastic bag and either throw it away at the trailhead or at home. It can be weird to hike or run with a poopy wipe bouncing around in your pack or shorts, but there are usually bigger things to worry about (e.g., don鈥檛 trip, where鈥檚 the trail, look at that stunning sunset), so it鈥檚 easy to forget the baggage.

In terms of brands, I鈥檓 pretty agnostic, but have gravitated toward companies like the ones from that are made from plant-based ingredients so that I鈥檓 not using petroleum products and putting more plastics into a landfill. At home, I鈥檓 a big fan of because they鈥檙e cheap and come in bulk.

It鈥檚 ironic that as a gear tester, I show up to a run or a hike decked out in the newest shoes, the fanciest shorts, the most powerful GPS watch, even high-performance socks鈥攂ut secretly feel completely unprepared unless I have a wet wipe in one of my pockets. I would certainly survive my run or backpacking trip without these moist towlettes, but I鈥檓 glad I don鈥檛 have to.

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If, like me, you鈥檙e a ridiculously heavy sweater, you may have been told after a run: 鈥淵ou look like you jumped in a pool.鈥� And if you鈥檝e been paid that compliment, you鈥檙e in luck, because the Ciele ATShort is designed for exactly that鈥攄ipping in a pool or a lake during or after a run鈥攕o they are exceptionally adept at managing moisture. This makes them the best warm-weather shorts I鈥檝e owned in my 46 years of running.

You see, I don鈥檛 just sweat when I run. I get post-run puddles when I wring out tops and socks, complaints from training partners about being sprayed with my sweat, and the dreaded squishy foot, in which my shoes are so soaked that each moist footstep is audible.

We heavy sweaters need to choose our warm-weather running gear with extra care. When your shorts, shirts, and singlets get saturated on an easy 5-miler, you want them to somehow still facilitate air flow, so that the sweat can do its intended job of cooling you. You also want gear that doesn鈥檛 cling like plastic wrap once wet, to reduce your risk of . And it鈥檚 a nice touch if the items resist odor buildup enough that you can wear them more than once between launderings.

The Ciele ATShort excels in all of these properties. The 鈥淎T鈥� in the shorts鈥� name stands for 鈥渁ll terrain.鈥� Meagan Smith, Ciele鈥檚 production and sourcing manager, says, 鈥淎 lot of our customers are running on trails or running in nature, and these shorts encompass that summer vibe of wanting to run and then jump in a lake, jump in a river, and just get wet.鈥�

Ciele ATShort

According to Smith, design details such as a weft (horizontal) stretch, fine-gauge shell that鈥檚 chlorine- and salt-resistant, lightweight knit liner, self-draining pocket, and PFC-free durable-water-resistant coating distinguish the shorts as run/swim candidates. The weft stretch, for example, reduces the clinging that can lead to chafing.

When I started testing the Ciele ATShorts, my hope was that they wouldn鈥檛 distinguish between getting soaked because I dove into a pond or because I ran for an hour around a pond. And I was right! I wore the ATs on three consecutive days when the daytime highs were close to 100鈥搃n Maine!鈥揳ccompanied by stifling humidity. Of course, the shorts were soon saturated. But they didn鈥檛 bunch up or create rivulets down my thighs or rub me raw or any of my other usual experiences in severe heat. Nor, incredibly, did they smell like an ammonia factory. A few days later, the weather shifted to low 60s and rain. I wore the ATs on a nearly four-hour trail run, and thought about them only when I realized I wasn鈥檛 thinking about them. Meanwhile, two of my four companions on the run suffered some fairly significant chafing.

In less extreme conditions, the ATs are simply a pair of attractive, light, stay-out-of-the-way shorts that I find myself regularly reaching for. The 5-inch inseam is perfect for my tastes鈥攏ot circa-1982-style too short, not movement-impeding clownishly long. ( has a 4-inch inseam.) Their length and moisture-management properties make them my go-tos for warm-weather hard workouts and races.

Ciele didn鈥檛 invent the run-swim apparel niche. Almost a decade ago, Tracksmith introduced what it then called its Run Swim Run shorts. Now known as , the shorts are thoughtfully constructed and high-quality, as you would expect from Tracksmith. I鈥檝e used various versions as I do the ATs, as a bulwark against extreme sweatiness. But I鈥檝e found their weight and thick waistband lean too much toward the swim side of things.

If you want a running short that鈥檚 going to perform well on the run when wet from water you鈥檝e jumped in, water that has fallen on you, or water you鈥檝e produced copious amounts of yourself, the Ciele ATs have no peers.

The post I’ve Been Running鈥攁nd Sweating Profusely鈥攆or More Than 40 Years. These Are the Best Hot-Weather Shorts I’ve Ever Owned. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.