This review appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Canadian Running, on newsstands now.
Puma Foreverrun Nitro 2
Category Stability
Unisex 295 g (10.4 oz.)
Offset/Drop 10 mm
Stack Height 38 mm/28 mm
$200
The Foreverrun, introduced early last year, is a stability shoe with a well-cushioned midsole made of double-density nitrogen-infused foam (this new model is slightly higher, and a little heavier, than the original). The foam is firmer around the edges than in the centre of the midsole, providing gentle support through the gait cycle for overpronators; extra support is provided on footstrike by the rigid TPU heel clip at the back of the shoe. The platform has been made wider, making it even more stable.
The shoe has a very comfortable, stretchy and breathable engineered knit upper, and the knit collar has been updated; the upper is further stabilized with overlays in strategic areas.
It’s appropriate for easy runs, long runs and recovery runs. Our tester appreciated the snug collar and heel lock, the cushioning and the support, but found the toe box confining.
Brooks
Hyperion Elite 4 PB
Category Neutral cushioning (plated)
Unisex 204 g (7.2 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 40 mm/32 mm
$300
We’re putting this update to the Hyperion Elite in the “new and innovative” category because of the midsole update, plus it’s still only the fourth iteration of the shoe. It has a carbon-fibre plate and the maximum allowable midsole height, according to World Athletics rules. (PB stands for peba, the ultralight midsole cushioning material, but the subliminal message is that it will propel you to a new personal best.)
Like many racing shoes, it has a loosely-knit but very narrow and tight-fitting, breathable upper. This DNA Gold peba cushioning is used throughout the midsole, and is a major step up from the DNA Flash cushioning used in the Elite 3 (which is nitrogen-infused EVA). Our tester found the plate very stiff, yet the shoe felt controlled, and very propulsive and bouncy for workouts or 5K races. It’s almost a full ounce lighter. Note that the price has gone up by $50.
Mizuno
Wave Rebellion Pro 3
Category Neutral cushioning
Unisex 224 g (7.9 oz.)
Offset/Drop 4 mm
Stack Height 39.5 mm/35.5 mm
$310
Now in its third iteration, this unusual-looking supershoe has undergone some refinements since it was first introduced in early 2023. Most notably, the heel cutout has been made even more radical, to increase the length of outsole that contacts the ground. Also, the base of the shoe has been made significantly wider and, as a result, the carbon-infused, plant-based wave plate is also wider, making the shoe more stable. The midsole cushioning material (Enerzy XP) is bouncier, as well as more responsive, and the shoe has been made slightly higher.
Our tester loved the “racy” upper and found the shoe light and stable, despite the high stack. However, they found the toe box very narrow. They also noted that the shoe rewards a midfoot strike and a fast, but controlled, pace—land too far forward and it loses its “pop,” too far back and it feels less stable.
On
Cloudsurfer 2
Category Neutral cushioning
Men’s 261 g (9.2 oz.)
Women’s 225 g (7.9 oz.)
Drop 9 mm
Stack Height 32 mm/23 mm
Available March 2
$200
Despite the redesigned outsole (which has been made thicker, for better durability), this updated daily trainer from On is still surprisingly light, and the rockered sole will give you a rolling gait that feels very pleasing for daily training. The heel-toe offset has been lowered by a millimetre (which you won’t notice, 9 mm still being fairly high).
Unlike On’s other models, the new Cloudsurfer does not have the brand’s signature Speedboard, but a new “structural cushioning system” called CloudTec Phase, sitting on top of a medium-firm midsole; it might be a bit firm for a long marathon training run, but it’s A-OK for your shorter daily runs, and performs well at faster paces also.
The shoe is generously wide in the toe box and across the midfoot, and the ventilation holes in the shoe’s knit upper have been brought further down the sides for better breathability in warm weather. The shoe is made from 36 per cent recycled materials.
Salomon
Aero Glide 3 GRVL
Category Neutral cushioning
Men’s 275 g (9.7 oz.)
Women’s 235 g (8.3 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 40 mm/32 mm
Available May 1
$210
Salomon has taken a leaf from cycling’s book in producing this new “gravel-tuned” version of the Aero Glide 3 road shoe (but a rose by any other name is road-to-trail).
This is one of Salomon’s highest-stack trainers (for any terrain), with a thick wedge of the brand’s TPU Energy Foam and a moderate, 8 mm heel-to-toe drop. The ride is soft, bouncy and very pleasing, whether you’re running on the road or light trails.
The shoe is basically a light trail version of the new Aero Glide 3 road shoe (which is available Feb. 15), though it’s slightly heavier, due mainly to the slightly more substantial outsole. It has a generous toe box, an internal wrap system that hugs the foot and regular flat laces, rather than the brand’s QuickLace system found in some of its trail models. It also has a fully gussetted, neoprene tongue and a fairly rigid heel counter, with good protection around the toes. It performed well in very cold conditions (which makes us wonder how breathable it would be in the heat). The fit is slightly large.
Under Armour
Infinite Elite 2
Category Neutral cushioning
Unisex 283.5 (10.0 oz.)
Offset/Drop 8 mm
Stack Height 36 mm/28 mm
$200
The UA Infinite Elite, now in its second iteration, is designed for long miles, with a max-stack midsole made of HOVR+ (a beaded TPU foam) and loads of cushioning in the upper as well, from the collar to the tongue and laces. Our tester also loved the step-in comfort of the shoe’s 3D moulded sockliner. The 2 is both softer, bouncier and significantly lighter (by an ounce and a half, due partly to the elimination of the TPU heel counter) than the original, but that only points up how heavy the original was; this is still not a particularly light shoe, but it’s still very nice for daily training.
The upper is a beautiful, breathable engineered mesh, and you’ll find yourself wearing the shoe casually as well as for running, just because it looks so good. The ghillie lacing system and broad, flat laces allow you to cinch it up nicely. We noted the 8 mm drop feels much lower—something we’ve noticed in other UA models, as well.
