Jeff Beck's Top Running Gear for 2018

Article by Jeff Beck

This was a hard list to put together. Not because there weren't enough shoes that deserved accolades, but because there were too many that were outstanding. We're living in the Golden Age of running shoes, and from what I've seen of what's coming, next year is just going to get better.

Below is my breakdown of the best daily trainer, trail shoe, and speedwork/race shoe, and of course the shoe of the year before getting into a little bit of tech. If you've been following along the reviews, I have a habit of making shoe/car comparisons in the comments so as a little bonus, I'm also adding a car comparison to each shoe.

Best Daily Trainer

This was a rough contest for me because I tested so many shoes this year that fall under this heading. I went back and ran in a number of shoes I hadn't touched in months, and found that it's true - absence makes the heart grow fonder. A few of the shoes I raved about earlier in the year seemed just fine when I revisited them, which is exactly why I rely on memory as little as possible and just throw the shoe on for a few laps around the neighborhood. There are a few more shoes (Salomon Predict RA and Adidas Solar Glide in particular) that if I'd put more miles on them, they might have found their way onto this list. Sorry fellas. Maybe next year?

3rd Place: Topo Athletic UltraFly 2

I haven't gotten around to writing a full review of this shoe, but I really should. I'd been intrigued by Topo for a little while, and when I learned I'd be reviewing the UltraVenture, their extensively-cushioned trail shoe, I figured I should have some frame of reference in the Topo world. I have zero regrets, this shoe is fantastic. It's one of those shoes that has a very comfortable but supportive upper with an exceptional toe box (absent any weird midfoot issues that have plagued Altra models), a plush but not mushy midsole, and a well-covered rubber outsole that still gives the shoe plenty of flexibility. The UltraFly 2 is an awkward looking, if not smooth running, daily trainer that works for every run. I've used mine on a few light trail runs, and they were fantastic. Some shoes get a lot of hype that isn't completely deserved. This shoe has almost zero hype, and deserves so much more.

Car equivalent: Alfa Romeo Giulia. Its looks are polarizing, the brand isn't a household name, and everyone sleeping on it is doing themselves a major disservice.

2nd Place: Saucony Triumph ISO 5 (RTR review)

There's no tiptoeing around it, this is a heavy shoe. Saucony's answer to Boost, Everun, is incredibly dense, and density means weight. However, unlike so many of its brethren, the Triumph ISO 5 works so well with its chunky midsole. It also has one of the most comfortable uppers I've ever put on my foot. Would I like to do a tempo run in it? Hard no. But if I had fifteen plus easy road miles on the schedule, I don't know what other shoe I'd even consider. Or if yesterday was hills followed by intervals, today's run is going to be in the Triumph ISO 5. Major bonus points to Saucony for pulling out of the nosedive that the Triumph has been in for a few years - this is the first model since the Triumph 11 in 2014 that I actually want to run in.

Car equivalent: Audi A5. Heavy beast with great luxury that handles better than its weight should suggest, but has plenty of brothers and sisters for real speed.

1st Place: New Balance 1080v9 (RTR review)

This is the best daily trainer of the year, and the biggest surprise. Aesthetically it shares 99% of its DNA with the 1080v8, but they could not be more different. The upper is super snug (but enough room up front), the midsole has good cushioning but is still very responsive, and the outsole is covered in a full coating of rubber that has enough flexibility that you wouldn't know it. If I could pick one shoe that I had to use for every single road run for the next three months, it's the 1080v9 without a moment's hesitation. The upper gave me a little heelslip on the first run, but a runner's loop later, this shoe isn't going anywhere. And even though the Beacon uses Fresh Foam in a completely different way, I'd say this is the best application of Fresh Foam New Balance has done yet. It took them a few years, but New Balance is figuring FF out.

Car Equivalent: Volkswagen Golf R. It may look like many others, but when you put the pedal down it behaves unlike anything comparable. Smooth to drive or at home when pushing the limit, this thing can do it all.

Best Trail Shoe

I'm breaking away from my colleagues pretty hard in this category. Maybe it's the different style of trails we run, maybe it's the extra cushioning I'm always looking for, or maybe it's my insistence that a shoe should be shaped like a foot (looking at you most Hoka, Salomon, or La Sportiva models), regardless, here's my top three. Another two shoes that should get an honorable mention - the Topo Athletic UltraVenture and the Skechers Performance GOrun Maxtrail 5 Ultra. The Topo is a super comfortable trail cruiser that is one of the most plush rides out there, and the Skechers shoe is the most race inspired trail shoe I've ever run in. Small issues for each keep it off my personal list, but make no mistake, both are fantastic.

3rd Place: Nike Wildhorse 4

Sure, this shoe didn't come out this year,  but the colorway I own did debut just a few months ago, so I'm counting it. Another shoe I've loved but haven't been able to review, the Wildhorse 4 has a lot going for it. The upper grips my foot like few others, but it gives plenty of room up front for the toes. It has more than enough cushioning for a mid-long run, and it has a rock plate that turns nasty technical trails into...well slightly less nasty technical trails. The outsole has tons of grip, though, I have run exclusively dry trails and roads in it (not my fault, I can't make it rain more in Phoenix) so I can't address the prevailing opinion that the Wildhorse 4 is severely lacking in wet traction. I just know it's a blast to run in, and can be found in a number of different colorways for a sizeable discount. So much better than its cousin the Terra Kiger, even though the Kiger is the more expensive and more premium posited shoe.

Car Equivalent: Subaru Crosstrek. It is a little ugly, and it won't win any speed records, but it can go just about anywhere with comfort.

2nd Place: Brooks Caldera 3 (RTR review soon)

This shoe came out of nowhere to sneak onto this list. Only by trying to figure out its faults did I realize - it really doesn't have any. It's the perfect trail cruiser. My portion of the upcoming review goes into greater detail, but the quick and dirty on the Caldera 3: better traction than the Caldera 2, same solid ride that straddles the line between plush and responsive very nicely, better upper that is more breathable and has just a hair more room up front. I'm a few weeks out from a trail 20K, and this is on the short list to run it.

Car Equivalent: Ford Raptor. At home off road, with virtually zero compromises in that department.

1st Place: Hoka One One Challenger ATR 5 (RTR review)

I wasn't a part of the review of this shoe, and for good reason. I can't run in Hokas. My foot is shaped like a foot, and I get pinch blisters on both small toes after three to fives miles in any of their models. It doesn't keep me from hoping, against all logic, that every time someone types the phrase "Best toe box in a Hoka yet!" that finally they did it. So when Dominick, Dave, and Jeff V reviewed the shoe a few months ago, and every single one of them talked about how big the toe box was, the hunt was back on. Then when I learned it is one of the few Hokas to come in a 2E width, my hope spiked even higher, but cynicism was still engaged. I'd heard these promises in the past; I'd been hurt before. The shoe's limited release made me visit the local REI, and wouldn't you know it. They did it. They finally did it. Hoka made a shoe that's actually shaped like a foot. And it's got great traction on the trail (but still works well on the road too), tons of cushioning (but not too much), and the upper is just right. There's an awful lot of Goldilocks to this shoe, but more on that later.

Car Equivalent: Toyota 4Runner. It can handle most things off road, but still works just fine on pavement, and is much more comfortable than most of its competitors.

Best Speedwork/Race Shoe

The benefit of being a heavier and slower runner is that you get to figure out how to use different shoes. Remember the Adidas Adios Boost 2? The shoe that was used to set the world record for the marathon a few years ago? That used to be my go-to shoe for weekly track workouts. After three or four miles my feet wanted to abandon ship, even though smaller and more efficient runners wouldn't think twice about wearing them for a half to full marathon. And that is exactly why this category played out as it did.

3rd Place: New Balance 1400v6 (RTR review)

During the summers the local high school allows the public to use its track (or at very least doesn't run us off), and the 1400 is my go-to shoe. Its outsole mixes grip and durability very well, and while the upper is way too tight up front to make me happy, I'm never wearing them for more than an hour including warm up and cool down, so I can make it work. The midsole has that little bit of pop that encourages you to run just a little bit harder and faster, and I like that for this type of shoe. At one point I paired it against the Nike Zoom Streak 6, and it's a night and day difference. The Nike has a better toe box, but it just doesn't have the same pop to it.

Car Equivalent: Honda S2000. Quick and zero frills, requires you to work hard to get the most out of it. If you don't keep the RPMs above 6000 you are going to be disappointed.

2nd Place: New Balance Fresh Foam Beacon (RTR review)

See? I DON'T USE SHOES LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. While other runners look at the Beacon as an easy daily trainer, for me it's the perfect tempo run shoe up to six to eight miles. While it doesn't provide the same pop feel as the 1400, the reality of the situation is I run faster in this shoe than I mean to. Every single run ended up a full one to two minutes faster pace-wise than I had anticipated. While that can be a problem, it is a very good problem to have.

Car Equivalent: BMW M3. It looks sporty but ultimately is even faster than it looks. Very easy to get to 120 mph without realizing it.

1st Place: Nike Vaporfly 4% (RTR review)

This is the easiest answer on this list, and because of that it kind of feels like a copout. It's easy to point at the fastest/most expensive and say "Ta-da! Winner!" Except here's the thing, this shoe really is amazing. If it fits your foot (and plenty of folks are DQ'd here because of its very narrow midfoot) then this shoe is fantastic. It isn't magic, and won't simply make you faster by slipping them on, but it has the same pop in the NB 1400 multiplied by a hundred. It makes you want to run harder, but it also has an absurd level of cushioning for the weight to protect your legs and feet the whole way. This is the one shoe that I can use the same way as anybody else. When I lace up for a marathon in 2019, I have no doubt this shoe will be on my foot. My wife mocked me, hard, when I pulled the trigger on this shoe. I eventually convinced her to put my pair on, and just run down the hallway. On the second step she let out a subconscious "Oooooh" when she felt the spring of the shoe urging her to go harder. If you've ever had a dog that perked up at the mention of the word "walk", that is this shoe. Only its not a word that sets it off, its every step.

Car Equivalent: McLaren F1. Incredibly fast and lightweight, super expensive, and requires a staggering amount of maintenance after short use. Plus you get to drive it in the middle, there's something truly special here.

SHOE OF THE YEAR: Hoka One One Challenger ATR 5 (RTR review)

I have said for years that if Hoka just made a foot shaped shoe, they'd set the world on fire. They finally did it, so I have to give them credit. The Challenger ATR 5 is my absolute Goldilocks shoe. It's lightweight-ish (my 10.5 2E is 10.5 ounces per shoe), the cushioning is massive (without being over the top like some of their other models), the outsole has plenty of grip on trails (without being awkward to run roads), and the upper grips the foot well, yet has a lot of room up front (without being sloppy). It's the perfect balance between too much and not enough, and that's fantastic.


Best Tech of the Year: Tie

Hyperice Hypervolt & Garmin Instinct with Emma cameo

Garmin Instinct (RTR review)

The Instinct punches way above its weight class, and we get to benefit from it. Taking most of the meat and potatoes features of its big brother Fenix line (but sadly leaving a lot of the cooler bells and whistles behind) the Instinct offers an amazingly featured watch at a fraction of the price. Its battery life is fantastic, its durability is nearly legendary, and its comfort is surprising. If you are looking for a new GPS watch that also has most standard smart watch features, you should give the Instinct a solid look. You will still have to use a debit card/phone when you buy something, and it won't pipe music to you, but if you think of that level of feature as superfluous, then the Instinct may just be perfect for you.

Hyperice Hypervolt
My guilty pleasure purchase of the year that I feel zero guilt over. I sold my wife on this bad boy like this. "Yes, it's $350, but we're both runners. We'll both use it every day - and after a year that breaks down to fifty cents for each of us per day. That sounds reasonable, right?" She signed off, and we haven't looked back. And while it hasn't been every day, there's only been a handful of days that monster doesn't get used.

There are three different speeds (30/40/53 percussions per second) and four different attachments (entry-level foam ball, mid-level flat like a hammer, and pro-level plastic bullet, and two-tined fork for getting either side of your achilles) and you can mix and match to your own comfort level. After the first month I've been all bullet all top speed, and I've learned to embrace the pain (without having to lay down on the floor grinding my calf into a foam roller) and share the fun. I brought my Hypervolt with me when I volunteered at an aid station 32 miles into a 50 mile ultra, and more than a few runners used it to combat IT band issues or cramping muscles. There are other options, both more expensive (Theragun) and less (rigging up a jigsaw with a softer tip), but what makes the Hypervolt so great is its ease of use. It isn't silent by any means, but it isn't distractingly loud. Ours frequently gets used at night as we're watching an episode or two of TV before one of us crashes out early for a run, and we really only have to bump up the volume a notch or two. If it is easy to use, it is going to get used - and ours is a regular fixture. I know of three people who bought their own model after using ours for a few minutes, and everyone of them still uses theirs on a daily basis.

2018 Wrap Up

Instead of putting my life story at the top for you to scroll through before getting to what you want to read (like every recipe website on the internet) I thought I'd hide this all the way down here. This was a huge year in running for me. Mostly because it was the year I actually got back into running. After getting bit by the mountain biking bug (as well as publishing two novels and a non-fiction book) a few years ago, my running the last few years had suffered. The only thing suffering these days is me after a long run, and my largely unused mountain bike. I want to thank Sam for bringing me into the RoadTrailRun family, as well as our readers who check out our reviews and make comments and ask questions. Lastly, I'd like to thank the guys in the Missing Chins Run Club for letting me join you all and contribute to the thousands of pounds lost. You guys are truly an inspiration. 2018 was big for me, but 2019 is going to be even bigger, and I'm elated to be able to share that with everyone here.

Happy New Year and here's to an amazing 2019!

Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck is the token slow fat guy runner. Wasting his youth on such endeavors as playing golf and writing, he only started running in his thirties, and has a marathon PR of 4:15 to prove it. A full-time property manager, this part-time author and cold brew coffee maker lives in Phoenix, AZ with his wife and daughter. He enjoys running desert trails as well as the road, and is trying to get his 5K time to sub-twenty.

More RTR Best of 2018 Articles

Sam Winebaum  (Editor and Founder) Road, Trail, and Tech 

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Peter Stuart Road 

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Michael Ellenberger Road

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Jeff Valliere Trail

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Hope Wilkes Road

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Dave Ames Road and Trail

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Dominick Layfield Ultras

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