Hoka Speedgoat 5 Initial Runs Impressions Video Review. A/B Comparisons to EVO Speedgoat & Speedgoat 4

Article by Jeff Valliere

Hoka Speedgoat 5 ($155)

RoadTrailRun's senior trail reviewer Jeff Valliere tests the March release Speedgoat 5 and compares it to the EVO Speedgoat and Speedgoat 4. 

The Speegoat 5 loses 1 oz /28g in his US10 so a US9 should come in at about 9.75 oz /276 g.

It now has the same foam as the EVO Speedgoat, It gets a new jacquard mesh upper and a more profiled Vibram Megagrip outsole. it will also be available in wide sizing,

Full written review soon!

Watch Jeff's Video Initial Impressions Review (7:10)

Jeff Valliere runs mostly on very steep technical terrain above Boulder often challenging well known local FKT's. 

Tested samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'

RTR's Top Road & Trail Run Shoe Introductions for 2022 from The Running Event 

34 Run Shoes for Road & Trail HERE

Comments and Questions Welcome Below!

Please let us know mileage, paces, race distances, and currently preferred shoes

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FLEET FEET

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Salomon S/Lab Pulsar SG Initial Video Review. Bigger Grip, More Versatile Ride! Shoe, Ride, & Fit Details

Video by Sam Winebaum and Jeff Valliere

Salomon S/Lab Pulsar SG ($180)

Update: Salomon S/Lab Pulsar SG Multi Tester Review (8 comparisons)

RoadTrailRun Editor Sam and RTR lead trail shoe tester Jeff Valliere run the S/Lab Pulsar SG and share 1st runs impressions and shoe details. Close comparisons to 2021 Pulsar.

It takes the original Pulsar, our 2021 trail of the year, adds 2mm of deeper traction and reinforces the upper with more overlays, 

Still remarkably light at about 6.9 oz / 196g US9 it has an approximate 32 heel / 26mm forefoot. $180. Release date expected 1st half of 2022. Full written multi tester review soon.

Watch the S/Lab Pulsar SG Initial Review (10:49)

Tested samples were provided at no charge for review purposes others were personal purchases. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'

RTR's Top Road & Trail Run Shoe Introductions for 2022 from The Running Event 

34 Run Shoes for Road & Trail HERE

Comments and Questions Welcome Below!

Please let us know mileage, paces, race distances, and currently preferred shoes

RoadTrailRun receives a commission on purchases at the stores below.

Your purchases help support RoadTrailRun. Thanks!

RUNNING WAREHOUSE

USA  Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

FREE 2 Day Shipping EASY No Sweat Returns

EUROPE Men's & Women's SHOP HERE
AUSTRALIA Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

ROADRUNNERSPORTS

Men's and Women's SHOP HERE

Join RRS VIP

FLEET FEET

Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

TOP4RUNNING EUROPE

Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

Use RTR code RTRTOP4 for 5% off all products, even sale products

FREE Shipping on orders over 99, 30 days return policy, no questions asked.

HOLABIRD SPORTS

Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

FREE Shipping on most orders over $40

REI Men's & Women's  SHOP HERE

AMAZON  Men's & Women's SHOP HERE

WATCH OUR YOUTUBE REVIEWS ON THE ROADTRAILRUN CHANNEL

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by Following RoadTrailRun News Feed

Please Like and Follow RoadTrailRun

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Tracksmith Winter 2022 Reviews: Nor'easter Jacket, NDO Hoodie and Gloves, Prospect Beanie

 Article by Sam Winebaum

Winter and (Tracksmith) New England are synonymous.  

In the last 2 years Tracksmith has really upgraded their rough weather offerings with the NDO (No Days Off), Nor’Easter, and Off Roads Collection. In 2021 I tested the NDO Tights and NDO Jacket as well as the Off Roads Crew and Run Commute Pants. All but the Tights performed magnificently.

For Winter 2022 Tracksmith sent us samples of the Nor’Easter Jacket, NDO Downeaster Hoodie and Gloves, and Prospect Beanie.  I have extensively tested all of them in damp cold New England along the Atlantic Coast and now in the sunny cold mountains of Park City, Utah. Three are big big hits for me and one is a miss. Please read on to find out more. 

Hoka Carbon X 3 Multi Tester Review

Article by Renee Krusemark, Adam Glueck and Sam Winebaum

Hoka Carbon X 3 ($180)

Introduction

Sam: The 3d generation of Hoka’s max cushion trainer/racer gets a new supercritical foam midsole and a performance knit upper. It loses about 0.21 oz / 6g  over the X2 while retaining the same overall geometry, stack height, and rubberized foam outsole as the X 2. 

The Carbon X was originally developed as an elite road ultra marathon shoe with the Rocket X the marathon distance and below racer in the Hoka line.

I tested the original Carbon X (RTR Review) racing a 20 miler and the Boston Marathon in them and found the stable ride very decently cushioned if flat riding due to the 5mm drop, rigid carbon plate and overall geometry compared to what was soon to come from Nike and others. I did not test the Carbon X 2 (RTR Review).

With a new lighter, super critical foam in the Carbon X 3 as well as the trail Tecton X I was eager to see if the Carbon X 3 had more pep.

Pros:

Plenty of cushion and comfort for long runs - Renee/Adam/Sam

Meta-Rocker provides smooth strides - Renee/Adam

Stable on dirt and gravel paths - Renee

Energetic new foam a big improvement over v1’s: Sam

Firmly responsive but not harsh foam - Adam/Sam

Stable midsole comfortable for a variety of foot strikes -Adam/Sam

Good grip on wet and dry pavement -Adam

Feels good at a variety of paces, including much slower than other super shoes feel comfortable going -Adam/Sam

Always run faster than expected despite geometry (see Cons): Sam

Secure fit for a knit upper: Sam

Cons:

Knit upper too voluminous for a secure fit - Renee/Adam

Weight and upper security not ideal for marathon/sub marathon racing distances - Renee/Adam

Poor grip in snow/slush -Adam

Less bounce and propulsion than some other super shoes -Adam/Renee

Flat riding, dullish geometry: overly rigid plate, low 5mm drop, the energetic foam on the firmer side: Sam

Dahlie Run 365 Pant Run and Long Sleeve Coverage Review

Article by Sam Winebaum

Long Sleeve Coverage ($120) and Pant Run ($100) 

Dahile was started by Bjorn Daehlie, the most successful male nordic skier in history with a staggering 29 Olympic and World Championships medals between 1991-1999. Daehlie is believed to have had the highest VO2 max ever recorded, a staggering 96 ml/kg/min..and tested out of season..

Nordic skiers of course train year round and when not on skis run, cycle, hike, and more accumulating thousands of hours per year in training. Thus, in creating his brand which equips many national nordic teams including his home country of Norway, the focus is not exclusively on nordic skiing. Over the years I have tested a number of Dahlie apparel items. All included a component of merino even the summer training t-shirts.

With the Run 365 collection the brand has created run specific pieces that cross over to all kinds of other sports including nordic. 

Dahlie sent the Long Coverage ($120) mid layer and the Pant Run ($100) from the Run 365 collection for testing. Please read on to find out how they performed.

VJ Shoes Ice Hero Review

Article by Jeff Valliere

VJ Ice Hero ($160)

Introduction

After reviewing both the VJ Ultra (RTR Review)  and Spark (RTR Review)  this summer, I was quite impressed with the secure fit, incredible traction and unmatched performance on technical terrain.  When VJ says “Best Grip on thePlanet”, it is not a gimmick.  When I learned they were coming out with a new studded winter model from Finland based VJ, I knew I had to review them.  Winter conditions on the Boulder trails and mountain summits can be quite variable, often including an intermittent combination of different states of packed or loose snow, bare ground, exposed rocks and what we refer to as “death ice”.  When conditions reach “death ice” status, there are few traction solutions that really cut it (see our winter traction round up here)

Pros: Traction, foothold, weight, response, agility, water resistant, cushion/protection

Cons: Studs could be more pronounced.

Tester Profile

Jeff runs mostly on very steep technical terrain above Boulder often challenging well known local FKT's. 

Stats

Official Weight:   9.7oz / 275g men’s US9

  Sample: men’s 10.25 oz /290g US10

Midsole Stack Height: 21mm/13mm (8mm drop)

4mm lugs, 18 carbon steel star studs

$160. Available Now at VJ Shoes here  

Nathan Sports Run Apparel Round Up Review

 Article by Peter Stuart

Nathan Sports Apparel

Nathan is probably best known for their Handheld bottles, Hydration vests and lighting solutions. I’m guessing that I’m not alone in being surprised by their big leap into the apparel business. I wandered into the Nathan booth at the recent “Running Event” here in Austin after I spotted a wearable light system that looked really promising. That light system isn’t going to be available for a bit, but the very kind Nathan folks led me to the other side of the booth where they had some cool looking apparel. The Stealth jacket looked great and there were some other interesting things as well–but the proof is always in the daily use. Nathan sent five items for testing–most of them surprisingly great–and one sort of problematic. Reviews are below. 

Saucony Peregrine 12 Multi Tester Review: Same Great Taste, Less Filling! Lighter, Grippier, Faster & Superb Fitting. 12 Comparisons

Article by Renee Krusemark, Jeff Valliere, John Tribbia, Jacob Brady, and Mike Postaski

Saucony Peregrine 12 ($130)

Introduction

Jeff V:  I have run in every Peregrine since version 5 and they have always been a favorite of mine.  Early iterations were well protected, reasonably light, fast, but super stiff and I had trouble with heel lift and blistering. Even so, I appreciated their competence in technical terrain.  

Eventually, those concerns I had with stiffness and heel blistering were eliminated, but there was a steady upward trend in weight, mass and bulk, to the point where the Peregrine morphed from a lowish, lightish trail racer, to a more all around daily trainer for longer distances. I still liked the newer versions a lot, but in my mind, they were really no longer related to the Peregrine of old.  

Enter the Peregrine 12.  The Peregrine 12 has dropped 1.5 oz in my US men’s size 10, mostly due to the full reworking of the upper, as well as a new outsole.  While the midsole remains unchanged, the drop in weight along with the aforementioned changes brings the Peregrine back to being a fast, technical trail racing shoe.  They are also significantly more flexible, without really losing any underfoot protection.

Hoka Mach Supersonic Multi Tester Review: a familiar yet very different Mach. 10 Comparisons

Article by Peter Stuart, Joost de Raeymaeker and Sam Winebaum

Hoka Mach Supersonic ($150)

Introduction

Peter: The Supersonic is a sort of “new” shoe in the Hoka lineup, a limited release of the popular Mach 4. Word on the street and in the Hoka marketing is that it can be the racing partner/speed shoe sibling to the fabulous and mighty Mach 4. 

The Supersonic weighs 8.4 oz /238g in a men’s 9 with a 29mm / 24mm stack height, 5mm drop. The Supersonic comes in slightly heavier (0.2 oz) than the Mach 4. 

It sits in an interesting place in the Hoka lineup as it is not a daily trainer/long run shoe, and not a plated racer either. It’s sort of a workout day/tempo shoe. Some have mentioned that it might be Hoka’s answer to a NB 1400, so let’s figure all of that out…

Sam: The Supersonic is a limited release Mach, the Mach 4 continues in the line. It tweaks the Mach 4 with a new dense and thin jacquard mesh upper and a new ProFly+ construction featuring a new top layer bouncy foam. It is said by Hoka to be intended for  “explosive daily training.” The Mach 4 was a superb all around light daily trainer uptempo shoe but of the more mellow flexible variety and its fine upper while secure is on the more relaxed side. 

The rubberized foam lower midsole as outsole remains unchanged as does the overall tooling geometry of the lower portion of the shoe. Right out of the box, in hand, I could tell the forefoot was stiffer pointing to a more speed oriented ride for me. Please read on to find out if that was the case!

Joost: I am a huge fan of the Mach 4, so I was really looking forward to a faster version of the shoe with hopefully enough of the stuff that made the 4 my favorite of 2020. When I took it out of the box, it was apparent that most of the Mach 4 DNA was there, as was the superb weight/volume ratio. 

Pros:

Great fitting upper: Peter/Sam

Snappy ride: Peter/Sam/Joost

Well measured responsiveness of entire stack:  Sam/Joost

Light and spry: Peter/ Sam/Joost

Broad, stable, well cushioned, smooth flowing without being mushy soft Sam/Joost

Versatile: Sam/Joost

HUGE pull loop: Peter

Cons:

Forefoot is a little bit firm: Peter

Unlike Peter I think forefootfine and responsive but heel a bit firm/low at slower paces: Sam

My right shoe has a crease in the toe bumper that causes a nasty blister on the side of my right big toe. The left is ok. Probably a production issue and hopefully not there in final shipping version.

HUGE Pull loop. Peter/Joost

Garmin Fenix 7 and epix (Gen 2) Introduction Highlights & First Thoughts

 Article by Jeff Valliere with Sam Winebaum

Today, Garmin has released the long awaited updates to it’s Fenix line with the 7 series and also added a new model, bringing back the epix, with a Gen 2 model.  

Both the Fenix 7 and the epix (Gen 2) are nearly identical in their functionality, with the major differences being the epix has a vivid, 416 x 416 Amoled display, whereas the Fenix 7 keeps the more battery efficient transflective display and has an improved solar charging option.  After watching the live release and Q and A session this morning, Sam and I would like to relay the highlights in advance of our full review.

Altra Lone Peak 6 Multi Tester Review: The Best Lone Peak yet?

Article by Dom Layfield and Canice Harte

Altra Lone Peak 6 ($140)

Introduction

Dom:  The Lone Peak is, arguably, the definitive Altra shoe.   Sitting in the middle of their trail line-up, with 25 mm of stack height, the Lone Peak has more cushion than the Superior (21 mm) and less than the Timp (29 mm).   While Altra have tinkered with different lasts in other models, the Lone Peak has generally remained the most spacious of their trail shoes.  

Dom:  Over time, the Lone Peak has had its ups and downs.  The earliest shoes were clunky, and version 3 was the first iteration that felt secure enough and light enough to race.  Since then, I’ve never really felt that Altra have been able to recreate the success.  3.0 was a great shoe, but had durability issues.  3.5 improved on upper durability, but too much stretch for good foothold.  4.0 performed better but weighed a ton.  4.5 lightened the shoe slightly, but compromised foothold.  5.0 was oversized all around, and felt floppy on the foot.   In the meantime, the competition has become hotter (including from Altra’s other models), and the Lone Peak has felt ‘left behind’. Please read on to see which paths the latest edition took.