94 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017
Brooks GTS
Adrenaline 17
WHAT’S IT FOR?
A cushioned and supported yet
speedy ride.
STANDOUT FEATURE
The diagonal roll bar within the
midsole, discouraging the foot
from over-pronating.
ROAD TEST
The GTS Adrenaline has long
been a mainstay of the stability
shoe options, and for good
reason. Each layer of the sole is
packed with features to ensure
your foot remains as supported
as possible throughout the gait
cycle: we could feel this in action,
and the latest Adrenaline also
has the benefit of feeling light
and springy in comparison with
other structured shoes. The
upper — especially the tongue —
is exceptionally cushioned, too.
$239.95, brooksrunning.com.au
Adidas Ultra Boost
WHAT’S IT FOR?
Long-distance running, but not
for those who need stability.
STANDOUT FEATURE
As always with Adidas running
shoes, the Boost midsole,
made from congealed foam
“energy capsules”.ROAD TEST
There’s no doubt the Boost
midsole delivers on what it
promises: energy and comfort.
We found every stride was
catapulted into the next
almost before we realised it
was happening, and the impact
of a footstrike was nothing less
than silky. The knitted upper is
also glove-like as it moulds
around your foot, but watch out
if you’ve got particularly wide
feet, as Adidas shoes do tend
to come up narrow.
$260, adidas.com.au1 4
Running shoe buyer’s guide Key running sessions
1 )Talk to someone who knows Running ShoesGo to a proper, dedicated running shop — not a chain store. A
specialistshop will allow you to have a run in them before you
buy, which is very important.INTERVALS
■These are
theones most
people dread but
they’re probably
the most useful
for improving
performance. You
alternate short
periods of high-
speed running
with periods of
recovery. A good
sample session
would be to do
one minute fast
with two minutes
of recovery
running and
repeat that
ten times.FARTLEK
■This gets its
namefrom a
Swedish word
meaning “speed
play”. It’s an
unstructured
interval session
where your
periods of
intense effort and
recovery vary.
You can make
it up as you go
along but it helps
to impose some
kind of external
system, such as
saying to yourself
that you’ll go hard
until the third
lamppost.LONG RUN
■These are
essentialif you’re
training for a long-
distance event
like a marathon.
Doing one long run
a week is usually
sufficient to make
progress, and
try to increase
the distance you
cover each week
by about 1.5km.
Every six to eight
weeks, have a
recovery week
where you do a
shorter run so that
your legs are fresh
for the next push.TEMPO RUN
■In these
sessionsyour
aim is to maintain
a relatively fast
and steady pace
for about 20-30
minutes. This
should feel quite
uncomfortable
but the idea is that
you get used to
running at a pace
that’s faster than
one you could
sustain for, say,
10km. You should
be constantly
flirting with going
too fast and you’ll
feel tired at the
end of the run.2 )Look at the soles of your old pairWear on the outside rear of the sole indicates you land on the
outsideof the heel and roll inwards (aka pronation), so you
should aim for something with a bit more stability. If this is very
pronounced, you should think about doing some hip and glute
strength exercises to combat it3 ) Use multiple pairsBuy shoes with more stability for longer runs, lightweight neutral
shoes for faster efforts, more traction for off-road runs. This helps
prolong the life of all the shoes and keeps the feet ‘active’ as they
need to adapt to the differing challenges of terrain and support..”Complete a mixture of these training sessions to get fitter and
faster than ever.Asics Gel Kayano 23
WHAT’S IT FOR?
Providing support and
cushioning to over-pronators.
STANDOUT FEATURE
The sole, which is packed
with features designed to aid
your foot’s interaction with
the ground.ROAD TEST
As the name suggests, the
Kayano is now in its 23rd
iteration, and remains one of the
best shoes for runners in need of
stability. The huge amount of
cushioning in the sole was much
appreciated on longer runs,
although if you’re not an
over-pronator the reinforced
midsole might feel like overkill.
Also of note is the updated
upper, which Asics has made
seamless, boosting the comfort
levels still further.
$260, asics.com/au3
Under Armour
SpeedForm Gemini 3
Record-EquippedWHAT’S IT FOR?
Running and monitoring
your progress.
STANDOUT FEATURE
Automatic tracking via
technology embedded
in the shoe.ROAD TEST
We love the Record-Equipped
monitoring. It links with the
MapMyRun app, and because the
data is coming direct from the
shoe and feet movements, it
provides a more accurate
measurement of your cadence,
distance and fatigue. It also
features a knit midfoot panel
support for great lockdown
and “Charged Cushioning” for
improved responsiveness
and durability.
$229.99, underarmour.com.au2