The Internet Trail: Volume #02

There you have it! We’ve blitzed through the World Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games, European Champs and Diamond League, which can only mean one thing: summer is basically over.

So as the temperature drops and nights draw in, it only makes sense to keep yourself motivated with a new pair of shoes. Here are some of the more interesting options released in the past few months.

McLaren HySpeed

Yes, as in car manufacturer McLaren. Were we to follow the likes of Wired or The Verge and include a ‘Best Option on a Budget’ this shoe certainly wouldn’t be it, coming in at a cool $450. With the help of Athletic Propulsion Labs, the luxury carmaker is venturing into footwear in the first in what is expected to be many more partnerships in fashion and streetwear. This push is an attempt to keep the brand “culturally relevant,” according to Chief Marketing Officer Gareth Dunsmore. Reviews are still a little sparse but with cutting edge technology driving their F1 team, you’d expect this shoe to be fast.

Puma Run XX Nitro WNS

The shoe designed solely for women (which is a little more rare than you might expect) is named for the woman-specific double X chromosome DNA sequence and boasts a “progressive, female-specific design”. In fact Puma brand ambassador and top marathoner Molly Seidel posted on Instagram highlighting that “over 90% of running biomechanics studies only focus on men, and that most “women’s” shoes are just men’s shoes with a narrower forefoot.” The Run XX Nitro features a narrower heel hold and arch/instep fit, a variety of forefoot widths and a little extra support for pronation to support women’s wider base of support (the Q-angle) which changes how they hit the ground and pronate through the stride.

Adidas 4D FWD 2

It’s a shoe that literally moves you forward like an airport travelator, just more shoe-shaped and less 80-meters-of-moving-metal. The goal of the 3D printed shoe is to “reduce braking forces and transform the impact energy into a forward motion” which results in a more fluid motion and takes some load off the legs constantly pounding the pavement. It’s also a great looking shoe!

Hoka

This submission isn’t a shoe model as such, more just the brand as it was recently spotlighted in NYLON (the self-proclaimed go-to source for the young, stylish, and culture-obsessed) as the latest “chunky IT sneaker”. The brand’s success epitomises the trend towards functional or utilitarian products, whether that’s running shoes, trail shoes, or technical apparel. Hoka have always been a trail running favourite and you will no doubt see more of their range walking the streets of cultural hubs/cities donned by those your mum would call ‘quirky’.

On Onward

Finally, we reach the latest installation of Another Cool Thing On Are Doing™ as, in the US, they have launched Onward, a second-hand trade in scheme to “extend the life of products and encourage circularity across the footwear and apparel industry.” Each “gently used” item sent in is QC’d and refreshed, avoiding landfill, then given new home. Taking inspiration from mobile phone companies, a more circular approach to footwear is just what the running industry is in need of. Especially with the extensive use of plastics in their products.

That’s all folks! Stay tuned for the next Internet Trail.