Spring 2021 Triathlete Buyer's Guide: Running Shoes

Brooks Hyperion Elite 2 | $135

Fit: ★ ★ ★ | Cushion: ★ ★ ★ | Performance: ★ ★ ★ ★
Weight: 6.5oz (women’s), 7.3oz (men’s) | Offset: 3mm

Basics

A triathlon-specific shoe, Zoot’s Ultra TTs are designed with fast transitions in mind—drainage holes, quick pull-on loops, and elastic laces. When Zoot re-entered the footwear market in late 2019, it remodeled its race shoe with, what it says, are mechanics designed specifically to keep your turnover high off the bike.

Pros

• Light and fast race shoe
• Tri-focused features

Cons

• Slightly narrow and small; you will want to size up
• In the age of super shoes, unclear if the Ultra TT can compete

On Cloudflyer | $160

Fit: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Cushion: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Performance: ★ ★
Weight: 9.8oz (men’s), 7.4oz (women’s) | Offset: 7mm

Basics

A workhorse shoe designed with On’s Helion superfoam and their Speedboard plate. Midfoot support tube and molded heel make this shoe one of the heftier and more stable we tested. Comes in a waterproof model too.

Pros

• Wide footbox
• For the level of stability and support, relatively light shoe

Cons

• Might be a lot of shoe for some people, not a ton of give
• On’s unique lug design isn’t for everyone
• Definitely not a shoe that can be worn on trails

Altra Torin 4.5 Plush | $140

Fit: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Cushion: ★ ★ ★ ★ | Performance: ★ ★ ★ ★
Weight: 7.4oz (women’s), 8.9oz (men’s) | Offset: 0mm

Basics

The Torin 4.5 Plush is a slight updated version of Altra’s popular shoe—.5 means just the upper has been updated from the 4. It features the company’s standard wide toe box (designed to allow your feet to splay to their natural position instead of being confined) and zero drop. With the amount of cushioning and midfoot support, it’s a minimalist/maximalist tempo shoe.

Pros

• Very plushy ride, especially nice for tired legs
• Uniquely wide toe box gives your feet room to move
• Still retains a tempo feel, without any sense of restriction of movement

Cons

• Zero-drop shoes are not for everyone
• Almost too plushy, with odd roll through the midfoot