The dawn of the Super Trainer

Active Editor Matt Kollat takes a good hard look at the new phenomenon and whether Super Trainers are worth the splurge

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I blame the Nike Vaporfly 4% for the current state of the running shoe market. Blame might be a strong word, but Nike’s highstack racer is certainly the shoe we associate with ushering in the era of Super Shoes. Now, six years later, when most sports manufacturers launched their own version of the Super Shoe, we’re seeing a new kind of beast pricking up its ears: the Super Trainer.

Super Trainers are like Frankenstein’s monster, essentially an amalgam of Super Shoes and daily trainers. They often have ‘illegally’ tall stack height – over 40mm under the heels, meaning they can’t be used on races organised by the World Athletics Organisation – an embedded carbon plate, as well as a comfortable upper, traditional lacing, and a durable midsole foam and outsole.