10 of the Top Shoes at The Running Event 2023
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Runners and outdoor enthusiasts will have plenty of top-tier shoes to shop in 2024.
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Leading brands including Nike, Brooks, New Balance and several others showcased their footwear releases for 2024 at The Running Event (TRE), the annual running industry trade show held in Austin, Texas. The looks included trail runners, super shoes, hiking boots (thanks to the outdoor-focused Switchback section on the expo floor) and more.
Below are 10 of the top shoes revealed at TRE.
Nike Pegasus Trail 5
Nike showcased several tech-loaded running shoes at TRE, including the Alphafly 3 super shoe and the all-terrain Zegama 2 trail runner with Vibram outsoles. However, one of the more compelling looks at the athletic giant’s booth was the Pegasus Trail 5. The trail runner was designed with both improved performance and sustainability in mind, and the highlight of the shoe is its ReactX foam. ReactX, Nike explained, is engineered to cut down its carbon footprint in a pair of midsoles by at least 43 percent compared to React foam due to reduced energy in the manufacturing process. Also, ReactX has 13 percent better energy return than React. It arrives in May and will retail for $140.
Brooks Caldera 7
Brooks updated everything with the Caldera 7, its top-tier trail shoe. The highlight of the shoe is the brand’s responsive DNA Loft With Nitro midsoles. However, runners who are more interested in aesthetics are likely to be drawn to the prints and colors Brooks employed, which will have you stand out on the trail. It arrives in January and will retail for $150.
New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos
New Balance had several compelling shoes on display at TRE, and arguably the best product story of them all is the Fresh Foam X Balos, a new shoe that will arrive in August. With the Fresh Foam X Balos, New Balance set out to create the most fun and liveliest training experience. It comes equipped with a pronounced rocker shape, EVA outsoles that give the runner connected to the ground experience and PEBA foam blend midsoles for the in a Fresh Foam shoe. As for the uppers, they feature mesh, 3D-printed logos and soft gusseted tongues that hugs the foot. It will retail for $200.
Hoka Tecton X 3
Hoka will deliver its pinnacle style for trail racing, the Tecton X 3, in August. How good of a trail race shoe is the Tecton X 3? Ask Jim Walmsley, who won the UTMB (and set a course record) in August in a prototype of the model. It is light weight, has two layers of PEBA foam and parallel carbon fiber plates with support on both the medial and lateral sides. Also, it features Matryx uppers, gaiter construction collars and Vibram Megagrip outsoles underfoot. Retail price is $275.
Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2
Puma has a new super shoe. The Fast-R Nitro Elite 2, which arrives in February and will retail for $260, is disruptive, to say the least. The brand added a PowerPlate — which Puma believes is the most propulsive shoe on the market — that extends beyond the toe of the shoe, which allows the runner to run with longer and more powerful steps. Also, the look features updated NitroElite foam that Puma explained has exceeded rebound numbers over any of its past foam compounds, as well as breathable UltraWeave uppers and PumaGrip outsoles.
La Sportiva Levante
La Sportiva is ready to release a women’s-specific shoe in February, the Levante. This shoe was built from the ground up and built using characteristics from some of the brand’s top shoes. It features outsoles with a proprietary sticky rubber compound underfoot, its high-rebound XFlow midsole cushioning and features a precise fit with the uppers. The shoe, which is lightweight (it weighs 7.2 ounces) will retail for $155.
Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid
Thanks to TRE’s addition of the outdoor-focused Switchback section, Lowa was able to present the Renegade Evo GTX Mid, a hiking boot slated to arrive in November. The boot features injection PU midsoles with a monowrap frame, Vibram outsoles underfoot and nubuck uppers with embossed seams for less stitching. Also, the medial piece of leather on the upper wraps all the way around the toe bumper to get rid of the overlay seam and reduce a point of failure. Retail price is $265.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx
Merrell revealed looks from its upcoming MTL collection, which are the brand’s peak performance silhouettes (which the brand said have peaked the interests of the run specialty retail channel). The collection includes the MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx mountain runner and the MTL Long Sky 2 trail runner, but the highlight is the MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx. The race day-ready shoe is built for vertical ascent, and features a TPU plate plated between layers of the brand’s FloatPro EVA midsoles. The shoe is lightweight and includes Kevlar thread throughout the uppers for both stability and structure. Retail price is $210.
Asics Novablast 4
$160
One of the shoes the red-hot Asics showcased at TRE is available now: Novablast 4. The shoe, which dropped this month, is built to be energetic and offer a bouncy experience. Underfoot is the brand’s FlytFoam Bast+ midsole compound, and the geometry underfoot — described by the brand as “trampoline geometry” — recesses and then releases for greater impact. It retails for $140. (Next year, the brand will release the Gel-Nimbus 26, a shoe the brand said was designed with all day supreme comfort in mind.)
NNormal Kjerag
$195
NNormal made its debut in January and is already making noise. The brand showcased the Kjerag at TRE, a shoe named after a mountain in Norway. It is lightweight and responsive for racing, and is built with Matryx uppers and Vibram Megagrip outsoles. New colors will arrive in January and the retail price is $190.
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
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