Let me start by saying, I am quite a heavy runner (82kg/12 st 9) and I usually run with cushioned shoes and an insole.

The Boost is a shoe that has provoked a lot of discussion, both for the new (energy-returning) midsole that is lighter and more reactive than traditional EVA, and because certain reviews sustain that they make you run faster (we’re talking about a gain of about 15 sec a km for paces of around 5min/Km.

Category Neutral

Weight: 270g

Price £91.67-£110

I have run about 250 miles in them (between training and races, in particular half marathons) and I can say that:

• They are very comfortable, the fit is much better than any other neutral or cushioned shoe that I have tried in the past.
• Compared to the cushioned shoes that I normally use for mid or long distance training (Asics Nimbus 14), when it is very cold (between 2 and 5 degrees) the Boost remain flexible in the footstrike and don’t stiffen excessively.
• I don’t believe that they make you run faster (the placebo effect?) even if I admit that I ran my personal best in the half marathon (on this point you have to carry out a serious study and compare with other shoes with the same external conditions and effort)
• The life span is a little inferior to other shoes (after 185 miles you notice a slight loss of reactivity)
• They should be used with caution.  In my case, after a while I really took to them and started to use them for almost every session, until I started to feel a few niggles.  I can’t say for certain if this was related to the shoes, but to be safe, now I use them only for faster training sessions and races.

Bottom line: A good shoe, to be used with caution if your biomechanics aren’t perfect and you weigh more than 75kg.

Fit 5/5

Cushioning 4/5

Reactivity 5/5

Lifespan 3/5

Overall score 4/5