HEATHER NEWMAN Consumer Reports ranks top running shoes

Tag : Kit Shoes

Its ratings of running shoes cover two dozen models. The issue hitnewsstands today.
Consumer Reports is one of my favorite consumer publications; itdoesnt take ads, doesnt pull punches and isnt afraid to insultmajor companies. It buys its own samples to test, so its notbeholden to anyone. Its testers put 1,240 miles on 205 pairs ofshoes.
It does have some weaknesses, however. In cases like the shoereport, its hindered by its editorial cycle, which means that manyof the models it tested and highly ranked have been discontinued infavor of this years models (high-end shoes come out on an annualcalendar).

And if you need a particular type of shoe  motion control, extracushioning, etc. - you may find its general recommendations lesshelpful. That said, this is about as good a set of recommendationsas youre likely to get.

Top rated for men and women both was the Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 2.It sells for about $120 and has since been replaced by the Air ZoomVomero+ 3.

Second for men was the Brooks Glycerin 6 ($120) and for the womenwas the Nike Air Pegasus+ 2007 (being replaced July 1 by thePegasus+ 25, so named because this is the 25th anniversary year ofthe Pegasus model). The + in some Nike shoe names indicates that ithas a slot for the Nike+ sensor, used with the SportBand or SportKit to track your workouts.

Katherine Kulczyk of Nike said the differences beween the Vomero+2and 3 models include a cushioning change that should provide morestability and a change to waffle edging on the sole of the shoefor better traction and support as your foot his the ground.

On the Pegasus+ 2007 to 25, the Nike Redliner footbed has beenmoved directly beneath the foot so that theres a more seamlesstransition between when you hit the ground and come back up, shesaid.

If youre looking to save some cash, Consumer Reports advised,check out the Champion Helium for men and the Champion Wonder C9for women, both available at Target. For about $30, each offersperformance good enough for casual runners, the magazine advises.

For people with odd foot sizes, check out the Adidas SupernovaCushion 7 for men ($90, third overall) and the Air Pegasus+ 2007for women, both of which are available in three widths.

The shoes scores were based on fit, cushioning, stability andflexibility. Also factored in: breathability, weight and featureslike lacing systems and reflective strips.

For more information on Consumer Reports, see www.consumerreports.org . For info on the winning Nike models (and their replacements), see www.nike.com .
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