The Golden Mean of running shoes!
This is the best trainer (running shoe) I have ever worn (and I've been really interested in running shoes since 2013)! I got these shoes because I can't stand todays maximalist trend where most trainers are inflexible and have huge stack heights. The Cyclones have a mild forefoot rocker that still lets me use my own foot's flexing abilities, which is super important to me. This is what I mean when I say these are the "golden mean": they combine the best design patterns from recent decades into a really well balanced package that helps me run effortlessly. Specifically, the cyclones have:- PEBAX foam (2020s) super light, great energy return. Their PEBAX is tuned to be firmer than for example the ZoomX in Nike's racing shoes, which means the Cyclones feel good at slow paces (down to my slowest jog on warmups/recovery intervals) in addition to fast paces.- Footshaped design (2010s) This was super important for me: my old trainers (Nike Pegasus) were so narrow that they caused my arch to get sore (weird chain reaction, but that's what I think was happening). I'm actually size 11, but in other brands I sometimes go as high as 12 or 12.5 to get decent width. This used to work ok, but with most brands' modern stack heights, you can't wear shoes that are too long for you because they don't bend. So getting a shoe that actually fit my foot's slightly wide toe shape was essential and the TOPOS did that!- Moderate stack height (1980s-2010s). Unlike most of today's super-stacked trainers, these have enough foam to keep you protected from the pavement but not so much that you are at the mercy of the shoe's geometry for your toe-off mechanics. The past three weeks I have averaged 60+ miles-per-week (including three 20 mile long runs on pavement) in these and felt great- something I could not do in a more minimal shoe.- Slight rocker (2020s). As mentioned above, I can't stand the kind of rockers that HOKA pioneered in the late 2010s and which almost all mainstream brands have since adopted. But the Cyclones provide a middle ground that makes me happy. One note: it is important to get these in the right size- before getting my beloved size 11s I had size 11.5s. In the too-large ones, I didn't line up quite right with the rocker, making them not so good.I use these shoes as daily trainers. Other people complain about low durability. I only have 150 miles on them, but so far they feel good as new. Surprisingly the tread hasn't worn at all. I am curious how much these will last. I know they are supposed to be a performance trainer, but they are so wonderful I want to wear them all the time.One note: these have a 5mm drop which is less than some running shoes (like Brooks Ghost, Nike Pegasus) but the same as most Hokas. If you are used to higher-drop shoes (or possibly even just more rockered shoes, like the Hokas) then you might need some adjustment time to run in these without overly straining your lower legs. There are lots of tutorials on the internet for "adjusting to minimalist shoes". These are not really minimalist, but they have a few minimalist characteristics.And yes, they go fast. I have done some trackwork around 5 minute per mile pace (and slower) and they feel as good as any trainer I have tried for that. I'm going to race my road races of all distances in these. Technically, the fancy supershoes with carbon plates should provide more performance for some people (not all, it depends on how the shoe plays with your personal mechanics) but for me these seem great.And for reference I'm about 5'10" 155lbs, recreational runner about 60 mpw.