Took my Prodigio out yesterday for a longish run in the mountains and I have to say, it's my new favorite shoe. I climbed up 4000' to a peak and then quickly descended, all under 13 miles, and it handled everything with flying colors. And with about 150 miles on them, they show no signs of wear.

You really need to review the new VJ Maxx 2. I think it could be the best trail shoe this year and it is much less extreme than their fell/OCR shoes.

@Nbstevens78

17 күн бұрын

The vj grip is the best in the world. Have the xtrm2 and the irocks awesome for my stomping groud in the lake district fells and mountains, they are very popular in the fell running community

@gregprevite8548

16 күн бұрын

Heck yeah. I had the ultra 1s and was blown away by the grip. They did have some durability issues that they fixed in the ultra 2 but vj rubber is crazy

@Nbstevens78

16 күн бұрын

@gregprevite8548 it defies physics, lol...

@ryanjones2627

16 күн бұрын

Agreed, used them on Val daran by UTMB and they were superb, grip like anything.

I remember over the last few years this list being dominated by Saucony trail shoes; it’s really interesting to see not only more brands standing out this year but not a single Saucony shoe making the cut 😮 enjoyed the video, Loyd! Thanks for the great content.

Weird, I was only watching your 2023 version of this video a couple of hours ago 😂 Thanks for the picture at the Serpent Trail registration on Friday evening, and the missus loves her Run 4 Adventure cup 😉

Three excellent choices Loyd 🙌 and a Hoka...😉 All three my from my favourite running shoe brands. My best shoe of the year is without a doubt the New Balance Venym. What a gem! Lightweight, excellent fit and width, a super soft, balanced and bouncy midsole. Wide and very stable platform. Lugs could be longer but it has a decent grip for a road-to-trail shoe. You really should try it out Loyd.

Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx are really nice, grippy, excellent fit, lightweight, except that the heel is quite prominent, even though the drop is listed as 4mm. The stiff heel makes the shoe quite harsh and at times unstable.

After your review, I ended up buying the non-Matrix version of the Long Sky 2 on sale, just to see what they're like (never owned a pair of Merrells before). And I love them. Fit my feet perfectly, and the lugs are awesome. I don't/can't use them for every type of run, but when I do, I'm so happy I gave them a try. I now plan to try some other Merrells in the future.

Thanks Llyod always appreciate your reviews. Would love to see what you think of the North face Vectiv? I was never fond of the look or the big rocker but they've been on the feet of a number of elite athletes so curious about your feedback.

Interesting top 4. I would add these running/trail shoes: NB fuelcell Rebel v4 and the Merrel mtl Skyfire2. Like to Run4adventure. A nice weekend for everyone.

Hoka Skyward X is my shoe of the half-year. I've got hallux rigidus in my big toes and they have been incredible for protecting my toes on longer runs ❤

I've given the Prodigio a good test now on various terrains and it really does run amazingly. The only thing stopping it being 10/10 perfect for me though is the piddly lug depth. While the grip does ok, I feel if it was a tiny bit more aggressive, I wouldn't reach for any other shoe on my shelf right now. Sadly, being in the UK where we're likely to encounter wet and muddy ground - even in summer - I will tend to pick something else that inspires a bit more confidence.

Great video, I would love to see you cover running backpacks for a work commute ? After having a baby I do 2 of my 4 runs to work now to increase family time but backpacks arnt covered much on KZread

Hope you can try the Asics Superblast 2, Loyd. It’s arguably the goat running shoe. I don’t know another shoe that instantly sells out in all colors for all versions 😅

The Merrell Agility Peak 5 has been my Ultra shoe ever since you recommended it (one 100miler, two 100km's). But there are holes in the upper already after 460km, so a Merrell AP5 with a matrix upper like the Long Sky would be great!

That color of salomon.. so so great

@Run4Adventure

16 күн бұрын

I totally agree, it’s an awesome looking trail shoe 😍

I think You would love VJ Lightspeed and VJ Maxx 2 👌😉🇳🇴

I was looking for a road to trail shoe and wanted a more cushioned Parkclaw G 280. Ended up with the Trail-Ready version of the Nimbus 26. Takes a while for the foam to settle in but what a comfortable shoe that is very stable for the stack size. If anyone has any recommendations for a road to trail shoe, I am all ears. Maybe a good subject for a video 👟 👞 👠 👍

I see from their email that inov-8 are discontinuing the Trailfly G270v2 😢 I guess the new one has taken over but it’s a shame that it looks like they’re dropping the zero drop version (and slightly deeper lugs) as it’s my favourite shoe at the moment

oops neither my Saucony Peregrine nor the Xodus Ultra are on the short list... hmmm

Curious why you haven’t tried the Altra Timp 5

@seanmac80

17 күн бұрын

He's not a zero drop guy, so I imagine that unless Altra sends him a pair to review the he may not want to splash the cash on shoes that don't really appeal. Pure speculation on my part though.

@Run4Adventure

16 күн бұрын

I have tested the Altra Timp on the channel before and the durability has always been a big issue for me. Ever since then I’ve stayed away from them because of that. Also like Sean said I’m not a massive fan of Zero drop shoes 🤔

I’m gonna bet the Mach 6..I’m a size 9..do u think I should go 9.5

@Run4Adventure

16 күн бұрын

I would definitely go up half a size in the Mach 6 Martin 👍😁

@martinmcgrath1985

16 күн бұрын

@@Run4Adventure thanks buddy do u think the wider fit ones, or normal ones

@Run4Adventure

15 күн бұрын

@@martinmcgrath1985 It really depends on your foot shape Martin. I’m fine with the standard width in the toe but my foot shape is quite narrow 🤔

Agree with you that Inov8 are loosing it. Shame.

I love saucony trail shoes, but I hate what they did to xodus ultra. Last version is the worst. You agree my man?

You still haven't tried VJ Lightspeed. Might be even better than Pulsar3. Bouncier and a bit deeper cushioning and more customiseable fit + the best grip on the planet. Only downside is how much water the upper absorbs.

@bilaltahir9978

17 күн бұрын

Have you tried the new VJ Maxx 2s?

17 күн бұрын

@@bilaltahir9978 yes. They are not as lively as lightspeeds. I think that Maxx2 is good compromise between protection and ground feel and also stability and agility. Some say that it has a wild and exciting ride, but I would say that it is more on the calm side (at least when compared to lighter s/lab models or vj lightspeed). Midsole is comfortable and pretty bouncy - quite a lot better than traditional EVA. Last is pretty roomy but still very secure at midfoot and heel. I had to size down to 42 - I usually wear 42,5 or 43. With Lightspeed I managed to go with 42,5. Roadtrailrun has pretty detailed review of maxx2 and lightspeed also.

@bilaltahir9978

17 күн бұрын

Many thanks for your reply. Which of the two do you think would be better for an ultramarathon on technical terrain with a bit of scrambling?

17 күн бұрын

@@bilaltahir9978 maxx2 is more stable and has wider toebox. Lightspeed is faster and more effecient but not that stable. Both could probably do an ultra. No. 1 VJ sponsored ultra runner Juuso Simpanen uses Lightspeed for races. But Maxx2 could be better option for those who don't have the strongest ankles and don't care about speed that much. I personally would choose Lightspeeds to be as fast as possible.

17 күн бұрын

@@bilaltahir9978 Both of them could probably do an ultra. I would choose Lightspeed to be as fast as possible but Maxx2 could be better for those who don't have very strong ankles and don't care about speed that much. On runnable terrain lightspeed is just simply faster and more efficient.

Hi the audio sounds like you are in an empty room, no quite echo'ie, but very hollow, makes vocals harder to hear

@Run4Adventure

15 күн бұрын

I used exactly the same audio set up on this video that I’ve used in my last 200 videos and I’ve never had anyone comment about poor audio quality? 🤔

No Saucony ? What s The matter Lloyd ?

Came here for the shoe recommendations stayed for the awesome socks 🫶🏻 where can one get some of those bad boys?