Today we’re checking 4 shoes into the Supwell Shoe ICU that need some serious life support.

• Nike Vaporfly 4 – Critical condition: personality and energy loss
• Saucony Triumph 23 – Flatlined entirely: RIP
• New Balance More V6 – Critical condition: dangerously stuck in the past
• ASICS Magic Speed 4 – Unstable condition: lost in the sauce

See below to see each shoe’s symptoms, diagnosis, and what we’re prescribing to bring them back to life. 

Nike Vaporfly 4: Personality & Energy Loss

Race Day

Nike Vaporfly Next% 4

A comfortable and lightweight racing shoe that lacks excitement and bounce

Price

$260

Plated?

Yes

Foam

PEBA

Weight (oz)

5.9

Drop (mm)

6

Support

Neutral

see details

Symptoms:

• Noticeable loss of bounce
• No joy or unique character
• Delivers comfortable, but forgettable miles

Diagnosis:

Nike has lost sight of what the Vaporfly iconic.

Treatment:

To bring the Vaporfly back to its former glory, Nike needs to treat it like a super shoe again: give us an exciting geometry or more aggressive plate position. Take the Streakfly 2, bump the stack up and keep the toe-off. Or give us an Alphafly without the pods.

Race Day

Nike Streakfly 2

Aggressive short-distance racing shoe with a direct and nimble ride

Price

$180

Plated?

Yes

Foam

PEBA

Weight (oz)

4.5

Drop (mm)

4

Support

Neutral

see details

Saucony Triumph 23: Flatlined Entirely

Daily Trainer

Saucony Triumph 23

Cushioned daily trainer designed for walking and running

Price

$170

Plated?

No

Foam

PEBA

Weight (oz)

9.2

Drop (mm)

10

Support

Mild Stability

see details

Symptoms:

• Overly-firm, lifeless foam
• Lacks a clear identity
• Clunky platform with a distracting 10mm drop

Diagnosis:

The Triumph 23 is weighed down by outdated design choices and dull cushioning. Rapid intervention is needed.

Treatment:

Saucony needs to take notes from the Aero Glide 3: cut unnecessary weight, give us a lively, bouncy foam again—whether beaded TPU or real 100% PEBA—and lower the drop to a more modern 6-8mm.

Daily Trainer

Salomon Aero Glide 3

Bouncy and comfortable daily trainer with good protection and durability

Price

$160

Plated?

No

Foam

Beaded TPU

Weight (oz)

8.8

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

New Balance More v6: Dangerously Stuck in the Past

Max Cushion

New Balance More v6

Max cushioned running and walking shoe designed for comfort

Price

$155

Plated?

No

Foam

EVA

Weight (oz)

11.0

Drop (mm)

4

Support

Mild Stability

see details

Symptoms:

• Confusing positioning
• Virtually no energy return
• Outdated foam

Diagnosis:

The More v6 is stuck in the past, a relic of a bygone era when runners didn’t expect high energy return from max cushion shoes.

Treatment:

If the Fresh Foam More line hopes to stay alive, New Balance needs to make the next version more fun, more energetic, more...anything but what the More v6 is. We’d suggest a hard pivot to a modern supercritical TPU for increased bounce and high-mileage capability.

ASICS Magic Speed 4: Lost in the Sauce

Symptoms:

• Too much soft training foam relative to race foam
• 44mm stack is high for a streamlined race shoe

Diagnosis:

ASICS has 3 racers and is debuting the high stack Megablast and Sonicblast later this year. Where does that leave the Magic Speed?

Treatment:

ASICS should double down on pure speed—even if it comes at the cost of versatility: dial in the upper, bring the stack height down below 40mm, and increase the proportion of FF Turbo in the mid/forefoot. Maybe even knock the price down to make a truly competitive, affordable speed shoe.

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