4 Running Shoes that Need an Overhaul
Here we are taking a close look at 4 running shoes that are in need of some serious changes in order to help revive their once prominent place in the heart's and mind's of hobby joggers and the running community. We will detail what the problems are and how they can be fixed for the Saucony Triumph 23, Nike Vaporfly 4, New Balance More v6, and the ASICS Magic Speed 4.
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
Nike Vaporfly Next% 4
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.
Nike Streakfly 2
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Saucony Triumph 23: Flatlined Entirely
Saucony Triumph 23
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The Triumph 23 is weighed down by outdated design choices and dull cushioning.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.
Salomon Aero Glide 3
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New Balance More v6: Dangerously Stuck in the Past
New Balance More v6
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- Outdated foam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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