Chinese Alternatives to Western Running Shoes
Chinese running shoe brands are all the rage right now. If you are wanting to purchase a pair of Chinese running shoes, see below for some comparisons of popular Western running shoes to Chinese shoes that can help you decide which one to pick up first.
These Chinese brands might be onto something. To help our hobby jogger audience, we decided to compare popular Chinese shoes to their Western counterparts.
1. Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra if you like the Nike Vomero Premium
If the Nike Vomero Premium shed 120 grams, you'd have the Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra. The Vomero Premium comes in at 351 grams while the Red Hare 9 Ultra is a mere 233 grams. The Red Hare 9 Ultra is a super trainer that offers a premium max cushion underfoot experience akin to the Vomero Premium, but at a significantly lighter weight. The Red Hare 9 Ultra has a triple layer midsole with middle layer capsule tech providing leg-saving bounce and comfort while the Vomero Premium features a ZoomX midsole foam with dual Air Zoom units for bounce and impact absorption. Right now you can get the Lin-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra on Amazon for about $150, while the Vomero Premium has an MSRP of $230.
Nike Vomero Premium
2. Anta Zone 2 if you like the Adidas Evo SL Woven
The Anta Zone 2 is a serious competitor to the hype-beast Adidas Evo SL Woven. The Anta Zone 2 is a nimble, bouncy daily trainer that delivers a fun uptempo ride for daily miles. You can think of this as an Evo SL that you can find for around $60 USD. At only 178 grams, it is also significantly lighter than the Evo SL, which comes in around 235 grams. The Zone 2 has a TPEE foam that feels similar to Adidas Lightstrike Pro and has a smooth rocker geometry, while the Evo SL uses the Lightstrike Pro formulation from the Adios Pro 3 and has an aggressive race-tuned rocker.
Adidas Adizero Evo SL Woven
3. Dynafish Xiaonian if you like the ASICS Megablast
The Dynafish Xiaonian is giving the ASICS Megablast some competition for the "greatest mileage shoe ever" title. Jack aka Jogoncrago recently called the Xiaonian the best mileage shoe ever, pointing to its Megablast-like combination of energy return and cushion. At only 190 grams, it is also significantly lighter than the Megablast, which weighs in around 218 grams. The Xiaonian has a highly-rockered geometry with less foam in the heel than the Megablast, while the Megablast has a more approachable geometry that feels optimal for midfoot-heel striking.
ASICS Megablast
Check out Yowan's full first-run review of the Dynafish Xiaonian on the Supwell YouTube channel:
4. Li-Ning Feidian 5 Ultra if you like the OG Adidas Prime X Strung
The Li-Ning Feidian 5 Ultra is similar to the OG Adidas Prime X Strung due to its status as the ultimate "illegal" race day weapon. Both of these models ignore World Athletics regulations, breaking what’s “legal” to deliver the ultimate race day midsole experience. The Feidian 5 Ultra weighs in at 193 grams, while the OG Prime X Strung is more like 255 grams. The Feidian 5 Ultra has strategic cutouts and dual folded carbon fiber plates for a one-of-a-kind springy ride. The OG Prime X Strung featured 50mm stack height with several carbon fiber elements for stiffness and pop. Unfortunately, it is hard to find the OG Prime X Strung and the Prime X Strung 2 and Prime X Strung 3 have failed to deliver the same unique ride and experience of the OG.
Adidas Prime X 3 Strung
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