Nike Air Zoom Elite 9

$165; Men’s 224 g (7.9 oz.), Women’s 190 g (6.3 oz.); Drop ratio: 8 mm Nike’s long-standing speedster option gets lighter and sees both cosmetic and functional improvements. The Zoom Elite has always been a favourite of hard-core racers for distances all the way up to the marathon. With version nine, some of our testers used the Zoom Elite for tempo runs and track workouts. Its slightly thicker midsole for a racing-oriented shoe makes the Zoom Elite a really nice choice for a half-marathon PB. Nike tacked on a bit more blown rubber and a hexagonal outsole for added traction without additional weight. The crash rail has also been modified for a slightly more responsive ride.

Coupled with Nike’s Flywire, the patented knit upper has also been reworked yet again, and with fantastic results. The new Zoom Elite is a snappy, quick shoe for race day and maybe even a little bit of fun while training.