Nike Air Zoom Vomero 12 £115

This would have been an award contender if Nike had sweated the details a little more. On the (very) positive side the plush ride, slipper-like comfort, secure midfoot fit and lateral stability when cornering all came in for praise, while the RW Shoe Lab reported a nice ratio of cushioning to flexibility. However, the dense upper, thick tongue, slightly pinched toebox and lack of ground feel held back the Vomero’s performance slightly. As RW editor Andy Dixon summed it up: ‘Best kept for recovery or easy runs.’