The latest ROAD RUNNERS

Find your fast feet on the roads with the newest supercushioned, speed-run and racing trainers

New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 (£260, newbalance.co.uk)

Reportedly very fast, I was excited to give ELITE these super shoes a whirl. One thing to note is that they are an investment buy, but for that spend you get a very lightweight 188g of racing shoe, with a thinner, fulllength Energy Arc carbon plate and bouncy Fuel Cell midsole, for optimum energy return, plus a swanky new mesh upper.

They're true to size, and you'll notice just how much spring in your step they provide. It is worth wearing them around the house before your run, and perhaps consider re-lacing them to your specification to ensure there's no slippage in the heel counter (I had a bit of rubbing on my left foot after five miles). But what I will say is you'll notice that these provide supreme bounce when you start to tire, whether that's in the latter part of a 1K effort or in the final stages of a race.

Brooks Glycerin 21 (£165, brooksrunning.com)

As a long-term fan of the Brooks Ghost (it's such a reliable shoe), I was keen to try the latest iteration of their ever-popular Glycerin model; the main differences being that it's plusher than the Ghost and slightly heavier (266.5g verses 258g). With a larger stack height and more nitrogen-injected DNA LOFT padding in the midsole than its predecessor, this is your all-out comfort trainer - perfect for those long and steady runs. It has a new warp-knit material on the upper, which snugs the foot nicely and boasts a little bit of flex, and you'll find that the toe box is roomy enough for a comfy push-off.

I took these for a run out-of-the-box and didn't experience any rubbing whatsoever. They're not the trainer I'd race or do speedwork in, but you can't go wrong with this reliable and comfortable option for everyday runs or if you're new to running. Also available in GTS (support) and StealthFit (tighter-fitting) options.