The Brooks Hyperion Elite series has had a rough go of it since I’ve been following the shoe. When I saw the Elite 4 coming down the pipeline, I got very excited about this shoe and I was hoping to get my feet in a pair to log some good miles in it. I’m very excited to have gotten a pair and while the shoe has gotten mixed reviews, I think that on the whole it is an incredible shoe, though it may not be for everybody.

For years when you think of maximum cushion running shoes, Hoka has been the brand that first comes to mind. The title of max cushion king has been challenged by many brands in the past 2-3 years as new foams have been used in daily trainers and we’ve seen the advent of the super trainers becoming more prevalent for use by the average runner. With the introduction of the Skyward X, I’m not sure that Hoka takes the title definitively, but this shoe puts Hoka right back into contention for the crown. This is also Hoka’s first super trainer that has a full length carbon plate in it.

When it comes to making great running shoes, On has had a long and bumpy road. They always made incredible looking shoes, and the materials and craftsmanship were top notch, but up until about 2 years ago, they just weren’t comfortable when you compared them to shoes from other major brands. The shift began with the Cloudmonster and Cloudgo for me. The Cloudsurfer was the first shoe that they made that I felt was a true game changer though. The Cloudmonster Hyper is another shoe that I consider a game changer or pivot point for the brand.

The 880 is New Balance medium cushioned, neutral running shoe. In the last few years the 880 has gotten better and better and I think this is the best version yet.

The Glycerin had a massive update in its 20th iteration and one that, in my opinion, saved the shoe and kept the brand competitive. In the Glycerin 21 we see a year of smaller changes to give the people a little time to cool off and settle in. Prior to the 20 I would say that it was hard for me to see or feel a difference between the Glycerin and the Ghost. Now I find a substantial difference and I am on team Glycerin for one main reason: nitrogen. Introducing the nitrogen infused EVA to the Glycerin was a game changer for the shoe line and made it a shoe to pay attention to.

There is a high probability that if you ask me at the end of the year to make a list of my favorite running shoes, the Novablast 4 will be on it. Logically one would hope that as shoes progress, they continue to get better and better, thus making the latest version of the shoe the greatest. This logic is unfortunately not always accurate in the shoe world, but I think when it comes to the Novablast, the latest is also currently the greatest.

There isn’t much that is flashy about this shoe, but it gets the job done and I think that’s the whole point. If you’re looking for relative comparison points in other brands look at the Brooks Ghost, New Balance 880 or the Asics Cumulus to get an idea of where this shoe lies within a larger lineup. It’s made to be a workhorse and it does the job as asked.

The Magnify Nitro 2 is Puma’s maximum cushion daily trainer and it does not disappoint. There are no tricks or gimmicks to make this shoe special, but it feels good, fits well and runs wonderfully.

The Ghost Max is an easy shoe to recommend for just about anyone. Just about anyone can head into their local running store and grab a pair of these shoes and walk out and get a few hundred good training miles in them. It will be a durable and steady shoe. It’s not flashy and lacks any bells or whistles, but it is built to get the job done.