Cole Haan Men's Zerogrand All-Day Trainer

Product Information

Neither option is necessarily better than the other; when deciding on a shoe’s drop, choose what feels most natural and comfortable to you, taking into account your personal running mechanics and injury history. While we love a good pair of winter boots, loafers and even sometimes a kitten heel for everyday, they can pinch and rub and they require breaking in. Waterproof shoes are great for keeping your feet dry in mud and wet grass but may feel hot and sweaty on summer days. In our tests, we were impressed by the balance of thick, plump cushioning and light weight of the shoe. It’s Worth Noting: The toe box felt a bit cramped on the sides by the end of the day, so take advantage of the four width options if your feet need more space.

The new two-piece outsole (the V1 and V2 had one) allows it to flex more easily with the midsole, and the surface has a dense colony of lugs for grip. We found the exceptionally stabilizing arch support encouraged proper foot alignment and cushioned each step, which minimized the foot pain we usually feel after multiple hours of walking around. Some service industry professionals prefer a clog for ease of use; they are easy to clean and also quick to remove after a hot spill.

The outsole uses strips of blown rubber under the forefoot, so it blends with the midsole instead of acting as a resistant layer. RW Video producer Pat Heine-Holmberg tested the Thundercross on the rocky Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania near Runner’s World HQ, as well as during Rickey Gates’s Hut Run Hut—a six-day camping excursion that includes 100 miles of running, bushwhacking off-trail, and scrambling across Colorado ridgelines. Look for shoes with wide soles, especially in the forefoot—the added space gives your toes room to splay with each step and creates a more stable platform for your feet. While they’re putting miles on the shoes, the same models undergo a battery of mechanical tests in our RW Shoe Lab, where we objectively measure each shoe’s cushioning, flexibility, sole thickness, and weight.

The bounce, traction, ride, and stability were never compromised by additional wear or the surface I was running on,” one tester said. The footwear requirements for greasy floors and potentially hazardous spills are very different from your regular workplace. In 2020, Brooks’s development team used the Hyperion Tempo as a prototype to test DNA Flash, the nitrogen-infused foam that would eventually be used in the brand’s supershoes. To test softness, we go to our Shoe Lab to take individual measurements of both the heel and forefoot, since the overall experience can vary based on where a runner touches down and toes off. That “sponginess” our tester refers to is the soft give that adapts to the bottom of your foot, as the foam’s firmness provides support and shock absorption.This story was put together by multiple Shape contributors and staff members, including senior commerce editor Shannon Bauer, who has seven years of experience in the beauty and wellness industry, plus a background in fashion design, and senior commerce editor Kristen Geil, NASM-CPT, a certified personal trainer who regularly tests, analyzes, and reviews fitness and wellness gear. We can run comfortably for long miles because we’re supported with a bouncy and plush cushion underfoot. The fit is accommodating without being sloppy, so that also contributes to the overall comfort levels.