Hyper Speed 6

The Hyper Speed 5 was the shoe I recommended to everyone who wanted a fast, cheap workout and race shoe, so I was both excited and nervous about version 6. The changes are small but important. The stack went up from about 24 mm forefoot and under 30 mm heel to 26 mm and 32 mm, with a 6 mm drop. To me it feels like 4 mm more cushioning, not 2 mm. The Flytefoam midsole feels softer and snappier than in other ASICS shoes. It has the right mix of softness and responsiveness for running fast. I ran an easy 4 km at 6:30 to 7:00/km, then a workout between 3:15 and 5:00/km, and it was comfortable at every pace. The upper is a bit thicker than last year, so it should last longer, and it still breathes like a racing shoe. The tongue is thin and not gusseted, but it handled the lace pressure. The new laces came undone twice until I double knotted them. They added more heel padding, which suits its new role as a daily trainer. It felt very stable, and it was fine for walking too. The outsole now has ASICSGRIP in the toe-off area instead of only the soft AHAR LO rubber, which wore out by about 300 km and was slippery on hills. The grip is now excellent. This is not a shoe for beginners, flat feet, overpronation or runners over 75 to 80 kg. It suits neutral runners under 80 kg who are already fast, finishing a half marathon in about 1.5 to 2 hours, for intervals, track sessions and 5 km to half marathon races. Faster runners can also use it as a daily trainer. Runners who loved the very low, ground-feel Hyper Speed 5 may not like the change. The ₹10,000 retail price is too much. At that price I would want a more energetic foam, like the Nitro foam in the Puma Velocity Nitro 4. At ₹4,000 I have no complaints.