Dynex

I bought about 10 Cult shoes with my own money and returned many because they felt like walking shoes, not running shoes. The Dynex impressed me the most. It uses Cult's soft EVA foam, but tuned to be a little denser and bouncier, with a higher stack. Having run 100 km in the Novablast 5, I'd say the Dynex gives me 70–80% of that feel. On my half-marathon long run I had no fatigue at all. It absorbed the impact completely and still gave a slight springy, poppy feel, and the soft insole adds a little extra bounce. The design follows the Novablast closely, especially the forefoot rocker and the heel. The upper is a thin, light engineered mesh, and it is very breathable. I had no rubbing, and the toe box has good height. The tongue is soft and thick, the heel padding is decent and the laces are normal. It weighs about 250 g in my UK 8. There is no firm heel counter, because it is designed for neutral and high arches, not for flat feet or overpronation. The heel stack is much taller than the forefoot and very bouncy, so heel strikers may like it even more. But the heel is not wide, so if you heel strike and have weak ankle stability, it can wobble. The forefoot is wide, and as a forefoot and sometimes midfoot striker I had no problems. Durability is the trade-off with budget shoes. An international brand's ₹3,000 shoe won't have this fun factor, but it will last 600–800 km. I expect 300–500 km from this foam, 500–600 km if you have a rotation and only run in it, and about half that if you also wear it casually. The outsole is the bigger issue. After only about 25 km on hard concrete it is already visibly worn where I land and push off, while my Saucony Hurricane shows no wear after 100 km. For around ₹2,000, if you want to taste the Novablast with plenty of fun for about six months or 500 km, this is a great beginner-friendly shoe. It is light and versatile, and you can pick up the pace to around 5:00/km. If you are a slow beginner or a heavier runner who needs more stability, choose the Cult Kaiser instead.