EnergeX

I planned only a 10 km test, but I liked it so much that I took it on a half marathon and kept running after 21 km. I have done 35 km in it. The next morning after my first run I felt no impact in my knees at all. The midsole gets 10 out of 10 from me. It is butter soft and sinks in slowly, and gives me about 90% of the sink I loved in the ASICS Nimbus 25. It is soft but still dense, and it never bottomed out over 21 km. I usually wear UK8, but UK8 was snug in the toe box, so I bought UK9. One full size up gave me the height and forefoot space I need. The upper has no overlays, which worried me at first, but it is thick and well made, with extra coating at the toe, and it held up fine. I give its durability 9 out of 10 and breathability 8 out of 10 at slow paces. The laces are above average and a runner's knot stops heel slip. The tongue is not gusseted but spreads lace pressure well. The heel padding is decent for the price. There is no heel counter at all, so the foot can wobble. If you have ankle or stability problems, check carefully, and if you overpronate a lot, avoid it. The drop felt low, around 6 to 8 mm, so more load goes to the calves and ankles. The midfoot has exposed foam with rubber only at the heel and forefoot, which nearly made me return it. After 35 km the wear along my line of strike is acceptable for a budget shoe, better than about 10 other budget shoes I have tried. I expect traction to last around 300 km of running, or around 500 km if you mostly walk. It is heavy, about 350 g in UK8. At 5 min/km I would reject it beyond 10 km. At 6 min/km legs will feel heavy after 10 to 15 km. It sells for ₹1,800 to ₹2,000 on Flipkart, Ajio and Myntra, against a retail price of around ₹6,000. For that money it is not even a compromise. For walkers, office wear, people standing 10 to 12 hours, heavier beginners and slow runners at 7 to 12 min/km, recommend it with your eyes closed.