Comfort Walk

Red Tape sells this as a comfort walking shoe, but the build and the ETPU foam made it feel like a running shoe to me. I have done 10 to 13 km in it so far. I stopped there because I see it as a multi-sport shoe, but you can definitely take it to a half marathon. The foam is the highlight. It is dense, so it is not mushy. It compresses and rebounds quickly, giving a bouncy feel with energy return rather than springiness. I ended up running around 5:30 to 6:30/km without planning to. The stack looked higher than their other ETPU shoes, and I did not get the thin-forefoot feel of most budget shoes. It felt premium rather than budget. I would give the foam 8 to 8.5 out of 10 at this price. The upper is thick and very durable, with a strong mesh and a stiff protective coating running along the sides, plus internal overlays. The tongue is good and the laces are good quality. It was true to size for my UK 8. There is no heel counter, but the dense, plush heel padding and snug upper kept my foot from wobbling. My one main issue is the forefoot: there is no space at the sides. If you have wide feet, go one full size up, since there are no half sizes, or you will get rubbing and blisters. The insole here is not up to the mark compared with the one in their other shoes. The outsole has a traction pattern but uses a simple rubber, a level below their PTPU Pegasus. As a heel striker I can already see wear on the heel. The plastic piece in the midsole is just for stability and adds 20 to 30 g. It suits neutral arches and runners up to 90 kg, for 5 to 10 km runs, the occasional half marathon, basketball, badminton, light gym and office or college wear. For around ₹1,200 I would give it full marks. Brands like Abros, Action and Asian cannot come close on build quality.