TYR Maverick V1 vs Adidas EVO SL: Is the Knockoff Worth It? (Review)

The TYR Maverick took the running world by storm last year. No one saw it coming, but it was a hit. We’re here to find out why.

Oftentimes you have an idea of what to expect from a running shoe before you ever slip your foot into it. You may have run in that same model before, or the prior year’s model, or you may have a general idea of a brand’s core “feel”.

In the case of the TYR Maverick V1 Runner, I went in completely blind and with almost no expectations. I knew of TYR as a company that makes apparel and accessories geared more towards triathletes and crossfitters, and that they entered the running shoe market in recent years.

It should go without saying that expectations were quite low early on. Right off the bat, however,  it was apparent that TYR really took a big swing with the Maverick V1 Runner. They put out a max stack lightweight daily trainer that can go long and it can go fast, and all at a competitive price point.

While some of the materials felt less than premium, the end result was mostly positive.

TYR Maverick V1 Overview

I should start by saying “color me surprised”. The aforementioned low expectations were easily exceeded, but the shoe is not without its flaws.

Upon opening the box I was not sure how such a large shoe could weigh so little. You can see TYR didn’t skimp on their supercritical midsole foam that they’ve dubbed “Flighttime” foam.

In hand it felt more like the diminutive pink Puma trainers I bought for my niece when she was 7. The spec sheet showed a weight of 7.7 ounces for a men’s size 9. I had to break out the kitchen scale and weigh it myself, confirming a slender weight of 8.5 ounces for my men’s size 11.

TYR claims their foam is designed to lessen impact by up to 8%, increase your stride efficiency by 4%, and strengthen your stride by 23%, all while absorbing 53.2% more shock.

I didn’t notice a big increase in my stride distance, nor do I have the technology to confirm any other claims, but I did notice my runs felt a little easier than expected and my legs and feet felt great after my first run of 90 minutes or more since an injury in October.

It should be noted, however, I don’t use a Stryd Pod and I only rely on my Garmin’s metrics to estimate my stride length for me, and the numbers were about the same as usual.

The midsole has a soft feel to it while remaining firm enough for faster efforts. The sharp forefoot rocker, combined with that soft but firm landing, assists with quick stride turnover when running faster.

The forefoot rocker made tempo/threshold workouts considerably easier than expected. Like I said, expectations were low.

While the same workout on the same route a week prior felt better in the Adidas EVO SL, I was surprised that the Maverick wasn’t completely outclassed by its more well-known competitor.

And yes, I’m really comparing this to the EVO SL because that’s what it’s often been dubbed as a knock off of.

I didn’t do any all-out faster intervals, but I ran plenty of strides in the Maverick and noticed a small “hitch” in my stride when trying to get up to my stride speed, so there is a limit, at least for me, for use cases for the Maverick.

I found that when I drifted off mentally during longer or easier efforts, I had to consciously take my foot off the proverbial gas a bit because I was drifting into my marathon pace.

All in all, the ride of the TYR Maverick V1 Runner was enjoyable, and also confusing. The marketing materials tell me there is energy return and bounce. My performance lent some credence to that theory, but I wasn’t feeling it during the run.

The TYRTAC outsole rubber mostly covers the borderline of the forefoot, with a small pod in the center, reminiscent of the “trampoline-inspired” forefoot of the Asics “Blast” line. Two strips cover the heel and the midfoot is exposed.

After two weeks I can’t see any degradation of the exposed midsole, but based on feel I would expect it to start to break down once the odometer surpasses the century mark. Grip was solid on dry surfaces, as well as sandy surfaces and right after a light rain.

TYR Maverick V1 Runner Fit & Feel

The fit was close to perfect in the Maverick V1. The midfoot, with the help of a partial gusset, is snug and secure without being restrictive.

Molded heel overlays and medial and lateral wing logos add some structure throughout. The toe box is wide enough, even though Altra and Topo die-hards might scoff at TYR’s idea of a wide toe box. For those of us without Flintstone feet, the wide toe box is plenty wide.

TYR could have made the toe box a few millimeters taller, though. My toenails wound up with a nice smooth surface over the course of a 90 minute run, but over shorter efforts up to an hour I didn’t notice it as much. That could prove more hazardous over longer runs in the two hour range.

The tongue has enough padding in the center but future iterations might consider spreading it out more. I did experience some lace bite when lacing up tighter for a couple threshold runs.

The heel counter is rather firm and did a number on my heels during my first two runs in them. The padding in the heel is plentiful and the heel rubbing went away after those first two runs, it’s something to keep an eye on if you have sensitive heels.

Coach Amanda: For me the sizing was small, I couldn’t do a men’s size that should have translated to women’s. So might just be me, but I’d consider going up 1/2 size and that might help with toebox comfort too.

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