R.A.D UFO Review | Eye Catching, But Where’s the Speed

When I first learned about the R.A.D. UFO I wasn’t sure what to expect from this new brand. Would this shoe be able to compare to some of the other brand name running shoes on the market?

The R.A.D. UFO is certainly trying to make a statement with its bright neon colors. If you can get past the looks of these shoes, they may just have a place in your running shoe rotation. (Spoiler we saw some big name brands with similar looking shoes at The Running Event recently. And some of us on the team think they look very cool.)

While I expected these to feel light and fast, I found them to be more suitable for easy runs or some tempo paced miles, which in truth  is exactly what they were designed for!

A super trainer is not the same as a super shoe, they have different goals and I needed to adjust my expectations.

R.A.D. (which stands for Rally Against Destruction) describes these shoes as a “road-running super trainer- designed to build speed across distance”. I just didn’t find these to be a great shoe for long runs or speed workouts, but their sweet spot may just be somewhere in the middle.

R.A.D UFO Overview

A super trainer is designed with lightweight bouncy cushion that in theory should leave your legs feeling less fatigued after a run, therefore keeping you fresher for the big efforts. Now that, I could see, but I just really wanted them to feel faster, which is not the shoes fault.

I know you can’t judge a book by its cover, but when I pulled these shoes out of the box I was definitely caught off guard by the bright neon pink color and huge heel bevel.

It would be one thing if there were a few pops of hot pink throughout the shoe, but having almost the entire shoe all the same bright color is a bit much.

Aside from the blinding color, I noticed that the heel bevel came out really far, but wasn’t rounded much underneath. When I put them on the rocker felt very obvious. I almost felt like I was losing my balance walking around in them.

That balance issue has been a thing with other recent shoes and it’s notable that they are 100% for running, not walking around. Once you start moving the rocker helps to prevent all that foam from just slowing you down, instead it aids in your momentum.

I also noticed that they were very squeaky. As I was trying to leave for my 5am run I was worried I’d wake up my family with how loud they were.

But let’s talk about the actual run because that’s what matters.

They had a smooth, cushioned ride and felt like a pretty stable shoe. I was expecting that these would feel like a fast shoe, but that wasn’t the case. In fact, I was a little unsure about what speed I wanted to run in them. The soft cushioning encouraged a nice easy run, but the rocker felt more suited for some faster running.

In fact, we’d say this might fall in the category of the Saucony Endorphin Trainer. It’s bouncy, it’s got a max cushion, but it doesn’t give you that fast feeling of other Saucony Endorphin shoes.

While I wouldn’t wear them for over 10 miles, many of you might disagree. A super trainer should allow you to take them out on long runs to aid in that more recovered feeling for the next workout.

Personally I think the hot pink neon color is a bit much. I’m all about fun colors on running shoes but these are just a little overboard. There are 4 colors offered: neon pink, neon yellow, neon orange, and plain white. And I know that performance matters more than looks, but these just don’t feel worth the $200 price tag.

Coach Amanda: Listen I’m not a huge colors person either, but I’ve heard loud and clear from most of you that color is a winning feature. So for all of you, rock on this is going to make you feel bright and bold!

R.A.D. UFO Fit

The toe box is nice and roomy which I appreciate. The width of the shoe tapers around the midfoot and is not as wide there, but does offer some space again in the heel. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s perfect for wide feet, but it does offer a decent amount of space in the forefoot and heel.

These fit true to size and are even a bit roomy, but once I tied the laces well they were pretty much a perfect fit. The tongue stays secure and the upper is soft and comfortable. Even with some space around the heel my foot stayed in place once the shoe was tied well.

R.A.D. UFO Feel

The R.A.D. UFO uses “SupeFoam” (that’s not a typo- there’s no “r”)  which is a dual-layer PEBA blend.

There is a soft layer to reduce fatigue and improve running economy, and a firm layer for energy return. I only felt the soft layer, which is what you should notice. That firmer layer is really to help ensure you don’t sink into the shoe and lose all the momentum.

I just didn’t feel that energy return which meant that going faster than tempo pace just didn’t feel right in these. Again, that’s a mental block where may the color made me want to think of them as a fast shoe, when really they are more like a daily trainer.

This is a pretty light shoe and that’s exactly how it felt on the run. It looks like it would be heavier than it is.

But I do worry about the durability. The material of the outsole feels like it may not last long. After some miles I kind of felt like my feet were sinking into the shoe. While these shoes offer a lot of cushioning, they also felt pretty stable on the run. They have a wide sole at the heel and forefoot which I think helps with that.

Occasionally I found my heel scraping the ground during initial contact. Perhaps this is due to my running form, but I think in part it was because of that large heel bevel that extends well beyond the back of the shoe.

While I found the rocker to be very obvious while standing and walking, it wasn’t as noticeable on the run. It did help with transitions and toe-off but I didn’t feel like I was going to fall over like I did while standing in these shoes.

The moderate 8 mm heel drop felt like the right amount for these high stack shoes- any higher and I think they would have felt less stable.

Similar Shoes to the R.A.D. UFO

We’ve tested a few that feel similar, but different based on the brand fit:

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