Have you ever wondered why running shoes couldn’t have a bit more street style? Tracksmith must have been wondering the same thing and it inspired them to launch their first ever running shoe. Let’s dig in to this Tracksmith Eliot Runner review!
Many of you are familiar with Tracksmith from their well known apparel line. It all has a distinctly preppy, clean lines, neutral colors feel. Having tested out a number of pieces from shorts to tanks to shirts, I can say that they fit will, perform and don’t short change quality.
But just because you make great apparel doesn’t meant you’re going to crush the running shoe game.
So as usual, I go in to my testing with a bit of skepticism about the newest thing on the market. After taking it for some runs, let’s find out what I like, dislike and what might work for you that wasn’t a fit for me! So hopefully, once again I can provide you with some insights on if this is a running shoe you’ll enjoy.
There is no one perfect running shoe for all runners, so I’m going to share my findings. This is one shoe where you won’t be able to test them out in the average running store. So Tracksmith is doing a 30 days or 100 miles return policy! That’s pretty spectacular for convincing you to test out a new shoe.
Tracksmith Eliot Runner Details
Finally a running shoe that I can take on vacation and feel like I’ve still got some style. I know this is way down the list of priorities, but dang it’s nice to have a shoe that’s looks so good.
Tracksmith seems to be marketing these as a road to trail shoe, with the clarity that trail means some crushed gravel or in their Boston fancy case a soft bed of pine needles. I won’t be pulling them out for any red dirt Moab runs or Colorado high country rocky trails.
The bottom rubber would certainly give you enough traction for those basic road, trail scenarios and without any big divets or cloud pods you won’t be getting rocks stuck in your shoes.
Every brand has their own cushion, which as of recently has turned to technical foam. For Tracksmith that’s going to be Pebax®. According to that company “Pebax Powered® shoes frequently take gold, silver and bronze and drive new innovations in the industry.”
Well all right, sign me up! This feels extremely on brand for a company who talks about serving the competitive runner.
The idea behind this foam is that it’s a little lighter, provides a high amount of responsiveness and still feels great. I’d say my initial assessment is that it’s hitting those points.
- Same shoe last for both men and women, nothing gender specific
- 9 mm heel drop (per specs, I’m seeing some say 10 for some reason)
- 9.5 oz
- Moderate cushion
- 1 color
- Not available in wide
- Available on Tracksmith for $198
Fun fact: Eliot is the name of the hare that is their mascot. You’ll notice the hare on all their apparel. “Our logo, the hare, is an animal that relies upon its speed. Not as a predator, but as a survivor. The hare is a runner’s runner. The timeless object of the chase. In folklore and mythology the hare is often portrayed as the trickster: quick-witted, outsmarting his opponents at every opportunity.”
I’ve currently been able to do about 10 runs in this shoe. Here are my initial impressions:
- The cushion overall feels good for a daily trainer
- However, under the heel it almost feels like a bubble. If you remember the old school Nike Airpods, it reminds me of that. I don’t know that it’s uncomfortable, but it’s something I notice immediately moving around in them. I don’t think about it much while running.
- They are a more narrow shoe, like a Saucony fit.
Tracksmith Eliot Fit
Slipping them on for the first time, reminded me in some ways of the Nike Epic React I used to run in so frequently. The cushion is obvious, but not plush. While you can also still feel the ground and that spring in your step (because you aren’t losing energy to a super cushioned shoe).
After saying that I was curious, so I held the two up side by side and found from the top they look quite similar. Minus the neon green color, they are roughly the same width. Which is to say, not wide.
Generally, I am not a fan of shoes that do 1 style for both men and women. I didn’t like it in Skechers and I looking back to when I first started running in 2002, it was annoying then for sure.
However, I can’t say that it bothered me with this shoe. Possibly because the sizing was normal to what I find in other shoes and it isn’t a wide shoe so my foot felt great.
On 90% of my running shoes, I use a heel lock lacing and these have enough laces to make that easily doable. I noticed someone mentioning issues with the heel pulling out. I didn’t find that, but again used that lacing technique.
Who Should Not Get the Tracksmith Eliot Runner?
Honestly, right now as someone running through winter slush I probably shouldn’t have them because they’re going to be dirty instantly! Beyond that I think it’s going to come down to price and feel.
Those looking for a super cushioned shoe are going to want something more like the HOKA Bondi or ALTRA Olympus.
Price wise, you can get a lot of great running shoes for $50 to $80 less. Let’s be honest, that’s a factor when we’re buying multiple shoes a year for training and to keep in our running shoe rotation.
What You Need to Know Tracksmith Running Shoes
A small New England based brand that started in 2014, I admit to being impressed they are entering the shoe market. Their running apparel has become a beloved set of gear for many, while they remain an independent brand.
They have an obvious affinity for the competitive racer, who wants to achieve more even if they are not an elite runner. It’s very much the brand you’ll see worn by many Boston Qualifying runners because that’s how they market. To the runner who believes in their potential.
I’m going to say you see some of that in the gear itself which runs smaller than most brands and stops at XL.
Drawbacks to Tracksmith Running Shoes
As noted, every runner has a preference, so there are just a couple of things from my experience.
- With one shoe last you aren’t getting any of the gender specific things we hear about from different heel lock to forefoot
- Not a wide toebox
- Limited color selection
Looking for other running shoes??
- Allbirds Running Shoes Review
- On Cloud vs Hoka
- Adidas Vs Nike Running Shoes
- Altra vs HOKA Running Shoes
- How to Tell if Running Shoes Fit Properly
- How to Clean Running Shoes
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