TYR Valkyrie Elite V2 Review | An Explosive Super Shoe That Punches Below Its Price

“One of the lightest, most explosive, carbon-plated runners ever built,” is how TYR has marketed their newest racer, the Valkyrie Elite V2 — and it mostly lives up to that billing, with a few trade-offs.

The last time I tested a TYR running shoe, the Maverick V1, I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. Granted, expectations were low; TYR exceeded them greatly. Did TYR exceed expectations once again?

Built on an Aliphatic TPU midsole, dubbed “HYPERLAUNCH”, TYR added a full-length carbon plate for rigid support.

It’s held together by an eTPU mesh upper with printed inlays; the result is a fast and aggressive featherweight speed machine. Coming in at a paltry 6.3 ounces in my men’s size 11, the feel was right.

TYR didn’t just put together a shoe they could charge upwards of $250 for and call it a super shoe; they took a big swing based on tried-and-true successes in the industry, and the result was surprising.

You can see some of the inspirations in the design of the Valkyrie Elite V2, but do they translate into performance? Let’s see, shall we?

TYR Valkyrie Elite V2 Overview

I’ve been against soft foams for the last few years, and I’m slowly starting to come around to them. Shoe manufacturers are coming up with ways to make midsole foams softer and more energetic than ever, and the TYR Valkyrie Elite V2 is no exception.

When walking and standing, the ATPU HYPERLAUNCH midsole foam feels like standing on blocks of marshmallow fluff.

But once the legs get moving, they behave more like small blocks of C4. The energy return is real, and the shoe encourages a fast and powerful stride.

Over the course of the last few weeks, I put the TYR Valkyrie Elite V2 through a variety of runs ranging from easy runs all the way down to mile-pace workouts.

At the faster paces, I found the most compatibility with this shoe. With the featherweight build and aggressive geometry, it is easy to get into a higher gear, and easy to hold those paces.

From mile pace all the way to threshold pace was where the Valkyrie Elite V2 really shines, making running in thick, soupy air less torturous.

TYR took a page from Puma’s Fast-R with the extended toe on the midsole. The midsole on most other shoes tends to taper off and end at a smooth point, while TYR decided to extend it past the toe box by a quarter inch.

The result is a really snappy toe-off and efficient stride.

Under normal conditions, I found the minimalist outsole to be quite good, if not outright sticky at times.

During wet conditions, I was not so sure-footed, especially when running downhill. Even after 40 miles, the outsole looks brand new, but the exposed sections of the midsole look a little more beat up.

With its low drop and very narrow heel, this is not a shoe that is well-suited to heel strikers.

The heel is much softer and more unstable. Mid- and forefoot landings are where the sweet spot is.

This may be a shoe for the rare forefoot/toe striker to feel the most comfortable. Landing more towards the front still produced a pronounced bounce.

Despite the efficiency afforded by the TYR Valkyrie Elite V2, I would not be 100% comfortable lacing it up for a marathon.

I did one long run almost entirely at marathon pace with a threshold mile just after the midway point with 4 more marathon pace miles after.

Despite my heart rate only briefly dipping into zone 3 for 7 minutes, the shoe is just not stable enough for me to handle the slight uneasiness once I get much past the 15-mile mark.

I started noticing some ankle fatigue once I hit 9 miles. I’m not a runner who needs a lot of stability, so if you are a runner in need of stability over longer miles, keep that in mind.

But if I had a choice to PR my 5K or 10K this weekend and win a million dollars, I would most likely be making that attempt in the TYR Valkyrie Elite V2.

TYR really embraced the “look fast, feel fast, run fast” motto with this shoe. You can tell just by looking that the Valkyrie Elite V2 is lightweight and fast.

And on foot, it does not disappoint. The white with the Sun colorway on the midsole is a nice look. The logo, on the other hand, still is not doing it for me.

TYR Valkyrie Elite V2 Fit

Length: Slightly short
Width: Narrow heel
Toe Box: Wider than it looks
Arch: Mid
Volume: Low

I found the fit to be just a quarter toenail shorter than what I’m used to in my men’s size 11. The tapered toe box does offer more width than it appears, but the low volume is made a bit tighter due to the inlays over the toe area.

The tongue is not gusseted, but the sawtooth laces keep the tongue centered over the midfoot. The tongue is fairly short, and the laces sit near the edge when tied. I never noticed any unwanted pressure in the area, however.

The unstructured heel works very well, and I’m a runner who will often have some heel slippage with overly flexible heel counters.

Most of the structure comes from the ETPU inlays and a thin strip of padding.

The oh-so-subtle midsole sidewalls don’t offer much in terms of guidance, but it’s not noticeable until the miles really start stacking up on you.

Breathability was top-notch. The midsole is mostly translucent, and the air flows through easily and helps keep your feet cool and comfortable even on hot days.

It’s by no means an antidote to soaked socks after a hot summer afternoon run, but the airy feel does offer brief moments of respite.

What to read next?

• Is Chocolate Milk After A Workout Really Good For You?
• Hoka Stinson 8 Review | A Cushioned Road-to-Trail Running Shoe
• Suunto Vertical 2 Review | Ready for Adventures Well Beyond a Trail Run