The KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX is the latest release from the well-known French brand which we’ve seen growing in popularity in the last few years. According to KIPRUN, this launch marks a new chapter in their daily trainer category. A place where comfort-first design and elite-level cushioning is combined. I can confidently say that KIPRUN have absolutely nailed it with this shoe when it comes to designing a comfortable and reliable daily trainer. But with that category so heavily saturated at the moment with other competitive contenders, should you go out and buy yourself a pair?
Upper and Fit of the KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX
What works for me
The upper of the KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX is one of the best-performing uppers on the market at the moment. It has the perfect balance between breathability, and comfort. Featuring plush cushioning around the heel of the shoe and a soft internal finish throughout. An industry-standard upper for daily trainers and other max-cushioning shoes is the upper found on the previous few Nimbus models. These I absolutely loved, shout-out to my pair of Nimbus 26 TR’s! KIPRUN have come close to equaling both the fit and comfort of this shoe.
The tongue of the KIPRIDE MAX is fully gusseted. I can confirm that while KIPRUN haven’t gotten rid of the big annoying tags completely, they have found a solution by tucking it in between the two layers of the upper. Therefore it won’t be too irritating for your foot.
What doesn’t work for me
Really nothing to report here. It’s a great upper.
Midsole and Ride of the KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX
What works for me
Despite how great the upper of the KIPRIDE MAX is, this is not the stand-out part of the shoe to me. For this, we have to move to the core of the shoe, the midsole. The midsole of the KIPRIDE MAX features a thick 42mm wedge of their latest compound – SOFTECH+. This is a blend of EVA, PEBA, and OBC.
Lab testing from KIPRUN suggests that the compound has a 69% energy return. This new midsole compound offers an extremely soft and comfortable ride. Moreover, it gives the illusion of there being much more than 42mm of stack underfoot.
Overall, the ride feels balanced and stable. The source of this stability can be found in the overall geometry and footprint of the shoe. Turning the shoe over you see just how much the midsole flares out. This is especially true on the medial side of the forefoot.
This results in an extremely solid base. While the KIPRIDE MAX isn’t marketed as a stability shoe, its extremely stable nature makes it one of the more stable max-cushion choices currently available.
When it comes to the ride of the KIPRIDE MAX, SOFTECH+ is the shoes secret ingredient. Underfoot the shoe feels smooth and stable. Two words which are like music to the ears of most runners who may be reading this. I’ve been primarily using it to log daily miles throughout the week, as well as taking it for long-runs.
What doesn’t work for me
While the midsole feels incredible when running at easy pace, which is anywhere from 5:30/km – 4:00/km for me (depending on how good I feel on a particular day). I occasionally tried to pick up the pace a bit in the shoe. Here, I found that it didn’t react as well as I would have liked. I think this lack of poppy feeling at faster paces is due to both the very smooth and gradual rocker of the shoe, along with the buttery smooth foam compound.
Whether this is a negative for some people depends on what you’re looking to use the shoe for of course. For me, it could be considered a positive because I don’t mind a shoe which keeps me accountable for running at an easy pace!
Outsole of the KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX
Grip and Traction
There’s not much to say about the outsole of the KIPRIDE MAX. I’ve put roughly 60km in the KIPRIDE MAX over the last few weeks now, and the outsole hasn’t been anything to write home about.
The compound doesn’t have a noticeably high grip on surfaces, however it also doesn’t leave you wanting much more. It does the job which it needs to, but doesn’t necessarily excel at it. With such a thick coverage of rubber on the outsole I’m sure that the longevity of the shoes is not something which needs to be worried about.
Conclusion
Value for Money
The KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX is priced at an extremely competitive price point in the max-cushioned daily trainer category. With other shoes like the Vomero Plus at €170, Nimbus 28 at €200, and the New Balance More v6 at €170, the KIPRIDE MAX comes in well below all of these at just €150.
With the shoe matching, if not surpassing the performance and comfort of most of these shoes, it is definitely worth considering the KIPRIDE MAX when looking for your next daily trainer.
Fitting it into a shoe rotation
Personally, I’ve used the KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX as my go-to daily trainer for the last few weeks. Using it for a combination of easy runs and long runs with the paces of which varying from 5:30/km to 4:00/km. It’s never missed a beat when I’ve been using them in these conditions and I can definitely see myself using it for many more runs like this in the future.
Final Verdict
The KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX has far surpassed my expectations of what I thought KIPRUN could produce when it came to a daily trainer. I can see myself logging many more hundreds of kilometers in this shoe after writing this review, and I’m looking forward to each and every one of them. The KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX may have just earned itself a spot as one of my trusted high-mileage workhorses!
Comparisons Against Similar Shoes
KIPRUN KIPRIDE MAX vs. Nike Vomero Plus
Here are two shoes that seem very similar on paper and when looking at them from a first glance. However, where one may lack in one field, the other excels. This is the case with the stability of the Vomero Plus – which thanks to it’s much softer midsole ends up being slightly unstable in uneven terrain or round turns. The KIPRIDE MAX, on the other hand, is one of the most stable max-cushioned shoes I have tested and brings confidence in each step. However, where the Vomero Plus excels is in it’s ability to pick up the pace. When running at tempo pace, the Vomero Plus is able to keep up with you. This isn’t the case with the KIPRIDE MAX. The shoes don’t mind when you pick up the pace, but you can definitely feel that they are doing something which they aren’t designed for.
